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Museum Buyer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Milwaukee Art Museum

Lead Sales Associate

Milwaukee, WI · On-site

$17.41/hr

... museum events * Complete projects as assigned by Store Managers, Buying Staff or Director. Requirements Education/Experience Requirements: High School diploma or equivalent. Associate (two-year ...

Evenlite Inc

Buyer Planner

Trevose, PA · On-site

$53K - $73K/yr

Buyer/Planner Classification: Exempt (Professional) Full Time: Yes Salary Grade: Reports To: Supply ... Art Museum. On all projects we strive to utilize products that meet and exceed life safety ...

Evenlite Inc

Buyer Planner

Trevose, PA · On-site

$53K - $73K/yr

Buyer/Planner Classification: Exempt (Professional) Full Time: Yes Salary Grade: Reports To: Supply ... Art Museum. On all projects we strive to utilize products that meet and exceed life safety ...

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$34.5K

$68.4K

$102.5K

How much do museum buyer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 28, 2026, the average yearly pay for museum buyer in the United States is $68,384.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $55,000.00 and $79,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a museum buyer?

A Museum Buyer is responsible for selecting and purchasing merchandise for a museum's gift shop. They research and source items that align with the museum's theme, exhibitions, and visitor demographics. Their role includes negotiating with vendors, managing inventory, and ensuring profitability. Museum Buyers must balance commercial appeal with educational and cultural relevance. Strong budgeting and marketing skills are essential for success in this role.

What skills and qualifications are needed to thrive as a museum buyer?

To thrive as a Museum Buyer, you need expertise in art history, curation, and procurement, often backed by a degree in art administration, museum studies, or a related field. Familiarity with collection management systems, provenance research tools, and legal documentation relevant to acquisitions is crucial. Strong negotiation, relationship-building, and analytical skills help set outstanding candidates apart. These qualities ensure that acquisitions align with a museum's mission, meet ethical standards, and enhance the institution's overall collection.

What are the main challenges museum buyers face in their daily work?

Museum Buyers often navigate the complexities of sourcing authentic pieces that fit both the museum’s budget and curatorial standards, which requires diligence in provenance research and negotiation. Balancing the expectations of curators, directors, and stakeholders while adhering to legal and ethical acquisition guidelines can be demanding. Additionally, the need to stay updated on market trends and maintain relationships with artists, dealers, and auction houses adds to the dynamic nature of the role. Successfully addressing these challenges ensures the museum’s collection grows strategically and responsibly.

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Museum Buyer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Museum Buyer job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 87% Full Time, 4% Part Time, and 9% Contract. Highlights an 79% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 18% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $68,384 per year, or $32.9 per hour.

Kiki Pohlad '13 Curatorial Assistant, Tang Museum

Saratoga Springs, NY • On-site

Skidmore College
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools • 501 - 1,000 employees

7.6

Company rating: 7.6 out of 10

Based on 8 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

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Full-time

This job post has expired today. Applications are no longer accepted.

