How Much Money Does An Art History Major Make
Art History Careers
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Art history majors study and clarify famous works of art, and art history programs teach skills related to inquiry, critical thinking, and communication. Graduates can pursue a variety of positions, including roles as curators, archivists, and professors.
On this page, readers can observe data about art history careers and salaries, resources for art history majors, and answers to frequently asked questions.
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Why Pursue a Career in Art History?
Graduates can pursue many dissimilar careers with an art history degree, including jobs in museums, archives, and schools. Art history students gain analytical thinking and communication skills. Students besides learn how to inquiry and evaluate artwork and historical documents.
Art history careers ofttimes require workers with potent organizational, planning, and creative skills. Nearly of these careers take place predominantly indoors or backside a desk-bound. Research positions require long periods of focused, independent work, while curator and educator jobs crave candidates with fantabulous interpersonal and advice skills.
Art History Career Outlook
The Agency of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects 9% growth for archivists, curators, and museum workers between 2018 and 2028. These professionals make an almanac median salary of $49,850. Job applicants unremarkably demand at least a available'due south degree, although some positions require a principal's degree.
The table below displays the median annual salaries for a few common fine art history careers. This table explores salaries for different levels of experience, from entry-level workers to experienced professionals.
| Job Title | Entry-Level (0-12 months) | Early on Career (1-4 Years) | Midcareer (5-9 Years) | Experienced (10-19 Years) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Art Teacher | $38,810 | $41,000 | $45,610 | $51,240 |
| Postsecondary Professor | $lx,520 | $60,550 | $69,830 | $86,780 |
| Museum Curator | Northward/A | $42,830 | $50,480 | $lx,000 |
| Art Gallery Curator | N/A | $43,380 | $49,480 | $50,180 |
Source: PayScale
Skills Gained With an Art History Degree
Art history programs help students develop skills that are applicable to art history careers and roles in many other fields. Analyzing art pieces by giving presentations and writing research papers builds research, communication, and analytical abilities, while as well introducing students to artistic techniques, historic eras, and cultures from effectually the globe.
Exhibit designers, museum curators, art buyers, and tour guides can apply this knowledge in museum and gallery positions.
Students learn to determine the creative person, era, and medium of a piece of art. Learners likewise examine pieces for meaning. These tasks develop belittling abilities that assistance art buyers and consultants judge the value of art. Students also gain problem-solving skills they tin use in direction positions.
To analyze a piece, students must consider small details of the work. For example, color variations can impact a work's meaning and architecture depicted in a painting can reveal the work's timeframe. This attention to particular can too assist museum workers and art buyers audit pieces for damage. This ability as well benefits outcome planners, managers, and photographers.
Art history students ofttimes write papers and deliver presentations on specific pieces, eras, artists, and regions. These assignments prepare learners for positions that require stiff verbal and written communication skills, including roles equally bout guides, fine art history writers, and museum curators. These skills also utilise to careers in other disciplines, such equally public relations, speech writing, and news reporting.
Students perform research to determine cultural and historical elements in artwork. Conducting research can also help students better understand artists, connections betwixt eras, and stories backside pieces, such every bit 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 as Greece, Rome, Kingdom of spain, China, and the U.s.a.. Students explore global history and cultures, gaining knowledge they can utilize to positions in fine art museums. This global awareness is as well beneficial for public relations specialists and politicians.
Fine art History Career Paths
Art history programs may offer concentrations related to a single artistic method, such as architecture, or an era, like the Center Ages. Each concentration prepares students for specific art history career opportunities.
For instance, students who programme to oversee museums can pursue a museum studies concentration. Aspiring art consultants, on the other hand, tin look for programs that focus on sure artistic eras.
Upon graduating, fine art history students tin can pursue careers as museum archivists, educators, and self-employed artists, among many other positions. Read on to learn more well-nigh how to begin a career in this field.
How to Start Your Career in Art History
Many art history careers crave a postsecondary degree. Some jobs, similar museum technicians, but require a bachelor's caste. Other professionals in the field, including archivists, curators, and conservators, need a master'due south caste in fine art history or a related field. Additionally, near positions in postsecondary education require a master'south caste or higher.
