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Archivist: pay, job outlook and how to become one
- $39,970lowest 10% earn less
- $50,68025th percentile
- $64,550median
- $83,02075th percentile
- $110,550top 10% earn more
The median archivist earned $64,550 a year, which is above the $50,980 median for all occupations[1][2]. BLS lists a master's degree as the typical entry education[3].
How much do archivists make?
The median pay for archivists was $64,550 a year, or $31.03 an hour[1]. Half of the workers earned more and half earned less[7]. The mean (average) was $70,640 a year, or $33.96 an hour[8]. For all occupations, the median annual wage was $50,980[2], so the archivist median was higher.
The range is wide. Here is how the percentiles look:
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile[4][9] | $39,970 | $19.22 |
| 25th percentile[4][9] | $50,680 | $24.37 |
| Median[1] | $64,550 | $31.03 |
| 75th percentile[4][9] | $83,020 | $39.92 |
| 90th percentile[4][9] | $110,550 | $53.15 |
A percentile is a boundary. The lowest-paid 10% of archivists earned less than $39,970 a year[4][7]. BLS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary[7].
These figures cover wage and salary workers. They leave out the self-employed and do not count benefits or nonproduction bonuses[10]. About 7.1% of archivists were self-employed in 2025[11].
Pay by state and city
Among the 37 states and DC with published data, the District of Columbia had the highest median at $93,040, followed by Connecticut at $79,790, Massachusetts at $78,180, Rhode Island at $76,990 and Washington at $76,490[12].
The most jobs were in California (1,160), New York (960), Maryland (660), Washington (640) and Texas (490)[13]. Texas had a median of $50,160[12].
Among metro areas with at least 100 jobs[14], San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA had the highest median at $97,550. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV was next at $84,590, then Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA at $78,530[14]. The New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ area had the most jobs at 760, followed by the Washington area at 670 and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA at 490[15].
Show median pay in 37 states and DC
| State | Median per year | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia[12] | $93,040 | 200 |
| Connecticut | $79,790 | 160 |
| Massachusetts | $78,180 | 270 |
| Rhode Island | $76,990 | 40 |
| Washington | $76,490 | 640 |
| Maryland | $76,440 | 660 |
| New York | $73,860 | 960 |
| California | $70,530 | 1,160 |
| New Jersey | $67,900 | 70 |
| Minnesota | $65,740 | 90 |
| Michigan | $63,890 | 160 |
| Oregon | $61,880 | 70 |
| New Hampshire | $61,410 | 50 |
| Pennsylvania | $60,690 | 360 |
| Missouri | $60,020 | 150 |
| Wisconsin | $59,400 | 220 |
| Illinois | $59,340 | 200 |
| Colorado | $59,210 | 70 |
| Louisiana | $59,070 | 50 |
| Georgia | $59,010 | 150 |
| Iowa | $59,010 | 40 |
| Ohio | $58,790 | 150 |
| Arkansas | $58,560 | 40 |
| Idaho | $58,370 | 30 |
| Alabama | $57,860 | 100 |
| Utah | $56,660 | 80 |
| Maine | $56,260 | 60 |
| North Carolina | $55,370 | 130 |
| Indiana | $54,220 | 70 |
| Delaware | $53,890 | 50 |
| Tennessee | $53,210 | 110 |
| South Carolina | $52,810 | 60 |
| Florida | $52,100 | 100 |
| Oklahoma | $51,940 | 80 |
| Texas | $50,160 | 490 |
| Kansas | $49,200 | 30 |
| Kentucky | $48,810 | 40 |
| Arizona | $47,010 | n/a |
How to become an archivist
- First: Plan for a master's degree. BLS lists a master's degree as the typical entry education for archivists[3]. In an O*NET survey of 31 workers, 84% said a master's degree is required, 6% said a bachelor's degree and 6% said a post-master's certificate[16].
- Next: Choose a related field. The Occupational Outlook Handbook names history, library science and archival studies, along with political science and public administration[17]. Its profile covers a wider group of occupations, so these training details describe archivists together with curators and museum workers[18].
- Then: Get hands-on experience. BLS lists no related work experience and no on-the-job training as typical for entry[3]. Still, the handbook says volunteer or internship work in archives can give useful experience[17]. It adds that candidates may work part time, as interns or as volunteers, and that full-time positions call for substantial experience in areas such as collection management and database management[19].
- Last: Consider certification. Employers generally do not require it. Some archivists earn a voluntary certification to show expertise in a particular area[20].
The facts do not say how long the degree takes or what it costs.
What archivists do
O*NET describes the job as appraising, editing and overseeing the safekeeping of permanent records and historically valuable documents, plus taking part in research that uses archival materials[21]. Typical tasks include:
- Sorting records and building classification systems so people can find them[22].
- Helping users who need archival materials[22].
- Writing document descriptions that make information easy to reach[22].
- Keeping computer archives and databases up to date[22].
- Setting rules for public access to materials[22].
- Supervising workers who arrange, catalogue and care for collections[22].
- Copying records to other formats to preserve them[22].
- Researching where materials came from and why they matter[22].
Workers report job titles such as digital archivist, film archivist, reference archivist and records manager[23].
