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Glass cases holding artefacts in a museum

Museum and Galleries Technician

Making and maintaining interactive exhibits and keeping unique museum objects accessible for everyone to see.

How this role makes a difference

Exhibitions in museums and galleries are increasingly interactive, with moving parts, controllers, audio visual elements, and digital components all helping to build engagement with people of all ages.

Displays need to be built within strict deadlines and, once an exhibition is open to the public, it needs to be maintained. You could be the technician who makes sure every moving and interactive part in an exhibition works perfectly, enabling greater learning opportunities and enjoyment for visitors.

The kind of work you’ll do

  • Planning and maintaining technical elements of exhibitions
  • Producing documentation on how different features work
  • Assessing the risk involved in different display approaches
  • Handling precious objects and preparing them for transportation
  • Maintaining tools and equipment
  • Fixing displays while the museum or exhibition is open to the public
  • Working with exhibition designers on how displays should work
Hall with museum display cabinets

What you can bring to the role

Useful skills
Problem solving
Useful skills
Critical thinking
Useful skills
Instructing others
Useful skills
Attention to detail

Future career opportunities

You might decide to specialise in a particular technical area or alternatively develop a broad range of skills working in an agency that helps to bring exhibitions to life.

As your skills develop, you could end up leading a technical team in a world famous museum or gallery or work as a freelancer, taking your technical skills to exhibitions all over the world.

£ 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 , 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Average salary per year *
£ 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 , 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Average salary per month *

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*according to ONS

How to get into this role

There’s no perfect career path or ideal way into your dream job.

But if you’re interested in education and training options that could be relevant to this role, you might want to consider:  

Schools and colleges each have their own career guidance plan and can provide detailed information, advice, and guidance on options and next steps.

A little more about the role

Exciting features...

You’ll support exhibition designers with the realisation of their creative vision and might work in an environment that contains priceless artefacts or world famous works of art. You’ll also use wide-ranging materials and will get involved in different kinds of technical projects.

Other job titles...

Advanced Operators
Manufacturing Technician
Process Development Technician
Process Technician
Technical Operator

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