Internships and volunteering can help immature professionals find their footing equally they expect for careers with an fine art history degree. Some employers may take professionals with a lower caste level if they take lots of practical experience in the field.
Associate Degree in Art History
An acquaintance in art history qualifies graduates for positions as museum tour guides, photographers, and desktop publishers. The curriculum of an associate program as well helps learners understand aesthetics related to diverse types of artistry, such as knitting, sculpting, cake decorating, quilting, and mode design.
Associate programs typically crave about 60 credits of general teaching and major courses. General education courses provide a solid foundation in the humanities and assistance learners prepare for careers in many fields.
What Can You Do With an Associate in Art History?
Photographers may take pictures to sell every bit artwork or contribute images to news pieces. These professionals may likewise manage portrait sessions at studios. Responsibilities often include designing sets for photo sessions and editing photos with software. This career does non always require a degree, but an associate in fine art history helps students develop applicable cognition and skills.
Salary: $36,280
Desktop publishers develop layouts for impress and virtual materials, such equally brochures and newspapers. These professionals may piece of work with other designers and writers, and they use software to place images. This position requires an associate degree.
Bacon: $45,390
Tour guides lead groups through places of cultural or historic significance and provide information on settings and pieces. For example, museums may hire tour guides to explicate pieces of art and their historic context to customers. Aspiring fine art museum tour guides tin earn an associate in fine art history to demonstrate their knowledge of the field.
Salary: $30,490
Available's Degree in Art History
Fine art history bachelor's programs typically require well-nigh 120 credits and include several core art history courses. Learners explore more art history topics, techniques, and eras than students in associate programs, gaining a deeper understanding of the field.
Bachelor'southward programs typically allow participants to take several constituent courses, and they may besides offer certifications and minors relevant to certain careers. For example, an aspiring art buyer may take finance electives.
Professionals with a bachelor's caste and sufficient experience often notice work as museum technicians, purchasing agents, and exhibit designers. Learners can also employ their art history knowledge to plan events with artistic or historic themes.
What Can You Do With a Bachelor's in Fine art History?
Museum technicians assist maintain the condom of museum pieces. These professionals tend to insurance matters, assess the risk associated with relocating pieces, and go on records. Technicians may also communicate with museums interested in borrowing pieces. This position often requires a bachelor'due south degree in a field related to museum work, such as art history.
Bacon: $49,850
These planners manage events that reflect various consumer objectives. They consider budgets, schedules, locations, and meals for events like weddings and business meetings. Museums may hire planners to launch new programs or exhibits. These positions typically crave a bachelor'due south degree.
Salary: $50,600
Art directors communicate with clients earlier designing sets and publications. These professionals may build budgets, lead other designers, brand decisions most images and layouts, authorize finished pieces, and offering completed products to customers. Organizations oft require fine art directors to concord a bachelor'southward degree.
Salary: $94,220
These designers develop exhibits that fulfill specific purposes. For example, an art museum'due south exhibit may showcase works connected to a sure artist or fourth dimension menses. Designers typhoon showroom structures using software, manage installation details, and ensure that exhibits remain in working guild. Showroom designers typically need a available'due south 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 keep records. A bachelor's in art history helps students develop knowledge about certain artistic periods and works, which prepares them to perform these tasks for art museums.
Salary: $69,600
Chief'southward Degree in Fine art History
Career options aggrandize for fine art history majors who earn a master'due south degree. These programs help learners develop an in-depth understanding of the field, qualifying them for positions every bit museum curators and archivists. Master's students often complete a capstone, such as a thesis or a project.
Master's caste-holders tin also shape art curricula for K-12 school districts, which requires advanced enquiry skills and art history knowledge. Art history main's programs as well train students to make connections betwixt fine art and civilisation and gain insights into past civilizations, which is a necessary skill for sociologists.
What Tin You Do With a Master'due south in 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 main's in a relevant field, such every bit 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 enquiry, and human activity as a spokesperson at events. Curators typically need a master's caste in a relevant field, including art history.
Salary: $54,570
Conservators maintain museum records and make decisions on piece conservation. They often work with engineering, such as 10-ray machines, to determine each piece'due south needs. Conservators may too research and write on field topics and assist with museum programs. These professionals demand a master'southward in conservation or a similar discipline.
