---

Archive Administration

Types of Degrees Archive Administration Majors Are Earning

Those studying Archive Administration can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	3
Master’s Degree	253

What Archive Administration Majors Need to Know

Programs in Archive Administration emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Archive Administration graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Archive Administration emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Law and Government — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills built by a Archive Administration program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Archive Administration careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Archive Administration graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Documenting/Recording Information	4.5 / 7
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Working with Computers	4.4 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.3 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.3 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.2 / 7
Processing Information	4.2 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.2 / 7
Communicating with People Outside the Organization	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.1 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Archive Administration professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Adobe Acrobat	Document management software	—
Database software	Data base user interface and query software	—
PREMIS	Data base user interface and query software	—
Hypertext markup language HTML	Web platform development software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Archive Administration graduates include:

• Registrar
• Digitization Assistant
• Digital Asset Archivist
• Project Archivist
• Archives Technician (Archives Tech)
• Accessioning Archivist
• Records Manager
• Museum Archivist
• State Archivist
• Archivist
• Records Management Specialist
• Image Archivist
• University Archivist
• Records Specialist
• Records Clerk

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Archive Administration graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Master’s degree	48.1%
Bachelor’s degree	32.4%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	4.7%
Post-master’s certificate	3.6%
High school diploma or equivalent	3.5%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	3.2%
Postsecondary certificate	2.3%
Some college courses	1.8%
Doctoral degree	0.4%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Archive Administration?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 84% of Archive Administration degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	215	84.0%
Men	41	16.0%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Archive Administration graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	199	77.7%
Asian	7	2.7%
Hispanic or Latino	16	6.2%
Black or African American	8	3.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native	3	1.2%
Two or More Races	10	3.9%
Race Unknown	11	4.3%
International Students	2	0.8%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Archive Administration Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Archive Administration graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$48,588
4 years	$51,908
5 years	$57,391

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $57,391 — roughly 18% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Archive Administration Programs

Online study is reported by IPEDS for Archive Administration. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Master’s	1	1

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Archive Administration Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Archive Administration graduates earn a median of $51,908 four years after completion — roughly 37% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Library Science and Administration	25.01
Children and Youth Library Services	25.0102
Library and Information Science	25.0101
Library Science and Administration, Other	25.0199

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.