Museum Technicians and Conservators
Educational Instruction and Library Occupations- O*NET-SOC code
- 25-4013.00
Restore, maintain, or prepare objects in museum collections for storage, research, or exhibit. May work with specimens such as fossils, skeletal parts, or botanicals; or artifacts, textiles, or art. May identify and record objects or install and arrange them in exhibits. Includes book or document conservators.
- Data source: BLSPublished: 2026-08
Moderate· relative
LowFour relative bandsVery highGroup-level value
Scale, basis and source
Four relative bands (Low / Moderate / High / Very high)
831 detailed occupations in the BLS Employment Projections table. Assigned per National Employment Matrix (NEM) code, so occupations sharing a NEM code carry the same band
- Data source: AnthropicPublished: 2026-03
0.000
0.000Range of values carried here0.745Scale, basis and source
Observed exposure index, 0–1 as published
Mapped onto O*NET tasks
Published per SOC 2018 occupation; every O*NET occupation with the same SOC 2018 code carries this value
- Data source: ILOPublished: 2025
0.37
0.09Range of values carried here0.70Group-level value
Scale, basis and source
Generative AI exposure index, 0–1 as published
Published per ISCO-08 unit group. Linked to this occupation, wholly or in part, by applying U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (ISCO-08 to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to 2018 SOC) as published
What kind of figure this source publishes
The BLS category is a relative rank, not an absolute level, and it is not a first-hand measurement: it groups an occupation's percentile ranks across several published studies into four bands. It is not an employment or wage forecast, not a probability of adoption, and it does not separate automation from augmentation.
Task-level exposure
Show 14 hidden tasks26 rated tasks · 12 tasks with β ≥ 0.5 (46.2%)
β = direct exposure (E1) + 0.5 × exposure when tools are available (E2), per the source repository's definition.
- Source unit: O*NET 27.2 tasks → O*NET 31.0 occupation code
- 2 rated tasks are not in the O*NET 31.0 task list; their scores are kept as published for O*NET 27.2.
- Source
- OpenAI "GPTs are GPTs" exposure rubric
- Release
- gh-main-0471612
- License
- MIT License, Copyright (c) 2024 OpenAI
Values in this tab are predicted labels, not observations. Eloundou et al. (2023) published two rating regimes — human raters and GPT-4 — and the β shown here is derived from the GPT-4 rater basis alone; the same task can take a different value under the other regime. The unit and the meaning differ from the observed shares (%) in the other tabs, so do not place them on the same axis.
| Task (O*NET 27.2) | βE1 + 0.5 × E2 |
|---|---|
Enter information about museum collections into computer databases.O*NET Task ID 21065 | 1.0 |
Coordinate exhibit installations, assisting with design, constructing displays, dioramas, display cases, and models, and ensuring the availability of necessary materials.O*NET Task ID 3807 | 0.5 |
Determine whether objects need repair and choose the safest and most effective method of repair.O*NET Task ID 3808 | 0.5 |
Specialize in particular materials or types of object, such as documents and books, paintings, decorative arts, textiles, metals, or architectural materials.O*NET Task ID 3813 | 0.5 |
Recommend preservation procedures, such as control of temperature and humidity, to curatorial and building staff.O*NET Task ID 3814 | 0.5 |
Classify and assign registration numbers to artifacts and supervise inventory control.O*NET Task ID 3815 | 0.5 |
Prepare reports on the operation of conservation laboratories, documenting the condition of artifacts, treatment options, and the methods of preservation and repair used.O*NET Task ID 3819 | 0.5 |
Study object documentation or conduct standard chemical and physical tests to ascertain the object's age, composition, original appearance, need for treatment or restoration, and appropriate preservation method.O*NET Task ID 3820 | 0.5 |
Perform tests and examinations to establish storage and conservation requirements, policies, and procedures.O*NET Task ID 3822 | 0.5 |
Plan and conduct research to develop and improve methods of restoring and preserving specimens.O*NET Task ID 3823 | 0.5 |
Estimate cost of restoration work.O*NET Task ID 3825 | 0.5 |
Photograph objects for documentation.O*NET Task ID 18644 | 0.5 |
β = E1 + 0.5 × E2 · E1 = tasks where direct LLM access alone cuts time by at least 50%, E2 = tasks where software built on top of an LLM cuts time by at least 50%. Values take only 0 / 0.5 / 1.0.