Bacon: $44,430
Instructional coordinators analyze data to decide learning needs for schoolhouse districts. Coordinators offer communication on teaching techniques, curriculum alterations, course materials, and new technologies. They may also oversee faculty workshops. Graduates of art history primary's programs can perform these tasks for courses related to their field.
Bacon: $66,290
Sociologists explore the behavior of individuals and groups through inquiry and experimentation. These professionals publish findings in books, scholarly journals, and online articles. Students earning an fine art history master'south degree ready for this position by examining the culture, history, and meaning in artwork. Sociologists typically demand a main's caste.
Salary: $83,420
Doctoral Caste in Art History
A doctoral caste is the highest level of education and typically requires students to complete a dissertation on an art history topic. Dissertation requirements may involve taking several enquiry classes and giving an oral defence force.
A doctoral degree qualifies graduates to teach at universities and oversee higher departments. Doctoral degree-holders qualify for some of the most lucrative art history careers, which can exist extremely competitive. A doctoral degree can too help applicants stand out when pursuing positions with lower educational requirements.
What Can You Do With a Doctorate in Art History?
The responsibilities of postsecondary didactics administrators vary based on their specific position. Administrators may work as deans and provosts, disposed to budgets and policies. Depending on the position, college education administrators generally require a master's or doctorate.
Salary: $95,410
Postsecondary educators teach college courses within their field of study. These educators create syllabi, provide feedback on student assignments, and offer guidance on course registration. Professors may too advise curriculum changes to their department and publish scholarly pieces. Colleges and universities typically require postsecondary teachers to concur a doctorate.
Bacon: $79,540
How to Accelerate Your Career in Art History
Employers frequently consider experience when awarding promotions. However, professionals tin take reward of other methods to move their career forward. For example, earning additional education or certification tin can brand an art history professional more desirable to employers. This tin can also atomic number 82 to a higher bacon.
In the post-obit sections, readers tin can find data most how to accelerate their art history careers. Readers tin can learn about certification and licensure opportunities, continuing education, and other future steps to take.
Certifications
The Academy of Certified Archivists (ACA) provides certification for professional archivists, including art historian archivists. ACA requires that candidates take an examination about archival practices and standards. The organization charges an examination fee and a certification fee for candidates who pass the exam.
Certification lasts v years, after which professionals must renew their credentials.
Continuing Education
Continuing education offers professionals a chance to advance their skills or learn more than about their field without needing to return to school and earn some other degree. Fine art history professionals can find continuing educational activity courses through professional organizations and museums.
Most standing education programs employ to specific careers. For example, museum curators tin can detect continuing didactics opportunities with the Center for Curatorial Leadership, while art teachers can find options through online programs, community colleges, and universities.
Next Steps
Art history professionals looking to advance their careers should expect for opportunities to ameliorate their skills and brand new connections. Some workers join professional organizations, which often offer resource, conferences, continuing education opportunities, and certification.
While professionals typically pay for membership, the benefits of joining a professional person arrangement 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 as art history archivists and museum technicians, must hold degrees in fine art history. Professionals in these careers demand actual fine art history cognition to carry out their jobs finer.
Other positions, such every bit general archivists, museum curators, and educators, may permit more flexibility when it comes to entering the field. Bachelor's and graduate degrees in the humanities or communication may translate well.
Professionals because a career modify should carefully assess the skills and knowledge they need for their desired job earlier deciding how to proceed.
Where Can Y'all Piece of work every bit an Art History Professional?
Art history knowledge is applicative to many careers in museums, and the degree provides an understanding of aesthetics to aid graduates develop new art.
Students also gain insights into historic eras, which can prepare them for pedagogy careers and for positions advising individuals and organizations on art purchases. Graduates can likewise help theatrical companies cull realistic costumes, settings, and stage props for period plays.
When choosing a schoolhouse, learners should consider which manufacture they plan to enter to ensure their program offers relevant preparation.
Colleges and universities educate students in a diverseness of fields, including art history. Depending on their didactics level, graduates can teach art history courses or work every bit authoritative assistants, deans, and provosts.
These sites familiarize the public with culture and history past showcasing artistic pieces from different eras and geographic locations. Fine art history graduates tin piece of work as museum curators, technicians, purchasing agents, and tour guides.
