Grows with AI

Curators

Administer collections, such as artwork, collectibles, historic items, or scientific specimens of museums or other institutions. May conduct instructional, research, or public service activities of institution.

AI Resistance Index 36 of 99

Changing faster than most: more resilient than 36% of the 831 careers we score. AI exposure is very high (the Bureau of Labor Statistics rates it very high), and US jobs are projected to change by +4.9% by 2035, faster than average. The work leans on creative vision.

AI can help with many of the tasks, and demand is still growing. Being fluent with AI is the edge here.

Median pay (2025): $63,420
Job growth to 2035: +4.9%
Openings a year: 1,600
People doing it (2025): 14,200
Usual route in: Master's degree

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Where people already use AI for this work

Purchase goods or services
Provide information or assistance to the public
Plan events or programs

From Microsoft Research, Working with AI (2025).

Work AI rarely helps with

Build structures
Design databases
Negotiate contracts or agreements

What the work looks like

Plan and organize the acquisition, storage, and exhibition of collections and related materials, including the selection of exhibition themes and designs, and develop or install exhibit materials.
Develop and maintain an institution's registration, cataloging, and basic record-keeping systems, using computer databases.
Plan and conduct special research projects in area of interest or expertise.
Provide information from the institution's holdings to other curators and to the public.
Negotiate and authorize purchase, sale, exchange, or loan of collections.

From O*NET 31.0, US Department of Labor.

Careers using similar strengths, with a stronger outlook

Soil and plant scientistsGrows with AI, Index 41, +6.7%
Geoscientists, except hydrologists and geographersGrows with AI, Index 38, +5.1%
Industrial engineersGrows with AI, Index 39, +12.4%
Agricultural engineersGrows with AI, Index 66, +6.9%

Also known as: Collections Curator, Collections Manager, Curator, Museum Curator, Education Curator, Exhibitions Curator, Exhibits Curator, Photography Curator.

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Sources: US Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2025 to 2035; O*NET 31.0; Microsoft Research (2025); Anthropic Economic Index (2026); Eloundou and colleagues (Science, 2024); Felten, Raj and Seamans (2023). How we score. Updated 12 October 2026.