Data sources & licenses — O*NET®, Eloundou et al. (2023): see full notices on the Credits page
All O*NET 31.0 task statements (24)
All O*NET 31.0 task statements for this occupation (English, as published; task type core or supplemental). Exposure values are not listed here; they are in the table above, next to each task statement as worded in the O*NET version each source used.
| Task (O*NET 31.0) | Type |
|---|---|
| Install, arrange, assemble, and prepare artifacts for exhibition, ensuring the artifacts' safety, reporting their status and condition, and identifying and correcting any problems with the set up. | Core |
| Coordinate exhibit installations, assisting with design, constructing displays, dioramas, display cases, and models, and ensuring the availability of necessary materials. | Core |
| Determine whether objects need repair and choose the safest and most effective method of repair. | Core |
| Clean objects, such as paper, textiles, wood, metal, glass, rock, pottery, and furniture, using cleansers, solvents, soap solutions, and polishes. | Core |
| Prepare artifacts for storage and shipping. | Core |
| Supervise and work with volunteers. | Core |
| Specialize in particular materials or types of object, such as documents and books, paintings, decorative arts, textiles, metals, or architectural materials. | Core |
| Recommend preservation procedures, such as control of temperature and humidity, to curatorial and building staff. | Core |
| Perform on-site field work which may involve interviewing people, inspecting and identifying artifacts, note-taking, viewing sites and collections, and repainting exhibition spaces. | Core |
| Repair, restore, and reassemble artifacts, designing and fabricating missing or broken parts, to restore them to their original appearance and prevent deterioration. | Core |
| Prepare reports on the operation of conservation laboratories, documenting the condition of artifacts, treatment options, and the methods of preservation and repair used. | Core |
| Study object documentation or conduct standard chemical and physical tests to ascertain the object's age, composition, original appearance, need for treatment or restoration, and appropriate preservation method. | Core |
| Perform tests and examinations to establish storage and conservation requirements, policies, and procedures. | Core |
| Plan and conduct research to develop and improve methods of restoring and preserving specimens. | Core |
| Notify superior when restoration of artifacts requires outside experts. | Core |
| Estimate cost of restoration work. | Core |
| Direct and supervise curatorial, technical, and student staff in the handling, mounting, care, and storage of art objects. | Core |
| Photograph objects for documentation. | Core |
| Deliver artwork on courier trips. | Core |
| Enter information about museum collections into computer databases. | Core |
| Classify and assign registration numbers to artifacts and supervise inventory control. | Supplemental |
| Preserve or direct preservation of objects, using plaster, resin, sealants, hardeners, and shellac. | Supplemental |
| Construct skeletal mounts of fossils, replicas of archaeological artifacts, or duplicate specimens, using a variety of materials and hand tools. | Supplemental |
| Lead tours and teach educational courses to students and the general public. | Supplemental |
0.14/ 3· Robot exposure index
Scale, basis and source
Each physical task is graded 0–3 by the setting in which robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated could do it (0 none · 1 purpose-built robot settings such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line · 2 structured facilities such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port · 3 unstructured settings such as a private home or a construction site), and the grades are averaged by share of working time
Physical tasks among this occupation's O*NET 29.3 tasks
Anthropic estimated the grades and time shares with Claude Opus 5 using web search, as of 2026.
The robot exposure index is a different measure from the AI exposure figures on this site and cannot be added to or compared with them. It does not measure actual adoption or cost, and 0 also covers occupations with no physical tasks.
Tier of each physical task
Robot environment tiers (E0–E3)
E0 noneDetails
Rated not doable by robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated, even in a purpose-built setting
E1 purpose-built robot settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting built around the machine, such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line
E2 structured facilitiesDetails
Rated doable in a human work facility that an institution keeps to a working standard, such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port
E3 unstructured settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting that no institution keeps to a working standard, such as a private home or a construction site
Only tasks classified as physical are listed; other tasks have no tier in the source.
| Task (O*NET 29.3) | Robot environment tier |
|---|---|
| Install, arrange, assemble, and prepare artifacts for exhibition, ensuring the artifacts' safety, reporting their status and condition, and identifying and correcting any problems with the set up. | E0 none |
| Determine whether objects need repair and choose the safest and most effective method of repair. | E0 none |
| Clean objects, such as paper, textiles, wood, metal, glass, rock, pottery, and furniture, using cleansers, solvents, soap solutions, and polishes. | E0 none |
| Prepare artifacts for storage and shipping. | E0 none |
| Perform on-site field work which may involve interviewing people, inspecting and identifying artifacts, note-taking, viewing sites and collections, and repainting exhibition spaces. | E0 none |
| Repair, restore, and reassemble artifacts, designing and fabricating missing or broken parts, to restore them to their original appearance and prevent deterioration. | E0 none |
| Photograph objects for documentation. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Coordinate exhibit installations, assisting with design, constructing displays, dioramas, display cases, and models, and ensuring the availability of necessary materials. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Specialize in particular materials or types of object, such as documents and books, paintings, decorative arts, textiles, metals, or architectural materials. | E0 none |
| Classify and assign registration numbers to artifacts and supervise inventory control. | E0 none |
| Study object documentation or conduct standard chemical and physical tests to ascertain the object's age, composition, original appearance, need for treatment or restoration, and appropriate preservation method. | E0 none |
| Perform tests and examinations to establish storage and conservation requirements, policies, and procedures. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Plan and conduct research to develop and improve methods of restoring and preserving specimens. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Preserve or direct preservation of objects, using plaster, resin, sealants, hardeners, and shellac. | E0 none |
| Build, repair, and install wooden steps, scaffolds, and walkways to gain access to or permit improved view of exhibited equipment. | E0 none |
| Deliver artwork on courier trips. | E0 none |
Occupation information
Employment outlook (BLS)
- Employment, 2025
- 14K
- Projected employment, 2035
- 15K
- Change (2025–35)
- +3.6%
- Median annual wage, 2025
- $51,440
- Typical education needed for entry
- Bachelor's degree
Korea classification links (KSCO)
Links from the current release of the Korea Occupation Direct Crosswalk v1.1, made by AI Changing Work. Relation values are read from the O*NET-SOC occupation side.
