Library & Archives Assisting

Types of Degrees Library & Archives Assisting Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many library and archives assisting graduations there were in 2018-2019 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Basic Certificate	222
Associate’s Degree	161
Undergraduate Certificate	39

What Library & Archives Assisting Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, archives majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for Archives Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Clerical - Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Skills for Archives Majors

A major in archives prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
• Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Abilities for Archives Majors

Some of the most crucial abilities to master while a archives student include the following:

• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
• Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

What Can You Do With a Library & Archives Assisting Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with archives:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Library Technicians	9.1%	$34,040

How Much Do Library & Archives Assisting Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

Archives majors often go into careers with median salaries of $36,080. This median refers to all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Library & Archives Assisting

Some careers associated with archives require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to archives have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	15.0%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	17.1%
Some College Courses	8.8%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	27.7%
Bachelor’s Degree	29.6%
Master’s Degree	1.8%

Online Library & Archives Assisting Programs

In the 2018-2019 academic year, 43 schools offered some type of library and archives assisting program. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	29	10
Certificate (1-2 years)	8	4
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	34	7
Bachelor’s Degree	0	0
Post-Baccalaureate	29	10
Master’s Degree	0	0
Post-Master’s	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Library & Archives Assisting Worth It?

The median salary for a archives grad is $36,080 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

Majors Related to Library & Archives Assisting

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to archives.

Major	Number of Grads
Library & Information Science	5,643
[Other Library & Archives Assisting](/majors/Library Science/Other Library & Archives Assisting/)	139

References

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By collin under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.