Antiques Dealer
Impact: Preserving and connecting people with the material culture of the past through the discovery and sale of exceptional objects
Source, authenticate, value, and sell antique furniture, art, ceramics, silver, jewellery, and decorative objects through a shop, market stall, auction, or online platform. Develop deep knowledge of specific collecting categories; build relationships with auction houses, estate agents, and private collectors; attend antiques fairs and auctions; and advise clients on collecting, valuation, and restoration. Develop expertise in authentication, provenance research, and condition assessment.
What the day looks like
- People interaction
- Moderate
- Team vs solo
- 30% Team / 70% Solo
- Client facing
- Frequent
- Impact visibility
- High
- Travel
- 30-50% travel to fairs and auctions
- Schedule flexibility
- Flexible
- Remote work
- Hybrid
- Typical work hours
- 40-55 hours/week
- Stress level
- Low
At a glance
- Median salary
- $40,000
- Entry-level
- $18,000 - $30,000
- Senior
- $80,000+
- Growth by 2033
- 5% (global antiques market growing; online platforms expanding reach)
- Demand
- Stable
- Freelance potential
- High
- Salary growth potential
- Very High -- 100-400%+ growth from market trader to established specialist dealer with international client base
- Typical student debt
- $0 - $20,000
Skills you'll use
Hard skills
- Antique authentication and attribution
- Provenance research
- Condition assessment and restoration knowledge
- Auction bidding and strategy
- Online marketplace management (1stDibs
- Chairish
- eBay)
- Valuation
Soft skills
- Connoisseurship
- Negotiation
- Research skills
- Client relationship management
- Storytelling
Technical complexity: Moderate
How to get there
- Minimum education
- Certificate or Vocational Training
- Licensing
- No
- Years to mid-career
- 5-8 years
- Years to senior
- 10-20 years
- Career switching
- Hard
Where this career leads
How people arrive here
- Auctioneer
- Museum Curator
Where you can go from here
- Art and Antiques Consultant
- Auction House Specialist
Typical progression
- Market Trader
- Antiques Dealer
- Specialist Dealer
- Established Specialist / International Dealer
Future outlook
- Automation probability
- 5% -- authentication and connoisseurship cannot be automated
- AI disruption risk
- Low
- Demand trend
- Stable
How people feel about it
- Overall satisfaction
- 8.8/10
- Meaning
- 9/10
- Work-life balance
- 7.5/10
- Prestige
- 7.5/10
- Social perception
- Very High