How Many People Work in Art History Fields in the Us
Art History Careers
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Art history majors report and analyze famous works of art, and art history programs teach skills related to enquiry, critical thinking, and communication. Graduates can pursue a multifariousness of positions, including roles equally curators, archivists, and professors.
On this page, readers can discover information about art history careers and salaries, resource for art history majors, and answers to frequently asked questions.
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Why Pursue a Career in Art History?
Graduates tin can pursue many unlike careers with an art history degree, including jobs in museums, archives, and schools. Art history students gain analytical thinking and communication skills. Students also larn how to research and evaluate artwork and historical documents.
Art history careers ofttimes crave workers with strong organizational, planning, and creative skills. About of these careers take place predominantly indoors or backside a desk. Research positions require long periods of focused, contained work, while curator and educator jobs crave candidates with excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
Art History Career Outlook
The Agency of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects ix% growth for archivists, curators, and museum workers between 2018 and 2028. These professionals make an annual median salary of $49,850. Job applicants usually need at least a bachelor'due south degree, although some positions require a master'southward caste.
The table below displays the median annual salaries for a few common art history careers. This tabular array explores salaries for dissimilar levels of feel, from entry-level workers to experienced professionals.
| Chore Title | Entry-Level (0-12 months) | Early Career (1-four Years) | Midcareer (five-nine Years) | Experienced (10-19 Years) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Art Teacher | $38,810 | $41,000 | $45,610 | $51,240 |
| Postsecondary Professor | $60,520 | $60,550 | $69,830 | $86,780 |
| Museum Curator | Due north/A | $42,830 | $50,480 | $60,000 |
| Art Gallery Curator | Due north/A | $43,380 | $49,480 | $fifty,180 |
Source: PayScale
Skills Gained With an Art History Caste
Art history programs assist students develop skills that are applicable to fine art history careers and roles in many other fields. Analyzing fine art pieces by giving presentations and writing research papers builds enquiry, advice, and belittling abilities, while as well introducing students to artistic techniques, celebrated eras, and cultures from around the world.
Exhibit designers, museum curators, art buyers, and bout guides tin can utilize this noesis in museum and gallery positions.
Students larn to determine the artist, era, and medium of a piece of art. Learners also examine pieces for pregnant. These tasks develop analytical abilities that help art buyers and consultants judge the value of art. Students as well gain problem-solving skills they can apply in management positions.
To analyze a piece, students must consider small details of the piece of work. For example, color variations tin impact a work's meaning and architecture depicted in a painting can reveal the piece of work'southward timeframe. This attending to particular can also help museum workers and art buyers inspect pieces for impairment. This ability also benefits upshot planners, managers, and photographers.
Art history students oft write papers and deliver presentations on specific pieces, eras, artists, and regions. These assignments prepare learners for positions that require potent verbal and written communication skills, including roles equally tour guides, fine art history writers, and museum curators. These skills also use to careers in other disciplines, such as public relations, speech communication writing, and news reporting.
Students perform research to determine cultural and historical elements in artwork. Conducting research can too help students better empathise artists, connections between eras, and stories behind pieces, such as Greek myths in Renaissance works. Research skills are useful in many fields.
Art history programs include explorations of fine art from various geographic areas, such equally Greece, Rome, Kingdom of spain, Mainland china, and the United States. Students explore global history and cultures, gaining knowledge they can use to positions in fine art museums. This global awareness is also beneficial for public relations specialists and politicians.
Art History Career Paths
Fine art history programs may offer concentrations related to a single artistic method, such every bit architecture, or an era, similar the Middle Ages. Each concentration prepares students for specific art history career opportunities.
For instance, students who programme to oversee museums tin pursue a museum studies concentration. Aspiring art consultants, on the other hand, tin look for programs that focus on certain artistic eras.
Upon graduating, fine art history students tin can pursue careers as museum archivists, educators, and self-employed artists, amongst many other positions. Read on to learn more almost how to begin a career in this field.