Where they work
The handbook profile covers a wider group, so this section describes archivists, curators and museum workers together[18]. Museums, historical sites and similar institutions employed 36% of the group in 2025[24]. Most of the group works full time[25].
The setting depends on the employer and the position. Some people spend time at a desk and others work with the public, giving reference help[26]. Work with heavy record containers can involve lifting, climbing ladders and stretching to reach items[26]. Archivists in government agencies and corporations generally keep regular business hours[27].
Job outlook
BLS projects archivist employment to grow 3.4% from 2025 to 2035, from about 10,300 to 10,600 jobs[5]. Employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5%[28]. So archivist growth is close to the all-occupations rate.
BLS also projects about 1,100 openings a year on average[6]. Openings include jobs that appear when workers retire or move to other occupations, not only new jobs[6]. Each year, 4.8% of archivists leave the labor force and 5.7% move to a different occupation[29].
The job counts differ between sources. The OEWS count of about 7,970 covers wage and salary jobs only[30]. The projection counts include self-employed workers[5].
Is it a good fit?
The facts show pay above the all-occupations median, with a median of $64,550[1][2]. Entry typically calls for a master's degree[3], and the facts do not say how long that takes or what it costs. Growth of 3.4% is close to the 3.5% rate for all occupations[5][28]. The work mixes organizing records, helping users and research[22], and the handbook notes that archivists need to be courteous and able to help users find materials[31]. Pay also varies by place, from $93,040 in the District of Columbia to $47,010 in Arizona[12].
Frequently asked questions
- How much does an archivist make an hour?
- The median was $31.03 an hour and the mean was $33.96 an hour in May 2025[1][8]. The 10th percentile was $19.22 and the 90th percentile was $53.15[9].
- What degree do you need to be an archivist?
- BLS lists a master's degree as the typical entry education[3]. In an O*NET survey of 31 workers, 84% said a master's degree is required[16].
- Are archivists in demand?
- BLS projects 3.4% growth from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% for all occupations[5][28]. It also projects about 1,100 openings a year[6].
- What is the highest paying state for archivists?
- The District of Columbia had the highest median at $93,040, then Connecticut at $79,790 and Massachusetts at $78,180[12].
Facts and sources
- BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Archivists in the US was $64,550 per year and $31.03 per hour. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in the US was $50,980. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS Employment Projections, typical path into Archivists: education needed for entry: Master's degree; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: None. BLS Employment Projections
- BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Archivists: 10th percentile $39,970, 25th percentile $50,680, 75th percentile $83,020, 90th percentile $110,550. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS Employment Projections: employment of Archivists is projected to grow 3.4% from 2025 to 2035, from about 10,300 to 10,600 jobs (a change of +300). These counts include self-employed workers. BLS Employment Projections
- BLS Employment Projections: about 1,100 openings for Archivists are projected each year, on average, from 2025 to 2035. Openings include jobs that open when workers retire or move to other occupations, not only new jobs. BLS Employment Projections
- BLS OEWS FAQ: a percentile wage is a boundary. The median (50th percentile) separates the highest-paid 50% from the lowest-paid 50% of workers in the occupation. OEWS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Archivists was $70,640 per year and $33.96 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Archivists: 10th percentile $19.22, 25th percentile $24.37, 75th percentile $39.92, 90th percentile $53.15. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS Employment Projections: 7.1% of Archivists were self-employed in 2025. BLS Employment Projections
- Median annual wage for Archivists in every state with published data, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS, May 2025, states with the most Archivists jobs: California 1,160; New York 960; Maryland 660; Washington 640; Texas 490. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the highest median annual wage for Archivists (areas with at least 100 jobs): San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $97,550; Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $84,590; Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $78,530; Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $78,220; Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA $77,990; New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $77,450; Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD $76,440; San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $74,320. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the most Archivists jobs: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ 760 (median $77,450); Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 670 (median $84,590); Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 490 (median $70,630); Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 310 (median $78,530); Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 230 (median $76,440); Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH 230 (median $78,220). BLS OEWS, May 2025
- O*NET 25-4011.00 survey of workers (31 respondents), education level they say is required: Master's Degree 84%, Bachelor's Degree 6%, Post-Master's Certificate 6% (levels under 5% not listed). O*NET OnLine
- Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Education. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
- The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile "Archivists, Curators, and Museum Workers" covers Archivists together with other related occupations, so its text describes the wider group. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
- Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Other Experience. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
- Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
- O*NET description of Archivists. O*NET OnLine
- O*NET task list for Archivists. O*NET OnLine
- O*NET 25-4011.00 sample job titles reported by workers: Accessioning Archivist, Archivist, Digital Archivist, Film Archivist, Museum Archivist, Records Manager, Reference Archivist, Registrar. O*NET OnLine
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, largest employers of archivists, curators, and museum workers in 2025: Museums, historical sites, and similar institutions 36%. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
- Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment: Work Schedules. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
- Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
- Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment: Work Schedules. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
- BLS Employment Projections: employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035. BLS Employment Projections
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 annual average for Archivists: 4.8% of workers leave the labor force each year and 5.7% move to a different occupation. BLS Employment Projections
- BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 7,970 people were employed as Archivists in the US (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Important Qualities. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
- Related occupations (O*NET) with BLS pay, growth and entry education. O*NET OnLine
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerFacts has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.