Archivists: Job Description
Appraise, edit, and direct safekeeping of permanent records and historically valuable documents. Participate in research activities based on archival materials.
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The Daily Work of Archivists Do?
Typical responsibilities of archivists span:
- 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.
Skills and Knowledge
Top archivists combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
The abilities most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Other Archivists Job Titles
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Accessioning Archivist
- Archives Specialist
- Archives Technician (Archives Tech)
- Archivist
- Digital Archivist
- Digital Asset Archivist
- Digitization Assistant
- Document Management Technician (Document Management Tech)
Job Outlook
The U.S. employs around 1,174,248 archivists working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +1.6% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Archivists
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $53,759 |
| Hourly median | $25.85 |
| 10th percentile | $38,041 |
| 25th percentile | $45,900 |
| 75th percentile | $61,618 |
| 90th percentile | $69,478 |
Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $92,100 |
| New Mexico | $83,770 |
| Maryland | $75,330 |
| New York | $74,880 |
| Rhode Island | $74,140 |
| Virginia | $72,220 |
| Massachusetts | $71,790 |
| Washington | $70,400 |
| Illinois | $69,590 |
| New Jersey | $67,080 |
| Nevada | $66,940 |
| Oregon | $63,770 |
| Minnesota | $63,230 |
| California | $62,160 |
| Wisconsin | $60,570 |
| New Hampshire | $60,350 |
| Colorado | $59,950 |
| Alabama | $58,390 |
| Indiana | $57,100 |
| Pennsylvania | $57,000 |
| Georgia | $56,170 |
| Arkansas | $55,030 |
| Maine | $54,150 |
| Texas | $53,970 |
| Michigan | $53,590 |
| North Carolina | $52,880 |
| Delaware | $51,710 |
| Utah | $51,250 |
| Ohio | $51,100 |
| Missouri | $50,480 |
| Oklahoma | $49,840 |
| Arizona | $48,920 |
| Tennessee | $47,950 |
| Kansas | $47,470 |
| South Carolina | $47,420 |
| Connecticut | $46,730 |
| Florida | $45,830 |
| Kentucky | $42,670 |
| Puerto Rico | $37,300 |
| Louisiana | $35,550 |
Where Archivists Earn the Most
Earnings for archivists differ across the country. The following regions pay the most:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Atlantic | $72,941 | 30.6% | 2.80 |
| Far Western US | $65,597 | 23.3% | 2.15 |
| New England | $63,296 | 9.0% | 1.87 |
| Great Lakes | $58,559 | 10.5% | 0.80 |
| Rocky Mountains | $54,512 | 2.4% | 0.94 |
| Plains States | $54,055 | 3.8% | 0.88 |
| Southeast | $52,799 | 14.0% | 0.66 |
| Southwest | $52,616 | 5.9% | 0.53 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | DC | $89,380 | 540 |
| Rochester, NY | NY | $75,070 | 40 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | NY | $74,880 | 720 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | MA | $74,380 | 250 |
| Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | WA | $74,360 | 90 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $74,250 | 150 |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | RI | $74,140 | 40 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $73,660 | 310 |
Industry Breakdown
The bulk of archivists are concentrated in the following sectors:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Educational Services | 1,360 | $62,640 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 1,260 | $48,920 |
| Information | 720 | $59,590 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 490 | $64,940 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 420 | $58,430 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 170 | $57,110 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 120 | $58,770 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 70 | $81,120 |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Software Archivists Use
- Document management software: Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Creative Cloud software (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Illustrator (hot technology)
- Desktop publishing software: Adobe InDesign (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Enterprise application integration software: Extensible markup language XML (hot technology)
- Web platform development software: Hypertext markup language HTML (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
The on-the-job environment of archivists tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Deal With External Customers or the Public in General
- Telephone Conversations
How to Become Archivists
Typical archivists positions require a doctoral or professional degree as the typical entry-level education. This career aligns with Extensive Preparation Needed (Job Zone 5), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Document Management Specialists (Primary-Short)
- Digital Forensics Analysts (Primary-Long)
- Anthropologists and Archeologists (Primary-Long)
- Historians (Primary-Short)
- Social Science Research Assistants (Primary-Long)
- Library Science Teachers, Postsecondary (Primary-Short)
- Curators (Primary-Short)
- Museum Technicians and Conservators (Primary-Long)
Degree Programs
Students preparing for archivists typically earn programs in:
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
7 programs across 3 majors
Visual and Performing Arts
1 programs across 1 majors
History
1 programs across 1 majors
Library Science
1 programs across 1 majors
About the Data
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 25-4011.00 (Archivists).
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