How to Start Your Career in Fine art History
Many fine art history careers require a postsecondary caste. Some jobs, like museum technicians, only crave a bachelor'southward caste. Other professionals in the field, including archivists, curators, and conservators, need a master's degree in art history or a related field. Additionally, most positions in postsecondary educational activity crave a chief'southward degree or higher.
Internships and volunteering can help young professionals find their footing as they wait for careers with an fine art history degree. Some employers may accept professionals with a lower degree level if they have lots of practical experience in the field.
Associate Degree in Art History
An associate in art history qualifies graduates for positions as museum tour guides, photographers, and desktop publishers. The curriculum of an associate program also helps learners understand aesthetics related to various types of artistry, such as knitting, sculpting, cake decorating, quilting, and manner design.
Associate programs typically crave about 60 credits of general instruction and major courses. General pedagogy courses provide a solid foundation in the humanities and help learners set up for careers in many fields.
What Can You Practise With an Associate in Art History?
Photographers may take pictures to sell as artwork or contribute images to news pieces. These professionals may besides manage portrait sessions at studios. Responsibilities oft include designing sets for photo sessions and editing photos with software. This career does not always require a degree, just an acquaintance in art history helps students develop applicable knowledge and skills.
Salary: $36,280
Desktop publishers develop layouts for print and virtual materials, such as brochures and newspapers. These professionals may work with other designers and writers, and they utilize software to place images. This position requires an acquaintance degree.
Bacon: $45,390
Bout guides lead groups through places of cultural or celebrated significance and provide information on settings and pieces. For example, museums may hire bout guides to explain pieces of fine art and their historic context to customers. Aspiring art museum tour guides can earn an associate in fine art history to demonstrate their knowledge of the field.
Salary: $30,490
Bachelor's Degree in Art History
Art history bachelor'due south programs typically crave about 120 credits and include several core fine art history courses. Learners explore more than art history topics, techniques, and eras than students in associate programs, gaining a deeper understanding of the field.
Available'due south programs typically allow participants to have several elective courses, and they may also offer certifications and minors relevant to sure careers. For example, an aspiring art buyer may take finance electives.
Professionals with a available's degree and sufficient experience frequently find work as museum technicians, purchasing agents, and showroom designers. Learners tin can besides use their art history knowledge to plan events with artistic or historic themes.
What Tin can You Practice With a Bachelor's in Art History?
Museum technicians help maintain the safe of museum pieces. These professionals tend to insurance matters, assess the risk associated with relocating pieces, and proceed records. Technicians may also communicate with museums interested in borrowing pieces. This position often requires a bachelor's degree in a field related to museum work, such as art history.
Salary: $49,850
These planners manage events that reverberate diverse consumer objectives. They consider budgets, schedules, locations, and meals for events like weddings and business organization meetings. Museums may hire planners to launch new programs or exhibits. These positions typically require a bachelor'south degree.
Bacon: $l,600
Art directors communicate with clients before designing sets and publications. These professionals may build budgets, pb other designers, make decisions well-nigh images and layouts, authorize finished pieces, and offer completed products to customers. Organizations frequently crave art directors to concur a available'due south degree.
Bacon: $94,220
These designers develop exhibits that fulfill specific purposes. For example, an fine art museum'southward showroom may showcase works connected to a sure artist or time catamenia. Designers draft showroom structures using software, manage installation details, and ensure that exhibits remain in working order. Exhibit designers typically demand a bachelor's degree.
Salary: $48,970
These workers manage the buying and selling of products for companies, such as art pieces for museums. These professionals place trustworthy sellers, decide on pricing, create contracts, and continue records. A bachelor's in fine art history helps students develop knowledge about sure artistic periods and works, which prepares them to perform these tasks for fine art museums.
Bacon: $69,600
Master's Degree in Art History
Career options aggrandize for fine art history majors who earn a chief's degree. These programs aid learners develop an in-depth understanding of the field, qualifying them for positions as museum curators and archivists. Master's students often complete a capstone, such every bit a thesis or a project.
