Best Museum Technician programs in Pennsylvania, ranked by enrollment
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.
31 schools in Pennsylvania run programs that feed this job, graduating 205 people a year. The job pays a median of $47,150 in Pennsylvania across about 310 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in Pennsylvania that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
3 programs in Pennsylvania that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in Pennsylvania (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own Pennsylvania page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 50.0703In Pennsylvania → | 166 | 81.0% | 22 | $24,447 | $25,294 |
| 2 | CIP 54.0105In Pennsylvania → | 27 | 13.2% | 8 | $31,217 | $24,000 |
| 3 | Museology/Museum Studiesmain feeder CIP 30.1401In Pennsylvania → | 12 | 5.9% | 3 | — | $21,295 |
Top 25 schools in Pennsylvania
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 11 of the 31 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA Public · 2 feeder programs | 41 | Art History, Criticism and Conservation | $26,709 | 85% | — | 58% |
| 2 | Pennsylvania State University - Main Campus University Park, PA Public · 1 feeder programs | 30 | Art History, Criticism and Conservation | $23,086 | 86% | — | 61% |
| 3 | University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 19 | Art History, Criticism and Conservation | $38,820 | 97% | $22,055 | 5% |
| 4 | Bryn Mawr College Bryn Mawr, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 18 | Art History, Criticism and Conservation | — | 82% | $19,073 | 29% |
| 5 | Temple University Philadelphia, PA Public · 1 feeder programs | 16 | Art History, Criticism and Conservation | $22,108 | 75% | — | 80% |
| 6 | Indiana University of Pennsylvania Indiana, PA Public · 2 feeder programs | 11 | Public/Applied History | $32,976 | 56% | — | 91% |
| 7 | Duquesne University Pittsburgh, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 8 | Public/Applied History | $29,451 | 77% | $32,060 | 84% |
| 8 | Bucknell University Lewisburg, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 7 | Art History, Criticism and Conservation | — | 86% | $30,675 | 29% |
| 9 | Gettysburg College Gettysburg, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 5 | Art History, Criticism and Conservation | — | 83% | $24,453 | 39% |
| 10 | Kutztown University of Pennsylvania Kutztown, PA Public · 1 feeder programs | 5 | Art History, Criticism and Conservation | $19,413 | 54% | — | 91% |
| 11 | Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania Bloomsburg, PA Public · 1 feeder programs | 4 | Art History, Criticism and Conservation | $29,377 | 54% | — | 93% |
| 12 | Drexel University Philadelphia, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 4 | Art History, Criticism and Conservation | — | 78% | $36,004 | 79% |
| 13 | Cairn University - Langhorne Langhorne, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 3 | Public/Applied History | — | 60% | $28,320 | 88% |
| 14 | Juniata College Huntingdon, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 3 | Museology/Museum Studies | — | 74% | $24,867 | 79% |
| 15 | Swarthmore College Swarthmore, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 3 | Art History, Criticism and Conservation | — | 92% | $18,174 | 7% |
| 16 | Villanova University Villanova, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 3 | Art History, Criticism and Conservation | — | 92% | $33,774 | 27% |
| 17 | Arcadia University Glenside, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 2 | Art History, Criticism and Conservation | $22,389 | 67% | $23,796 | 80% |
| 18 | La Salle University Philadelphia, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 2 | Art History, Criticism and Conservation | — | 57% | $21,997 | 97% |
| 19 | Lehigh University Bethlehem, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 2 | Art History, Criticism and Conservation | — | 88% | $26,912 | 26% |
| 20 | Messiah University Mechanicsburg, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 2 | Public/Applied History | — | 75% | $25,675 | 79% |
| 21 | Muhlenberg College Allentown, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 2 | Art History, Criticism and Conservation | — | 82% | $23,111 | 72% |
| 22 | Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 2 | Art History, Criticism and Conservation | — | 79% | $34,418 | 89% |
| 23 | Saint Vincent College Latrobe, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 2 | Public/Applied History | — | 69% | $21,124 | 62% |
| 24 | Seton Hill University Greensburg, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 2 | Art History, Criticism and Conservation | — | 67% | $19,887 | 80% |
| 25 | Susquehanna University Selinsgrove, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 2 | Art History, Criticism and Conservation | — | 82% | $23,620 | 81% |
All 31 schools in Pennsylvania
Every school in Pennsylvania with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.
| School | City | Control | Graduates / yr | Feeder programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus | Pittsburgh | Public | 41 | 2 |
| Pennsylvania State University - Main Campus | University Park | Public | 30 | 1 |
| University of Pennsylvania | Philadelphia | Private not-for-profit | 19 | 1 |
| Bryn Mawr College | Bryn Mawr | Private not-for-profit | 18 | 1 |
| Temple University | Philadelphia | Public | 16 | 1 |
| Indiana University of Pennsylvania | Indiana | Public | 11 | 2 |
| Duquesne University | Pittsburgh | Private not-for-profit | 8 | 1 |
| Bucknell University | Lewisburg | Private not-for-profit | 7 | 1 |
| Gettysburg College | Gettysburg | Private not-for-profit | 5 | 1 |
| Kutztown University of Pennsylvania | Kutztown | Public | 5 | 1 |
| Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania | Bloomsburg | Public | 4 | 1 |
| Drexel University | Philadelphia | Private not-for-profit | 4 | 1 |
| Cairn University - Langhorne | Langhorne | Private not-for-profit | 3 | 1 |
| Juniata College | Huntingdon | Private not-for-profit | 3 | 1 |
| Swarthmore College | Swarthmore | Private not-for-profit | 3 | 1 |
What museum technicians and conservators earn in Pennsylvania
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $51,440. Pennsylvania pays below the national figure.
1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.
Metro areas in Pennsylvania
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.
How to get in
The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Museum Technicians and Conservators page.
How to become a Museum Technician
Job zone 4 of 5 · SVP 7.0 to < 8.0- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Top skills
The same job in other states
Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.
Related careers in Pennsylvania
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 3 majors mapped to Museum Technicians and Conservators3 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 30.1401Museology/Museum Studies
- 50.0703Art History, Criticism and Conservation
- 54.0105Public/Applied History
Common questions
Answers for people weighing museum technicians and conservators programs in Pennsylvania.
What degree do you need to become a Museum Technician?+
Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Art History, Criticism and Conservation, which awarded 166 degrees in Pennsylvania in 2024-25, 81.0% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Museum Technician?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 3 programs to this occupation. The largest are Fine and Studio Arts, History, Museology/Museum Studies. Together they graduate about 205 people a year in Pennsylvania.
How much do museum technicians and conservators earn in Pennsylvania?+
The median is $47,150 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 8.3% below the U.S. median of $51,440. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for museum technicians and conservators growing?+
BLS projects a +5.4% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, faster than average, with roughly 1,900 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in Pennsylvania?+
31 institutions in Pennsylvania reported graduates from at least one of the 3 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do museum technicians and conservators work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Preparator, Conservator, Objects Conservator, Paintings Conservator among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 25-4013.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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