Museum Technicians and Conservators
Machines can already do 15% of this job's tasks. By 2035 that rises to 38%. The job changes before it disappears.
Share of the work machines can do
Worldwide baseline, 2026 to 2050
Museum Technicians and Conservators in 2026: the short answer
- Today: machines can do 15% of this job's tasks, and AI use is already seen in 0% of them.
- Forecast: machines can do half of its tasks by 2039, and 38% by 2035, according to the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit.
- Size: 12,310 people do this job in the United States, on a median pay of $51,440 a year.
- Contact with people: it scores 60% for contact with people.
- Also called: Conservation Technician (Conservation Tech), Conservator, Exhibit Technician (Exhibit Tech), Museum Registrar.
Updated by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit. These are worldwide baseline figures; the Workforce Starburst shows them for your country. Go deeper: How ready am I? or an executive briefing.
How the work changes, task by task
The tasks that take up most of the day, with the share of each that machines can do in 2026 (dark) and 2035 (pink). Worldwide baseline.
| Task | Share of the day | Machines can do | 2026 to 2035 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 12% | 3% to 25% | |
| Repair, restore, and reassemble artifacts, designing and fabricating missing or broken parts, to restore them to their original appearance and prevent deterioration | 12% | 3% to 25% | |
| Clean objects, such as paper, textiles, wood, metal, glass, rock, pottery, and furniture, using cleansers, solvents, soap solutions, and polishes | 8% | 3% to 25% | |
| Enter information about museum collections into computer databases | 8% | 61% to 79% | |
| Prepare artifacts for storage and shipping | 7% | 3% to 25% | |
| Coordinate exhibit installations, assisting with design, constructing displays, dioramas, display cases, and models, and ensuring the availability of necessary materials | 7% | 18% to 51% | |
| Determine whether objects need repair and choose the safest and most effective method of repair | 5% | 3% to 25% | |
| Classify and assign registration numbers to artifacts and supervise inventory control | 5% | 3% to 25% |
The skills this job runs on
The skills museum technicians and conservators use most, most used first.
Safer jobs nearby
Jobs with a similar skill shape where machines can do less of the work by 2035.
- Dancers33% of tasks by 2035
What should you do about it?
Open this job in the Workforce Starburst to see it for your country, then use these to act on it.
Watch This Job
Get told when the outlook for this job changes.
Free planSkills to learn next
The skills that make this job, or the next one, last longer.
In the StarburstCheck your readiness
Ten quick questions on how ready you are.
FreeAsk Vantage
Ask what this job means for you and get a sourced answer.
Free to askFutures Academy courses
Courses matched to your gaps.
Coming soonPay trend
Where pay for this job is heading.
Coming soonTeam plan
Every role in your team, side by side, with a plan for each.
Pro and CorporateShared workspace
Work through it with your team, with notes and decisions kept.
Pro and Corporate
Questions
When will machines do half of the tasks of Museum Technicians and Conservators?
Machines can do half of its tasks by 2039. That is the worldwide baseline from the 311 Workforce Starburst, before adjusting for country.
Will AI take the job of museum technicians and conservators?
Machines can do 15% of the tasks of museum technicians and conservators today and 38% by 2035. The job changes before it disappears: the routine tasks move first.
Sources and citing
Tasks and their share of the day: O*NET 31.0, occupation 25-4013.00 (US Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Pay and jobs: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. AI use today: Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Scoring and forecast: the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit; after 2035 the figures extend each trend, with lower confidence. Foresight, not advice.
Cite as: 311 Institute (2026). Museum Technicians and Conservators: the outlook to 2050. 311 Workforce Starburst. https://www.311institute.com/jobs/museum-technicians-and-conservators/