These fields focus on developing public awareness of products and services, along with fostering relationships between companies and consumers. Art history graduates tin 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 fine art history graduates when designing costumes and sets for celebrated pieces.
This industry includes various types of art, such every bit writing and music. Art history graduates with a solid understanding of aesthetics can excel in these positions. Professionals can also use their art history knowledge to create pieces that explore by cultures and ideas.
Interview With a Professional person in Art History
Megan Mahn Miller
Designated every bit a master personal belongings appraiser by the National Auctioneers Association, Megan Mahn Miller earned a bachelor's degree in fine art history from the Academy of Minnesota. Mahn Miller began her career working for nonprofit organizations supporting the arts. In 2006, Mahn Miller joined Julien'southward Auctions -- an internationally renowned auction house 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 beyond the auction house.
Mahn Miller continues to work with Julien's as a consulting sales specialist. She has as well taught an appraisal report writing course for the National Auctioneers Clan and is a contributor to the WorthPoint newsletter.
Initially, I idea I would written report anthropology with an accent on art. My freshman year, I took classes in both and it 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 actual degree subject field was secondary. In ane way, 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 attempt to find internships and outside projects to build credentials while studying. Art has always been important to me, but it took time to effigy out how to brand it a career.
How to say this delicately… there are a lot of people who don't accept this caste seriously. And that is unfair. The study is rigorous and can comprise many dissimilar areas of written report. My personal involvement was the intersection of women's 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 fearfulness from people who have been in the business and only worked in one manner. It creates opportunities for young people inbound the field to innovate.
I was very lucky that when I graduated -- jobs were easily obtained. I started at a museum in an entry-level position. Later, I moved into arts programming on a customs level. Information technology was helpful for me to discover how I wanted to incorporate my degree into my job. I enjoyed teaching, something I discovered while assisting on a project at our campus museum. Getting fine art out to the public was a passion. Once I understood that, it informed my chore search.
To exist honest, I have been called a unicorn. Information technology would be helpful for someone undertaking this degree to take a articulate idea of what they desire to exercise with it.
I idea I was going to finish up in academia. Equally a pupil, that was all I knew. Academia is a great choice, simply the reality is there are not that many positions for professors.
A person with an art history degree tin piece of work at an auction house or museum, but you should know what capacity you are interested in.
If it is curating, what specifically draws you to that position? If it is business evolution for an auction business firm, what courses will yous take in order to complement your degree? If you want to represent artists or open a gallery, volition you lot know how to get funding or clients? If you lot desire to restore artwork, where will yous study after completing your degree?
I have met very few people whose career paths followed a straight line -- and thank goodness. Y'all volition learn then much along the way. My path was winding, and in the end information technology was luck that brought me to appraising.
At the same time, an art history student needs to have control of their destiny. Their degree is not going to be enough. Internships, informational interviews, and connecting with people whose jobs they recollect they desire will put them in a better position to get hired once they get out school.
I worked every bit 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. It was the right choice for me. There are a number of careers in art history that lend themselves to being a solopreneur, just it isn't anybody's fate.
What I primarily want to practise every day is enquiry. That is my passion. I enjoy that each assignment I take is different, so I am ever learning. When I was working at the auction house, I loved how every twenty-four hour period was different and the excitement of the auctions.
As a solopreneur, my job is challenging because I am not just the appraiser but also the receptionist, concern developer, and webmaster. At the auction firm, the deadlines were a challenge, as were the multiple ways that a consignor or buyer tin exist disappointed.
Discover out about as many possible careers as possible where yous can apply your degree. Get internships. Talk to people in the industry or at the corporation where you want to piece of work. Find complementary disciplines to study that volition brand y'all more than attractive for the position y'all desire. Don't get frustrated if your career trajectory isn't a straight line.
Don't exist afraid to ask for help. Detect a mentor who volition encourage yous and assistance y'all grow professionally.
Resources for Art History Majors
Art history professionals can take advantage of educational and professional resource to accelerate their careers.
Below, readers can notice information about art history resources for educators, curators, and researchers. These resources characteristic professional organizations and postsecondary institutions and include archives of fine art history sources and professional person conferences.