Master's caste-holders can also shape art curricula for 1000-12 schoolhouse districts, which requires avant-garde research skills and art history knowledge. Art history main'southward programs likewise railroad train students to make connections between art and culture and proceeds insights into past civilizations, which is a necessary skill for sociologists.
What Can You Practise With a Chief's in Fine art History?
Archivists manage and organize records for museums. They may also oversee museum programs, guide museum employees working on exhibits, and create policies regarding museum pieces. These professionals typically need a master's in a relevant field, such as history or archival science.
Salary: $53,950
Curators manage museum pieces and objects. Responsibilities include buying new items and coordinating exhibits. Curators may communicate with other museums about lending pieces, oversee museum research, and act as a spokesperson at events. Curators typically need a chief's degree in a relevant field, including fine art history.
Bacon: $54,570
Conservators maintain museum records and brand decisions on piece conservation. They often work with applied science, such as X-ray machines, to determine each piece's needs. Conservators may also research and write on field topics and aid with museum programs. These professionals need a master'due south in conservation or a similar discipline.
Salary: $44,430
Instructional coordinators clarify data to determine learning needs for school districts. Coordinators offering communication on teaching techniques, curriculum alterations, course materials, and new technologies. They may also oversee kinesthesia workshops. Graduates of fine art history chief'due south programs tin perform these tasks for courses related to their field.
Bacon: $66,290
Sociologists explore the behavior of individuals and groups through research and experimentation. These professionals publish findings in books, scholarly journals, and online articles. Students earning an art history chief'south caste set for this position by examining the culture, history, and meaning in artwork. Sociologists typically need a main's caste.
Salary: $83,420
Doctoral Degree in Art History
A doctoral degree is the highest level of education and typically requires students to complete a dissertation on an fine art history topic. Dissertation requirements may involve taking several research classes and giving an oral defense force.
A doctoral degree qualifies graduates to teach at universities and oversee college departments. Doctoral degree-holders qualify for some of the most lucrative art history careers, which can exist extremely competitive. A doctoral degree can also help applicants stand up out when pursuing positions with lower educational requirements.
What Can You Practise With a Doctorate in Art History?
The responsibilities of postsecondary education administrators vary based on their specific position. Administrators may piece of work equally deans and provosts, disposed to budgets and policies. Depending on the position, higher education administrators generally require a chief's or doctorate.
Salary: $95,410
Postsecondary educators teach college courses within their discipline. These educators create syllabi, provide feedback on student assignments, and offer guidance on course registration. Professors may besides suggest curriculum changes to their section and publish scholarly pieces. Colleges and universities typically require postsecondary teachers to agree a doctorate.
Salary: $79,540
How to Accelerate Your Career in Art History
Employers oftentimes consider experience when awarding promotions. All the same, professionals can take reward of other methods to motility their career forward. For example, earning boosted teaching or certification tin can make an art history professional more desirable to employers. This can also lead to a higher salary.
In the following sections, readers can find information nigh how to advance their fine art history careers. Readers tin learn almost certification and licensure opportunities, standing education, and other future steps to take.
Certifications
The University of Certified Archivists (ACA) provides certification for professional archivists, including art historian archivists. ACA requires that candidates take an test about archival practices and standards. The organization charges an exam fee and a certification fee for candidates who laissez passer the exam.
Certification lasts five years, subsequently which professionals must renew their credentials.
Continuing Education
Continuing education offers professionals a chance to advance their skills or larn more about their field without needing to render to schoolhouse and earn another degree. Art history professionals can find continuing education courses through professional person organizations and museums.
Almost standing education programs utilise to specific careers. For example, museum curators can find continuing education opportunities with the Middle for Curatorial Leadership, while art teachers tin find options through online programs, community colleges, and universities.
Adjacent Steps
Art history professionals looking to advance their careers should look for opportunities to amend their skills and make new connections. Some workers join professional organizations, which often offer resources, conferences, continuing pedagogy opportunities, and certification.