Job description


The Curatorial Assistant (CA) will assist the Associate Curator, Malloy Curator, and Dayton Director in research, administrative, and editorial tasks for exhibitions and accompanying publications. The CA will also help facilitate access to the museum collection; give public, private, and class-based tours of the museum and exhibitions; respond to external requests for images and research on the museum collection; and supervise student interns. The CA has the opportunity to propose and execute exhibitions and programs that they author. The CA will also be responsible for the management and distribution of the Tang's publications. Because of the broad scope of the museum's exhibitions and goals, the successful candidate will have a wide range of interests, the ability to learn quickly, an innate aptitude for flexibility, the ability to juggle multiple tasks on projects with both near and distant deadlines, and a positive solutions-oriented approach.
  • Assists in all aspects of department administration, providing critical support to the Associate Curator, Malloy Curator, and Dayton Director on all exhibitions, publications, and other projects. This work necessitates a high level of organization at broad project levels as well as detail-oriented attention to project logistics and communications and a dedication to ensuring the department meets internally and externally set deadlines.
  • Organizes and maintains exhibition checklists. Works closely with individual curators to keep all images and artwork captions up-to-date and communicates changes to relevant departments.
  • Communicates about curatorial projects across departments, including but not limited to collaborating with registrars on loan requests and followups; brainstorming with engagement team about programming; offering ideas, images, and writing for social media and other publicity; providing information and feedback to designer. Communicates with external book designers and other freelancers about individual projects.
  • Writes and/or edits exhibition and publication texts under the supervision of the organizing curator. Requires research skills, in-depth knowledge of contemporary art and art history, excellent writing skills, and experience in proofreading or other editing texts. Knowledge of Chicago Manual of Style required.
  • Organize exhibition images. This work includes liaising with outside photographers, ensuring all exhibitions are photographed in a timely fashion, working with supervising curators to review and approve images, communicating with Tang Museum colleagues about using and locating approved images.
  • Manage exhibition catalogs and other publications. Work with individual curators to ensure that publications stay on track by liaising with photo editors, designers, writers, outside editors, and printers. Edit or proofread texts that come from a variety of sources including newly commissioned interviews and essays, existing gallery texts, reviews, historic material, and so on; secure hi-res images and copyright permissions as needed.
  • Manage the Tang's published catalogues. This includes arranging and overseeing sales, catalogue shipments, fulfilling orders, management and maintenance of on-line sales platforms (Amazon Seller Central, Tang's website/Spree) and VSD sales (Square), maintain the catalogue stock at the VSD and advertise specials throughout the year, tracking inventory, evaluating storage needs, working closely with the Manager of Finance and Planning on catalogue related payments, and meeting quarterly to report sales and inventory to the Dayton Director, ADE, and MFP. In addition, working with the Building Manager and Head of Installations to supervise the transport of catalogues into inventory and coordinate the delivery of incoming shipments. This position brings Tang catalogues to buyers worldwide by handling on-site sales and phone orders as well as online sales. These efforts enhance the museum's reputation as a lively and engaging destination, a vital cultural resource, and an important contemporary art museum with a national reach.
  • Offer support to the Associate Curator on cataloging and digitization needs by researching the collection, completing data-entry tasks, and updating approved revisions to cataloging data in the collections management system, EmbARK. Experience with a collection management system preferred, though training is provided for the right candidate.
  • Correspond and engage with museum colleagues and scholars external to the Tang. This work might include responding to requests: to publish images by ensuring such use is acceptable, providing captions and hi-res images; to borrow Tang collection artwork on loan; for research on the Tang collection or past exhibitions. Responsibly represents the curatorial department, the museum, and the museum mission both on and off campus by giving public and private tours to campus and external groups, attending art fairs and conferences, and assisting in hosting responsibilities for visiting artists and scholars.
  • The CA is invited to propose their own authored exhibitions, programs, or other projects; if approved, this work includes executing the project from initial conception/proposal through to realization, managing all logistical details, collaborating with key artists, and communicating across museum departments.
  • Supervise 3-5 student interns. Assign projects and deadlines, provide training as needed, and review and offer feedback to interns on all tasks.

Education: The successful candidate will also have a Bachelor's Degree, in addition to museum and/or prior work experience.
Required documents needed to apply:
  • On-line application
  • Cover Letter
  • Resume
  • List of Three References

Pay Range: $24.73 - $25.83 per hour ($45,000-$47,000 annually) for this 35 hours per week, 12 months per year position commensurate with experience.
EEO STATEMENT
Skidmore College is committed to being an inclusive campus community and, as an Equal Opportunity Employer, does not discriminate in its hiring or employment practices on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, gender, age, national or ethnic origin, physical or mental disability, military or veteran status, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, predisposition or carrier status, domestic violence victim status, familial status, dating violence, or stalking, or any other category protected by applicable federal, state or local laws.
Employment at Skidmore College is contingent upon an acceptable background check result.
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