Archivists salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $39,970 | $19.22 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $64,550 | $31.03 |
| Mean (average) | $70,640 | $33.96 |
| 90th percentile | $110,550 | $53.15 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Archivists pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 39 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $57,860 | $38,670 | $93,640 | 100 | 0.96 |
| Arizona | $47,010 | $31,200 | $66,790 | ||
| Arkansas | $58,560 | $26,660 | $112,260 | 40 | 0.56 |
| California | $70,530 | $43,540 | $122,190 | 1,160 | 1.25 |
| Colorado | $59,210 | $37,160 | $106,870 | 70 | 0.48 |
| Connecticut | $79,790 | $34,500 | $119,190 | 160 | 1.89 |
| Delaware | $53,890 | $40,540 | $72,480 | 50 | 1.97 |
| District of Columbia | $93,040 | $62,400 | $128,610 | 200 | 5.54 |
| Florida | $52,100 | $35,370 | $82,640 | 100 | 0.2 |
| Georgia | $59,010 | $41,480 | $96,820 | 150 | 0.6 |
| Idaho | $58,370 | $38,390 | $78,090 | 30 | 0.68 |
| Illinois | $59,340 | $47,500 | $96,360 | 200 | 0.64 |
| Indiana | $54,220 | $43,320 | $75,490 | 70 | 0.46 |
| Iowa | $59,010 | $27,630 | $79,290 | 40 | 0.53 |
| Kansas | $49,200 | $31,200 | $90,060 | 30 | 0.43 |
| Kentucky | $48,810 | $38,820 | $67,610 | 40 | 0.4 |
| Louisiana | $59,070 | $37,990 | $85,790 | 50 | 0.48 |
| Maine | $56,260 | $45,090 | $82,110 | 60 | 1.81 |
| Maryland | $76,440 | $52,080 | $131,810 | 660 | 4.67 |
| Massachusetts | $78,180 | $52,240 | $117,080 | 270 | 1.42 |
| Michigan | $63,890 | $39,070 | $110,780 | 160 | 0.71 |
| Minnesota | $65,740 | $42,380 | $72,140 | 90 | 0.61 |
| Missouri | $60,020 | $40,950 | $108,080 | 150 | 0.97 |
| New Hampshire | $61,410 | $38,400 | $93,330 | 50 | 1.43 |
| New Jersey | $67,900 | $48,930 | $114,390 | 70 | 0.33 |
| New York | $73,860 | $48,080 | $115,580 | 960 | 1.93 |
| North Carolina | $55,370 | $33,280 | $79,990 | 130 | 0.51 |
| Ohio | $58,790 | $39,610 | $81,010 | 150 | 0.52 |
| Oklahoma | $51,940 | $32,170 | $77,250 | 80 | 0.89 |
| Oregon | $61,880 | $42,070 | $79,100 | 70 | 0.73 |
| Pennsylvania | $60,690 | $39,950 | $89,610 | 360 | 1.15 |
| Puerto Rico | $40,900 | $23,840 | $58,460 | 30 | 0.65 |
| Rhode Island | $76,990 | $43,140 | $116,650 | 40 | 1.51 |
| South Carolina | $52,810 | $36,990 | $79,420 | 60 | 0.49 |
| Tennessee | $53,210 | $38,790 | $78,740 | 110 | 0.67 |
| Texas | $50,160 | $35,090 | $80,370 | 490 | 0.69 |
| Utah | $56,660 | $48,400 | $73,370 | 80 | 0.95 |
| Washington | $76,490 | $52,910 | $104,020 | 640 | 3.52 |
| Wisconsin | $59,400 | $37,440 | $84,300 | 220 | 1.47 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for archivists
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 1,100. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 7.1%.
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for archivists
- Typical entry education
- Master's degree
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- None
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- Archives/Archival Administration CIP 25.0103
- Historic Preservation and Conservation, General CIP 30.1201
- Cultural Resource Management and Policy Analysis CIP 30.1202
- Historic Preservation and Conservation, Other CIP 30.1299
- Museology/Museum Studies CIP 30.1401
- Digital Humanities and Textual Studies, General CIP 30.5201
- Digital Humanities CIP 30.5202
- Textual Studies CIP 30.5203
- Art History, Criticism and Conservation CIP 50.0703
- Public/Applied History CIP 54.0105
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Organize archival records and develop classification systems to facilitate access to archival materials.
- Provide reference services and assistance for users needing archival materials.
- Prepare archival records, such as document descriptions, to allow easy access to information.
- Create and maintain accessible, retrievable computer archives and databases, incorporating current advances in electronic information storage technology.
- Establish and administer policy guidelines concerning public access and use of materials.
- Direct activities of workers who assist in arranging, cataloguing, exhibiting, and maintaining collections of valuable materials.
- Preserve records, documents, and objects, copying records to film, videotape, audiotape, disk, or computer formats as necessary.
- Research and record the origins and historical significance of archival materials.
Technology skills
- Microsoft Excel (in demand)
- Microsoft Office software (in demand)
- Microsoft Outlook (in demand)
- Archivists' Toolkit (in demand)
- Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Adobe Creative Cloud software (hot technology)
- Adobe Illustrator (hot technology)
- Adobe InDesign (hot technology)
- Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Extensible markup language XML (hot technology)
- Hypertext markup language HTML (hot technology)
- Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Adlib Information Systems Adlib Archive
- Adobe Premiere Pro
Transferable skills for career changers: Complex Problem Solving, Service Orientation, Judgment and Decision Making, Coordination, Instructing, Systems Analysis.
Common job titles: Accessioning Archivist, Archivist, Digital Archivist, Film Archivist, Museum Archivist, Records Manager, Reference Archivist, Registrar, State Archivist, University Archivist.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do archivists make?
The national median annual wage for archivists was $64,550 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $39,970 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $110,550. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do archivists need?
BLS lists master's degree as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and none on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is archivists a growing career?
BLS projects employment of archivists to change +3.4% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 1,100 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay archivists the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were District of Columbia ($93,040), Connecticut ($79,790), Massachusetts ($78,180). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.