5212-NOC

Registrars, restorers, interpreters and other occupations related to museum and art galleries

(NOC 53100)
Annual Earnings
$45,883
Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities
College Diploma or Apprenticeship, less than 2 years
Job Openings
(2023-2033)
220

Career Overview

People in this occupation:

  • Classify and catalogue museum and gallery artifacts
  • Construct and install exhibits and displays
  • Restore, maintain and store museum and gallery collections
  • Frame artwork, and perform other functions in support of curatorial and conservation activities
  • Work in museums and galleries

Picture framers and taxidermists may also be employed in retail settings or may be self-employed.

This group also includes museum and other interpreters who conduct guided tours. They work at: art galleries and museums, parks, aquariums and zoos, interpretive centres and botanical gardens, cultural centres and nature sanctuaries and historic and heritage sites and other locations.

Duties

Conservation and restoration technicians:

  • Help with the restoration and conservation of artifacts under the direction of a conservator

Curatorial assistants:

  • Help with the research, handling and storage of artifacts

Museum interpreters:

  • Give tours of museums, gallery exhibitions and historical, heritage and other sites
  • Answer inquiries and provide information concerning exhibits or sites

Museum extension officers:

  • Help with the planning and development of travelling exhibitions and special events

Museology technicians:

  • Protect and care for cultural artifacts and collections during exhibitions, while in transit and in storage

Museum registrars and cataloguers:

  • Classify and assign registration numbers to artifacts and supervise inventory control

Preparators:

  • Build displays and dioramas (small-scale replica of a scene)
  • Build models
  • Install artifacts in displays and prepare artifacts for storage and shipping

Picture framers:

  • Make custom frames
  • Measure and cut mattes
  • Matte enhancements and glass
  • Mount paintings, photographs and other art work

Taxidermists:

  • Prepare and mount skins of birds or animals for preservation, scientific or display purposes

Special duties

Technical museum and gallery workers may specialize in a specific type of collection.

Earnings

Earnings is income that workers receive in exchange for their labour. Depending on the type of employment, earnings can be in the form of wages (hourly), salaries (fixed monthly or annual) or self-employed earnings.

Annual Earnings

$45,883

Provincial Hourly Rate

High$30.25/hr
Median$22.00/hr
Low$17.00/hr
Source: B.C. Labour Market Information Office, derived from 2023 Job Bank Wage data

Work Environment

# Workers Employed

645

% Employed Full Time

31%
Source: 2021 Census

Key aspects of the work in this occupation:

  • Work usually takes place in an indoor museum or workshop setting
  • Workers may be exposed to dust, strong odours or toxic substances
  • Working with machinery, instruments or power tools may be a source of injury

Career Pathways

Museum interpreters may require specific scientific or academic credentials to work for some museums, nature centres or other sites.

Occupational Interests

It’s important to understand what kinds of occupations align with your interests.

For more about occupational interests visit Skills for the Future Workforce > Characteristics.

Here are the top occupational interest(s) for this career profile:

Realistic
Realistic
Social
Social
Enterprising
Enterprising

Job Titles

Art gallery preparator
Conservation technician - museums and art galleries
Heritage interpreter
Museology technician
Museum extension officer
Museum objects cataloguer
Museum registrar
Museum technician
Paintings restoration technician
Picture framer - museum and art gallery
Restoration technician - museum
Taxidermist

Education, Training and Skills

  • Registrars, cataloguers and interpreters may require a university degree in a field related to museum and gallery work
  • For other occupations in this unit group, completion of a college program in museum technology or conservation technology
    or
    Other technical or on-the-job training programs related to the work are required
     

Education programs in B.C.

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Find out more information about programs offered specifically for this career.

Skills

Every job calls for a certain set of skills. Knowing those skills is the first step in finding a good career fit.

Here, you will find the 10 most relevant workplace skills. Some are more important to achieving success in a certain career than others. These skills may come naturally to you or you may need to gain them through education, training and experience.

See the list of work-related skills below, ranked in order of importance for this career. Check out the list and see if this career matches your skills—take that first step!

Speaking

Talking to others to share information effectively.

68%
Active Listening

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

64%
Reading Comprehension

Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.

57%
Critical Thinking

Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

51%
Social Perceptiveness

Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

51%
Monitoring

Keeping track of and assessing your performance, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

51%
Coordination

Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

50%
Service Orientation

Actively looking for ways to help people.

48%
Judgment and Decision Making

Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

48%
Time Management

Managing one’s own time and the time of others.

46%

Labour Market Statistics

Discover data, facts and information that have been gathered and analyzed. Learn about the characteristics of the economy and labour market in B.C.

Employment

Find out about employment types and trends by region and industry.

Employment

645
Source: 2021 Census

Employment by Region

Map of BC Map of BC highlighting Cariboo region Map of BC highlighting Kootenay region Map of BC highlighting Mainland/Southwest region Map of BC highlighting North Coast and Nechako region Map of BC highlighting Northeast region Map of BC highlighting Thompson-Okanagan region Map of BC highlighting Vancouver Island/Coast region
Cariboo
Kootenay
Mainland/Southwest
North Coast and Nechako
Northeast
Thompson-Okanagan
Vancouver Island/Coast
Region Employment % Employment of this Occupation
Cariboo 25 3.8%
Kootenay 25 3.8%
Mainland/Southwest 390 60.0%
North Coast and Nechako 30 4.6%
Northeast 10 1.5%
Thompson-Okanagan 45 6.9%
Vancouver Island/Coast 125 19.2%
Source: 2021 Census

Labour Market Outlook

The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of the expected supply and demand for labour in the province. It’s usually updated every year. The purpose is to provide British Columbians with the knowledge to make informed decisions on careers, skills training, education and hiring.

Forecasted Job Openings (2023-2033)

220
Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Forecasted Job Openings

Forecasted Employment Growth Rate

Composition of Job Openings

Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Job Openings by Region (2023-2033)

Map of BC Map of BC highlighting Cariboo region Map of BC highlighting Kootenay region Map of BC highlighting Mainland/Southwest region Map of BC highlighting North Coast and Nechako region Map of BC highlighting Northeast region Map of BC highlighting Thompson-Okanagan region Map of BC highlighting Vancouver Island/Coast region
Cariboo
Kootenay
Mainland/Southwest
North Coast and Nechako
Northeast
Thompson-Okanagan
Vancouver Island/Coast
Region Job Openings Avg. Annual Employment Growth
Cariboo 10 0.5%
Kootenay 10 1.3%
Mainland/Southwest 130 1.0%
North Coast and Nechako 10 -0.9%
Northeast Not available Not available
Thompson-Okanagan 20 0.3%
Vancouver Island/Coast 40 1.2%
Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Industry Highlights

Learn about the opportunities in B.C.'s major industries, including employment trends, earning potential, locations of work and more.

Forecasted Job Openings by Industry

IndustryJob Openings (2023-2033)
Information, Culture And Recreation150
Public Administration30
Business, Building And Other Support Services10
Retail Trade10
Educational Services10
For additional industry information, visit the Industry Profiles page.
Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Resources

Resource information is currently not available.