College Art Association of America: CAA focuses on the visual arts and delivers an annual conference and international programs. The association provides links to various publications and all-time practices. Members can browse open careers through an online career center.
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 tin can speak at the association's annual briefing and scan career opportunities through the website. The association likewise offers workshops related to curation and webinars on management, technology, and social media.
Art History Teaching Resource: Through this organisation's website, art history educators can find lesson plans on specific eras, including Byzantine, Greek, Roman, medieval, and Renaissance art. Visitors can besides browse resources related to museum experiences and book recommendations. AHTR also connects professionals with journals, blogs, and workshops.
Yale University Library: This library provides fine art history databases that focus on art, architecture, drama and theater studies, and full general humanities. However, users may demand separate accounts to access articles through certain databases, such every bit JSTOR. The website also links visitors to WorldCat, where they tin detect local libraries offering particular books.
JSTOR: Through JSTOR, users can access scholarly e-books and articles on multiple topics. Fine art history students can find sources on Asian, aboriginal, and medieval fine art. Many schools provide students with JSTOR admission. Learners without school access tin register for an individual account.
Metropolitan Museum of Fine art: The Met offers classroom resources that cover multiple eras and cultures, such equally the ancient Near East, the Renaissance, and Byzantine art. The Met also provides exhibitions and programs for elementary, eye, and loftier school students. Teachers can participate in museum workshops, attend events, and browse art history publications through the website.
Massachusetts Fine art Didactics Association: MAEA provides resources related to fine art teaching, advocacy, and art history. The grouping also delivers exhibits on topics such as art education and photography. Members can request briefing workshops, and the website provides information about career opportunities and state licensure.
SECAC: Formerly known as the Southeastern College Art Conference, SECAC focuses on visual arts at the postsecondary level. The organization hosts a conference and publishes a semiannual newsletter and a periodical called Art Inquiries. Its website includes reviews of exhibitions and a list of chore openings.
Association of Historians of American Art: This association focuses on American art, beginning before colonization. AHAA participates in CAA's annual conference and delivers its ain symposium every two years. The organization also publishes a journal. Members benefit from networking opportunities, including a directory and a syllabus-sharing tool. Members can also access online book reviews.
Renaissance Guild of America: The RSA focuses on culture and history from the years 1300-1700. The club offers an annual briefing and accepts proposals for event seminars. The RSA publishes a journal and works with the Digital Humanities Summer Plant to provide financial help 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 test of historical and artistic items collected by Harvard University. The course explains how museum collections can shape academic disciplines and reinforce cultural ideas.
Hollywood: History, Industry, Art - University 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 fine art of film. Students also learn about the technology that avant-garde and shaped this art form, from color cinematography to computer-generated special effects.
Inspiring and Motivating Arts and Culture Teams - University of Michigan: The University of Michigan presents this course through its business school in collaboration with National Arts Strategies. The class teaches valuable skills in motivation and communication. Students also acquire to finer nowadays ideas and inspire team members to produce desired results.
Arts and Culture Strategy - Academy 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 style. Those who finish the grade earn a certificate of completion.
Fine art History - Journal of the Association for Art History: This periodical publishes essays about new methods and areas of business organization in the field of fine art history. The journal goes to impress 5 times a year and takes submissions from established and emerging art history scholars. Readers tin can subscribe online or in print.
Oxford Art Journal: This publication offers disquisitional works about art history topics. The journal includes articles about art beyond all disciplines and eras. Readers can detect pieces that offer political analysis of visual fine art and essays offer critiques of fine art and culture across the world. Readers tin subscribe online or in print.
The Fine art Bulletin: Published by the College Fine art Association of America, this journal prints scholarly essays most 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 periodical goes to print four times a year and encourages debate about the contemporary practice of art history. Readers tin can subscribe online or in print.
Ofttimes Asked Questions
Art history majors can pursue work as museum curators, researchers, archivists, and educators. Graduates with an art history groundwork tin can also find careers in business.
Salaries for fine art history careers differ depending on a worker's job title, experience level, location. However, 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, bachelor's, chief's, or doctoral degree in this field.
Art history degrees provide essential skills related to creative and analytical thinking, organisation and enquiry, direction of resources, and advice. Graduates may apply these skills to earn a job in fine art history or branch out to other fields, such as business and pedagogy.
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