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Museum Intern Jobs in Rochester, NY (NOW HIRING)

The intern will gain a better understanding of professional archival work, through hands-on ... Demonstrated interest in archives, public history, or museum studies. * Experience using Microsoft ...

Museum Intern information

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$8

$16

$23

How much do museum intern jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 19, 2026, the average hourly pay for museum intern in Rochester, NY is $16.81, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $14.23 and $18.99 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a museum intern?

Museum interns are students or recent graduates who work temporarily at museums to gain practical experience in areas such as collections management, education, curation, or administration. They often assist with research, cataloging artifacts, preparing exhibits, or supporting public programs. Internships can be paid or unpaid and are valuable for building professional skills and networking in the museum field. These positions are typically supervised by museum staff and may be part-time or full-time, depending on the institution.

What types of projects or responsibilities can a museum intern expect to handle during their internship?

As a Museum Intern, you'll typically support a variety of projects that may include assisting with exhibit preparation, cataloging collections, conducting research, and supporting educational programs. Interns often help with event planning, visitor services, or creating digital content, depending on the museum’s size and focus. You'll likely work closely with curators, educators, and collections staff, gaining hands-on experience in both front-of-house and behind-the-scenes operations. This exposure provides valuable insight into museum careers and can help you identify specific interests within the field.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a museum intern, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Museum Intern, you typically need a background or coursework in art history, museum studies, or a related field, along with strong research and organizational skills. Familiarity with collection management software, cataloging systems, and basic digital imaging tools is often required. Excellent communication, attention to detail, and teamwork are vital soft skills for engaging with staff, visitors, and diverse projects. These competencies ensure effective support for museum operations, educational programming, and preservation of collections.

What are the most commonly searched types of Museum jobs in Rochester, NY?

The most popular types of Museum jobs in Rochester, NY are:

What cities near Rochester, NY are hiring for Museum Intern jobs?

Cities near Rochester, NY with the most Museum Intern job openings:

Infographic showing various Museum Intern job openings in Rochester, NY as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 18% Internship, 1% As Needed, 51% Full Time, 26% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 93% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 5% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $34,963 per year, or $16.8 per hour.

Archives Intern

Strong National Museum

Rochester, NY • On-site

$20/hr

Part-time

Posted 14 days ago


Job description

The Strong seeks a current graduate or undergraduate student intern to process, arrange, and describe the Michael Shorrock papers and digitize VHS cassettes from the 1UP collection. The intern will gain a better understanding of professional archival work, through hands-on experience in archival processing, preservation techniques, and familiarization with archival management software. There is a paid stipend associated with this internship, made possible through a grant from the Rochester Regional Library Council.

The archival processing intern will process 3.0 linear feet of audiovisual materials, game design documentation, and artwork of Michael Shorrock, a video game producer and executive who has worked at Broderbund Software, Sega of America, Leap Frog, Sony Computer Entertainment America. Shorrock also ran Interactive Game Studios for IGT and currently consults on game development and educational technology. The intern will also digitize 15 VHS cassettes of video game event coverage such as the Gaming Summit, E3 conference, Computer Gaming World Awards, and more. The intern will perform an initial inventory of the Michael Shorrock papers; create a processing plan; physically arrange and re-house materials; perform preservation tasks; and describe the collection using ArchivesSpace. The intern will digitize, create metadata, and upload the 15 cassettes to Preservica.

Requirements:

  • Candidate must be enrolled in an accredited university graduate or undergraduate program and in an associated internship/practicum and must receive college credit for this internship. This intern must fully adhere to all requirements for credit-bearing internships, including specific procedures which may be required by the intern’s college/university.
  • Candidate must work well in a team setting, be reliable, flexible, organized, and self-motivated.
  • Candidate must have strong written and verbal communication skills.
  • Candidate must consent to a criminal background check and a drug screen.

Recommended skills:

  • Familiarity with basic archival theory.
  • Demonstrated interest in archives, public history, or museum studies.
  • Experience using Microsoft Word, Excel, etc.
  • Prior experience with archival processing.

Pre-Internship Requirements:

Must consent to and pass a drug screen and criminal background check as conditions of the internship.

Equal Opportunity Statement:

The Strong is an equal opportunity employer. It is the policy of The Strong to provide equal employment opportunity to all persons without regard to gender, sexual preference, age, race, color, religion, genetic information, national origin, disability, military, or marital status. This policy of nondiscrimination applies to all aspects of the employment relationship, including but not limited to recruitment, selection, advancement, compensation, benefits, layoff, recall, transfer, and termination.