| KSCO code | KSCO title | Relation | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 29211 | 학예사 | This occupation is broader | confirmed |
| 29212 | 문화재 보존원 | This occupation is broader | confirmed |
Relation and status definitions(kr-direct v1.1)
ILO occupational description
AI Changing Work links the ISCO-08 unit groups below to this occupation by applying the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (2018 SOC to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to ISCO-08) as published, without case-by-case selection; each link may be whole or partial.
- ISCO-08 3433Gallery, Museum and Library Technicians
The definition, tasks and examples below are the ILO's description of that unit group, not of this occupation.
Gallery, museum and library technicians prepare artworks, specimens and artefacts for collections, arrange and construct gallery exhibits, and assist librarians to organize and operate systems for handling recorded material and files.
Tasks
- (a) mounting and preparing objects for display;
- (b) designing and arranging exhibit furnishings, display cases and display areas;
- (c) assisting in setting up lighting and display equipment;
- (d) receiving, shipping, packing and unpacking exhibits;
- (e) ordering new library materials and maintaining library records and circulation systems;
- (f) cataloguing printed and recorded material;
- (g) entering data into databases and editing computer records;
- (h) operating audiovisual and reprographic equipment;
- (i) searching and verifying bibliographic data.
Example occupations
Gallery technician · Library technician · Museum technician · Taxidermist
Sources: ILO ISCO-08 — details: Credits
ESCO occupational vocabulary
Each entry below is matched to this occupation in the published ESCO-O*NET Crosswalk (version 1, 2022). The match types are that crosswalk's; the wording is AI Changing Work's.
- conservatorESCO 2621.4This occupation is narrower
Conservators organise and valorise works of art, buildings, books and furniture. They work in a wide range of areas such as creating and implementing new collections of art, preserving heritage buildings by applying restoration techniques as well as foreseeing the conservation of literary works, films, and valuable objects.
- archivistESCO 2621.1This occupation is broader
Archivists assess, collect, organise, preserve and provide access to records and archives. Records maintained are in any format, analogue or digital and include several kinds of media (documents, photographs, video and sound recordings, etc.).
- art restorerESCO 2651.2This occupation is broader
Art restorers work to perform corrective treatment based on an evaluation of the aesthetic, historic and scientific characteristics of art objects. They determine the structural stability of art pieces and address problems of chemical and physical deterioration.
- book restorerESCO 7323.3This occupation is broader
Book restorers work to correct and treat books based on an evaluation of their aesthetic, historic and scientific characteristics. They determine the stability of the book and address the problems of chemical and physical deterioration of it.
Source: European Commission, DG EMPL — ESCO API 2026-08-08 (bridge v1.2.1)
License: CC BY 4.0 (EU Reuse Notice)
ESCO reuse terms and the modification notice are in Credits.
France classification links (ROME)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and ROME 4.0 job profiles, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side. Links marked “provisional” were adopted on the judgments of two judges from the same model family (Claude) alone, or by an operator rule applied to their judgments, so they rest on weaker evidence than confirmed links.
| ROME code | ROME title (French) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| B1403 | Restaurateur / Restauratrice de livres anciens | This occupation is broader |
| B1701 | Taxidermiste | This occupation is broader |
| K1609 | Technicien / Technicienne en manipulation d'œuvres d'art | This occupation is broader |
| K1610 | Régisseur d'œuvres d'art / Régisseuse d'œuvres d'art | This occupation is broader |
| B1702 | Technicien / Technicienne en ostéologie-moulage | This occupation is broaderprovisional |
| K1606 | Responsable de la conservation préventive | This occupation is broaderprovisional |
Source: France Travail — Répertoire Opérationnel des Métiers et des Emplois (ROME 4.0), version 61, last updated 15 June 2026 (https://www.data.gouv.fr/datasets/repertoire-operationnel-des-metiers-et-des-emplois-rome). Licence Ouverte 2.0.