While professionals typically pay for membership, the benefits of joining a professional organization tin can far outweigh the cost. In particular, professional organizations provide opportunities for networking with peers and leaders in the field.
How to Switch Your Career to Art History
Some art history professionals, such equally fine art history archivists and museum technicians, must hold degrees in fine art history. Professionals in these careers demand actual art history knowledge to carry out their jobs effectively.
Other positions, such every bit general archivists, museum curators, and educators, may allow more than flexibility when information technology comes to inbound the field. Bachelor'southward and graduate degrees in the humanities or communication may interpret well.
Professionals considering a career change should carefully assess the skills and knowledge they need for their desired job earlier deciding how to proceed.
Where Can You Piece of work as an Art History Professional?
Art history knowledge is applicable to many careers in museums, and the caste provides an understanding of aesthetics to assist graduates develop new art.
Students also gain insights into historic eras, which tin can fix them for teaching careers and for positions advising individuals and organizations on art purchases. Graduates tin can besides help theatrical companies cull realistic costumes, settings, and phase props for period plays.
When choosing a school, learners should consider which industry they plan to enter to ensure their program offers relevant preparation.
Colleges and universities educate students in a variety of fields, including fine art history. Depending on their education level, graduates can teach art history courses or work as administrative assistants, deans, and provosts.
These sites familiarize the public with civilization and history by showcasing artistic pieces from unlike eras and geographic locations. Art history graduates can work as museum curators, technicians, purchasing agents, and tour guides.
These fields focus on developing public sensation of products and services, along with fostering relationships between companies and consumers. Art history graduates can perform these tasks for museums, historical sites, and galleries.
Performing arts companies put on productions, including plays, ballets, magic shows, and concerts. These companies may consult art history graduates when designing costumes and sets for historic pieces.
This manufacture includes diverse types of art, such as writing and music. Art history graduates with a solid understanding of aesthetics can excel in these positions. Professionals can besides utilize their fine art history knowledge to create pieces that explore past cultures and ideas.
Interview With a Professional person in Art History
Megan Mahn Miller
Designated every bit a master personal property appraiser by the National Auctioneers Clan, Megan Mahn Miller earned a bachelor'south degree in fine art history from the University of Minnesota. Mahn Miller began her career working for nonprofit organizations supporting the arts. In 2006, Mahn Miller joined Julien's Auctions -- an internationally renowned auction business firm of rock and roll and Hollywood memorabilia.
Mahn Miller attended the Reppert School of auctioneering in 2009. In 2014, Mahn Miller established Mahn Miller Collective Inc. to provide appraisal and consultation services across the auction house.
Mahn Miller continues to piece of work with Julien's as a consulting sales specialist. She has also taught an appraisal report writing course for the National Auctioneers Association and is a contributor to the WorthPoint newsletter.
Initially, I thought I would study anthropology with an accent on art. My freshman year, I took classes in both and information technology turned out my aptitude was in art history. Anthropology became the emphasis.
At that fourth dimension, in the early 1990s, students were being told that having a liberal arts caste was all that mattered -- that your bodily degree bailiwick was secondary. In one style, that was very freeing considering I had no idea what I was going to do with my degree, but [it was] very unsupportive in some other. I had to make a special effort to discover internships and outside projects to build credentials while studying. Art has ever been important to me, but it took fourth dimension to figure out how to get in a career.
How to say this delicately… there are a lot of people who don't take this degree seriously. And that is unfair. The report is rigorous and tin incorporate many different areas of study. My personal interest was the intersection of women'southward studies and fine art. The connections to other subjects are endless.
The business of art is evolving; how art is sold, what is bought, who is buying. This creates a lot of fear from people who have been in the business and only worked in i way. It creates opportunities for young people entering the field to innovate.
