Archivists Salary

The median archivists salary in the United States is $64,550 per year ($31.03/hour). Salaries range from $39,970 at the entry level to $110,550+ for the top 10% of earners. There are 7,970 archivists jobs nationwide. Employment is projected to grow 3.8% through 2034.

Last updated: June 2026 Β· Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Median Salary
$64,550
per year
Hourly Rate
$31.03
per hour
Employment
7,970
jobs in the U.S.

Salary Distribution

10th percentile
$39,970
25th percentile
$50,680
Median
$64,550
75th percentile
$83,020
90th percentile
$110,550

Job Growth (2024-2034)

+3.8%
As fast as average

Annual Openings

1,100
jobs/year (growth + replacements)

Education Required

Master's degree

Archivists Career Guide

Interview questions, resume templates, and a career ladder written specifically for archivistss.

Archivists appraise, acquire, arrange, describe, preserve, and provide access to records with enduring value β€” at universities, government agencies, corporations, museums, and religious institutions. Entry $42-58k; established $58-78k; senior archivist or head of collections $78-115k; director of archives at major institutions $115-175k+. A master's in library science (MLS/MLIS) with an archives concentration or an MA in history plus archival training is standard.

Core Skills Hiring Managers Screen For

Appraisal and acquisition
Decide what has enduring value and what doesn't. Balance donor expectations, institutional priorities, and long-term stewardship costs.
Arrangement and description (DACS, EAD)
Apply Describing Archives: A Content Standard and Encoded Archival Description. Understand original order, provenance, and multi-level description hierarchy.
Preservation and conservation
Environmental controls, disaster response, handling, and rehousing. Coordinate with conservators on treatment decisions.
Digital preservation
File-format migration, checksum verification, and OAIS-compliant workflows. Digital records are now the majority of new accessions.
Reference and access services
Answer researcher questions, apply access restrictions, and enforce use policies. Reading room supervision at active repositories.
Records management
Retention schedules, transfer protocols, and disposition. Corporate and government archivists spend significant time on records management.
Outreach and instruction
Exhibits, tours, teaching with primary sources, and social media. Modern archives compete for attention and funding on visibility.

How to Become a Archivists

  1. 1
    Earn a bachelor's in history, English, or a related humanities field
    Coursework in research methods and historical writing helps. Some archivists come from library, art history, or science backgrounds.
  2. 2
    Earn a master's in library science (MLS/MLIS) or MA in history with archives concentration
    ALA-accredited MLS/MLIS is standard for most institutional jobs; MA in public history is a strong alternative. 2-3 years, $30-80k depending on institution.
  3. 3
    Complete an internship or practicum
    6-12 months hands-on experience at an archive or special collections. Often required as part of graduate program.
  4. 4
    Obtain SAA credential (DAS) or ACA Certified Archivist (CA)
    Digital Archives Specialist (DAS) from Society of American Archivists or Certified Archivist (CA) from Academy of Certified Archivists. Not required but increasingly expected.
  5. 5
    Start as a project archivist, processing archivist, or reference archivist
    $42-65k entry. Grant-funded project roles common early. Move into permanent positions at universities, state archives, or corporate archives.

Career Progression

Project / Processing Archivist
0-3 yrs$42-58k
  • β€’Arrange and describe assigned collections (2-6 collections/year)
  • β€’Create EAD-compliant finding aids
  • β€’Complete rehousing and preservation actions
  • β€’Support reference and outreach as assigned
Next: Archivist II or specialty (digital, reference) at 2-5 years.
Archivist / Digital Archivist / Reference Archivist
3-8 yrs$58-82k
  • β€’Own defined collections or subject areas
  • β€’Lead processing projects and grant deliverables
  • β€’Train and supervise interns and student workers
  • β€’Contribute to institutional digital preservation workflow
Next: Sr Archivist or Head at 6-12 years.
Sr Archivist / Head of Collections
6-14 yrs$78-115k
  • β€’Manage a functional unit (acquisitions, digital, reference)
  • β€’Supervise 3-8 archivists and staff
  • β€’Own major donor relationships and acquisitions
  • β€’Represent institution in professional societies
Next: Director of Archives at 12-20 years.
Director of Archives / University Archivist / State Archivist
14+ yrs$115-175k+
  • β€’Direct entire archives program at large institution
  • β€’Set collection strategy, budget, and staffing
  • β€’Report to library dean, provost, or state secretary
  • β€’Represent institution to funders, legislators, and press
Next: Dean of Libraries or agency executive.

Interview Questions & Answers

5 free questions below. Career Kit unlocks 13 total plus resume bullets for every level.