ROME codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET-SOC occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a France Travail correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: fr-direct v1)
Spain classification links (CNO-11)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and CNO-11 occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| CNO-11 code | CNO-11 title (Spanish) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 3733 | Técnicos en galerías de arte, museos y bibliotecas | Overlapping, not the same |
| 2931 | Artistas de artes plásticas y visuales | Related, not a match |
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), National Classification of Occupations 2011 (CNO-11, Royal Decree 1591/2010) — www.ine.es · Licensed CC BY 4.0. CNO-11 codes and Spanish titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not an INE correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: es-direct v1)
Germany classification links (KldB)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and KldB occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| KldB code | KldB title (German) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 94712 | Berufe in der Museums- und Ausstellungstechnik - fachlich ausgerichtete Tätigkeiten | This occupation is broader |
| 94713 | Berufe in der Museums- und Ausstellungstechnik - komplexe Spezialistentätigkeiten | This occupation is broader |
| 23423 | Berufe in der Buchbinderei und Druckweiterverarbeitung - komplexe Spezialistentätigkeiten | This occupation is broaderprovisional |
| 93303 | Berufe in Kunsthandwerk und bildender Kunst (ohne Spezialisierung) - komplexe Spezialistentätigkeiten | This occupation is broaderprovisional |
| 93343 | Berufe im Vergolderhandwerk - komplexe Spezialistentätigkeiten | This occupation is broaderprovisional |
| 93383 | Berufe in Kunsthandwerk und bildender Kunst (sonstige spezifische Tätigkeitsangabe) - komplexe Spezialistentätigkeiten | This occupation is broaderprovisional |
| 94704 | Museumsberufe (ohne Spezialisierung) - hoch komplexe Tätigkeiten | This occupation is broaderprovisional |
| 94714 | Berufe in der Museums- und Ausstellungstechnik - hoch komplexe Tätigkeiten | Overlapping, not the same |
| 93304 | Berufe in Kunsthandwerk und bildender Kunst (ohne Spezialisierung) - hoch komplexe Tätigkeiten | Related, not a match |
| 21233 | Berufe in der Steinmetztechnik - komplexe Spezialistentätigkeiten | Related, not a matchprovisional |
| 22343 | Berufe im Holz-, Möbel- und Innenausbau - komplexe Spezialistentätigkeiten | Related, not a matchprovisional |
| 23313 | Berufe in der Fototechnik - komplexe Spezialistentätigkeiten | Related, not a matchprovisional |
| 24533 | Berufe im Uhrmacherhandwerk - komplexe Spezialistentätigkeiten | Related, not a matchprovisional |
| 33323 | Berufe in der Zimmerei - komplexe Spezialistentätigkeiten | Related, not a matchprovisional |
| 41222 | Berufe in der biologischen Präparation - fachlich ausgerichtete Tätigkeiten | Related, not a matchprovisional |
| 93313 | Berufe in der Bildhauerei - komplexe Spezialistentätigkeiten | Related, not a matchprovisional |
| 93513 | Berufe in der kunsthandwerklichen Metallgestaltung - komplexe Spezialistentätigkeiten | Related, not a matchprovisional |
| 93533 | Berufe in der Gravur - komplexe Spezialistentätigkeiten | Related, not a matchprovisional |
| 93603 | Berufe im Musikinstrumentenbau (ohne Spezialisierung) - komplexe Spezialistentätigkeiten | Related, not a matchprovisional |
| 93623 | Berufe im Holzblasinstrumentenbau - komplexe Spezialistentätigkeiten | Related, not a matchprovisional |
| 93633 | Berufe im Metallblasinstrumentenbau - komplexe Spezialistentätigkeiten | Related, not a matchprovisional |
| 93643 | Berufe im Klavier- und Cembalobau - komplexe Spezialistentätigkeiten | Related, not a matchprovisional |
| 93653 | Berufe im Orgel- und Harmoniumbau - komplexe Spezialistentätigkeiten | Related, not a matchprovisional |
| 93683 | Berufe im Musikinstrumentenbau (sonstige spezifische Tätigkeitsangabe) - komplexe Spezialistentätigkeiten | Related, not a matchprovisional |
Source: © Statistik der Bundesagentur für Arbeit — Klassifikation der Berufe 2010 – überarbeitete Fassung 2020, https://statistik.arbeitsagentur.de. KldB codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own mapping (eigene Zuordnung) and are not a Bundesagentur für Arbeit correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: de-direct v1)
Japan classification links (JSCO)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and JSCO occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| JSCO code | JSCO title (Japanese) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 242 | 学芸員 | This occupation is narrower |
Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), Japan Standard Occupational Classification (Dec. 2009, MIC Notification No. 555). JSCO codes and Japanese titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a MIC correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: jp-direct v1)
Sources, licenses and AI Changing Work's modification and translation notices for this page: Credits & sources