I was very lucky that when I graduated -- jobs were hands obtained. I started at a museum in an entry-level position. Later, I moved into arts programming on a community level. Information technology was helpful for me to detect how I wanted to incorporate my degree into my job. I enjoyed instruction, something I discovered while profitable on a projection at our campus museum. Getting art out to the public was a passion. Once I understood that, it informed my job search.
To be honest, I accept been called a unicorn. Information technology would be helpful for someone undertaking this degree to have a clear idea of what they desire to do with it.
I thought I was going to end upwards in academia. As a student, that was all I knew. Academia is a smashing pick, merely the reality is in that location are not that many positions for professors.
A person with an art history degree tin piece of work at an sale house or museum, but you should know what capacity yous are interested in.
If it is curating, what specifically draws you to that position? If it is concern development for an auction house, what courses volition you take in order to complement your degree? If you desire to represent artists or open up a gallery, will yous know how to get funding or clients? If you want to restore artwork, where will you study after completing your degree?
I have met very few people whose career paths followed a directly line -- and give thanks goodness. Yous volition larn so much along the mode. My path was winding, and in the end it was luck that brought me to appraising.
At the same time, an art history student needs to take control of their destiny. Their degree is non going to be enough. Internships, informational interviews, and connecting with people whose jobs they think they want will put them in a better position to get hired in one case they leave school.
I worked as a property specialist at an auction business firm for 12 years. I loved it, but it stopped being challenging. I was getting feedback from my peers and mentors that appraising was something I could and should pursue.
You don't need to open your own business organisation to be an appraiser. Information technology was the right choice for me. There are a number of careers in art history that lend themselves to being a solopreneur, merely it isn't everyone'due south fate.
What I primarily want to practice every day is enquiry. That is my passion. I enjoy that each assignment I have is different, and then I am always learning. When I was working at the auction house, I loved how every day was different and the excitement of the auctions.
Every bit a solopreneur, my job is challenging because I am not just the appraiser simply also the receptionist, business developer, and webmaster. At the auction house, the deadlines were a claiming, every bit were the multiple means that a consignor or buyer tin be disappointed.
Notice out about as many possible careers equally possible where you lot tin can employ your degree. Become internships. Talk to people in the industry or at the corporation where you lot want to work. Discover complementary disciplines to study that will make you more attractive for the position you desire. Don't get frustrated if your career trajectory isn't a straight line.
Don't be afraid to enquire for assist. Discover a mentor who will encourage you and assist y'all grow professionally.
Resource for Fine art History Majors
Art history professionals tin can accept advantage of educational and professional person resources to advance their careers.
Below, readers can find information about art history resources for educators, curators, and researchers. These resources characteristic professional person organizations and postsecondary institutions and include archives of art history sources and professional conferences.
College Art Clan of America: CAA focuses on the visual arts and delivers an annual briefing and international programs. The association provides links to diverse publications and all-time practices. Members can browse open careers through an online career middle.
Association of Art Museum Curators: AAMC educates the public on the responsibilities of a curator. The group provides several resources, including a forum for educational discussions and information on programs, fellowships, and internships. Members can speak at the association's annual conference and browse career opportunities through the website. The association also offers workshops related to curation and webinars on direction, engineering science, and social media.
Art History Instruction Resources: Through this system'south website, art history educators tin find lesson plans on specific eras, including Byzantine, Greek, Roman, medieval, and Renaissance art. Visitors tin as well browse resources related to museum experiences and book recommendations. AHTR also connects professionals with journals, blogs, and workshops.
Yale University Library: This library provides art history databases that focus on art, compages, drama and theater studies, and general humanities. Nevertheless, users may need separate accounts to access articles through certain databases, such equally JSTOR. The website too links visitors to WorldCat, where they can observe local libraries offering detail books.
JSTOR: Through JSTOR, users can admission scholarly due east-books and articles on multiple topics. Art history students can discover sources on Asian, ancient, and medieval art. Many schools provide students with JSTOR admission. Learners without school admission tin register for an private business relationship.
Metropolitan Museum of Art: The Met offers classroom resource that cover multiple eras and cultures, such equally the ancient Near Due east, the Renaissance, and Byzantine art. The Met also provides exhibitions and programs for elementary, heart, and high school students. Teachers tin can participate in museum workshops, attend events, and scan fine art history publications through the website.
Massachusetts Art Education Association: MAEA provides resources related to art education, advocacy, and fine art history. The grouping besides delivers exhibits on topics such as art education and photography. Members tin can asking conference workshops, and the website provides information almost career opportunities and state licensure.
SECAC: Formerly known every bit the Southeastern Higher Fine art Briefing, SECAC focuses on visual arts at the postsecondary level. The arrangement hosts a conference and publishes a semiannual newsletter and a journal called Art Inquiries. Its website includes reviews of exhibitions and a list of task openings.
Association of Historians of American Art: This clan focuses on American art, beginning earlier colonization. AHAA participates in CAA'southward annual conference and delivers its ain symposium every two years. The organization besides publishes a journal. Members benefit from networking opportunities, including a directory and a syllabus-sharing tool. Members can as well access online book reviews.
Renaissance Social club of America: The RSA focuses on civilization and history from the years 1300-1700. The guild offers an annual conference and accepts proposals for issue seminars. The RSA publishes a periodical and works with the Digital Humanities Summer Institute to provide fiscal assistance to students. The society also delivers fellowships and a mentoring program for individuals who are new to the field.
Tangible Things - Harvard: This course explores history through artwork, artifacts, and scientific specimens. Students learn about museum curation through an examination of historical and artistic items collected by Harvard University. The course explains how museum collections tin shape academic disciplines and reinforce cultural ideas.
Hollywood: History, Industry, Art - Academy of Pennsylvania: Students explore the history of film and how the industry of Hollywood has grown and changed over the years. This course demonstrates how world events are reflected through the art of moving picture. Students also learn about the technology that avant-garde and shaped this art form, from color cinematography to reckoner-generated special effects.
Inspiring and Motivating Arts and Culture Teams - University of Michigan: The Academy of Michigan presents this course through its business concern school in collaboration with National Arts Strategies. The form teaches valuable skills in motivation and advice. Students also learn to effectively present ideas and inspire squad members to produce desired results.
Arts and Civilization Strategy - University of Pennsylvania: This course helps develop effective leadership among professionals with careers in the arts. Students learn to develop and lead arts organizations in a sustainable fashion. Those who finish the grade earn a document of completion.
Art History - Journal of the Association for Fine art History: This periodical publishes essays about new methods and areas of business organisation in the field of art history. The journal goes to print five times a year and takes submissions from established and emerging art history scholars. Readers can subscribe online or in impress.
Oxford Art Periodical: This publication offers critical works about art history topics. The journal includes articles virtually art across all disciplines and eras. Readers can find pieces that offer political analysis of visual art and essays offer critiques of fine art and culture across the globe. Readers tin can subscribe online or in print.
The Art Message: Published past the Higher Art Association of America, this journal prints scholarly essays about art history practices in museums, universities, and other institutions. The publication also offers peer-reviewed articles about art history topics beyond time periods and styles. This journal goes to print four times a year and encourages argue about the contemporary practise of fine art history. Readers tin can subscribe online or in print.
Frequently Asked Questions
Art history majors can pursue work as museum curators, researchers, archivists, and educators. Graduates with an art history groundwork can also find careers in business.
Salaries for fine art history careers differ depending on a worker'south job title, experience level, location. Nevertheless, the BLS reports that the median annual salary for archivists, curators, and museum workers is $49,850.
Many community colleges and four-year universities offer on-campus and online art history programs. Students may pursue an associate, available's, principal'southward, or doctoral degree in this field.
Art history degrees provide essential skills related to creative and analytical thinking, system and research, management of resources, and advice. Graduates may use these skills to earn a job in fine art history or co-operative out to other fields, such equally concern and instruction.
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