Q1. Walk me through processing a 45-linear-foot manuscript collection.technical
Initial survey β€” donor notes, existing order, condition. Set intellectual and physical arrangement (usually MPLP β€” More Product, Less Process β€” for large modern collections). Weed duplicates. Rehouse in acid-free folders and Hollinger boxes. Draft finding aid in DACS-compliant EAD. Estimate 12-18 hours per linear foot for medium-complexity personal papers, less with MPLP.
Q2. How do you handle a donor restriction on politically sensitive material?situational
Negotiate written access restrictions with a specific expiration or triggering event (e.g., death of donor plus 20 years). Document in the deed of gift. Ensure restrictions are enforced consistently in reference services. Deed language is what a court would look at β€” clarity now saves lawsuits later.
Q3. Describe a preservation challenge you addressed.behavioral
STAR. Situation: 400 audiocassette tapes from a 1970s oral history project showing signs of magnetic degradation. Task: prioritize reformatting without exhausting budget. Action: consulted with AV preservation lab, prioritized 60 tapes for immediate digitization based on content significance and condition, applied for NHPRC funding for the rest. Result: 100% of high-priority content reformatted; grant secured for remaining backlog.
Q4. Why archives?culture
It's a field where you get to make historical evidence usable β€” the specific work of arrangement, description, and preservation directly enables scholarship, journalism, family history, and public accountability. I like the mix of intellectual work and physical stewardship, and the profession is thoughtful about ethics.
Q5. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?closer
Sr Archivist or Head of a functional unit β€” digital collections, university records, or a subject area β€” with SAA leadership involvement. Long term I'd consider director or state archivist track.

Resume Template β€” Project / Processing Archivist (0-3 yrs)

Copy these bullets into your resume as a starting point. Career Kit includes bullets for every level of the ladder.

Project / Processing Archivist (0-3 yrs)
  • β–ΈProcessed 6 manuscript collections totaling 180 linear feet at [university] using MPLP approach.
  • β–ΈCreated 15 DACS-compliant EAD finding aids indexed in ArchivesSpace.
  • β–ΈSociety of American Archivists member; DAS certificate track (3 of 8 courses complete).
  • β–ΈMLIS + Archives concentration, [university]. Bilingual English/Spanish for Latin American collections.

What Gets You Rejected

  • βœ—Weak DACS or EAD fluency β€” the descriptive standards are non-negotiable at professional archives.
  • βœ—Ignores original order and provenance without documentation β€” a first-week firing at any serious repository.
  • βœ—No digital preservation training β€” a critical gap in 2024-2025.
  • βœ—Poor handling β€” dirty hands, stacked boxes, unenclosed photographs β€” signals a lack of professional training.
  • βœ—Overpromises donors on access, digitization, or exhibition without institutional capacity.
  • βœ—Reluctance to weed β€” hoarding is not preservation; appraisal is a core professional skill.

Salary Negotiation Levers

  • βœ“SAA DAS certificate or ACA Certified Archivist β€” 5-10% pay premium at institutional archives.
  • βœ“Digital preservation depth (OAIS, Preservica, Archivematica) β€” the hottest specialty right now.
  • βœ“Corporate archivist roles (Coca-Cola, Levi Strauss, Disney) pay 20-40% above academic archivist salaries.
  • βœ“Federal (NARA, DOD, State Department) β€” strong benefits and pension. GS-11 to GS-14 range.
  • βœ“Metro premium: DC, NYC, Boston, LA β€” 15-25% above secondary markets.
  • βœ“Sign-on bonuses uncommon but relocation assistance is negotiable for senior roles.

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Archivists Salary by State

Best Cities (cost-adjusted) β†’

Salary Map β€” Click a state for details

$47K
$93Kβ–  No data

Top Paying States

District of Columbia
$93K
+44%
Connecticut
$80K
+24%
Massachusetts
$78K
+21%
Rhode Island
$77K
+19%
Washington
$76K
+18%
Maryland
$76K
+18%
New York
$74K
+14%
California
$71K
+9%
New Jersey
$68K
+5%
Minnesota
$66K
+2%
Vertical line = national median. Click a state for full details.
StateMedianvs. National
District of Columbia$93,040+44.1%
Connecticut$79,790+23.6%
Massachusetts$78,180+21.1%
Rhode Island$76,990+19.3%
Washington$76,490+18.5%
Maryland$76,440+18.4%
New York$73,860+14.4%
California$70,530+9.3%
New Jersey$67,900+5.2%
Minnesota$65,740+1.8%
1–10 of 38

Archivists Salary by Metro Area

Metro AreaMedianvs. National
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT$119,190+84.6%
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$97,550+51.1%
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$84,590+31.0%
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$78,530+21.7%
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$78,490+21.6%
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$78,220+21.2%
Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA$77,990+20.8%
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$77,450+20.0%
Providence-Warwick, RI-MA$76,990+19.3%
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD$76,440+18.4%
1–10 of 43
Data Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Data reflects the most recent annual survey.
How does this compare to pro athletes?
A archivists earning $64,550/year would need 923 years to match Stephen Curry's NBA salary, or 991 yearsto match Patrick Mahomes' NFL contract.
See all sports & celebrity salaries β†’
πŸ“ˆ See how archivists salaries have changed over the past decade.
View Archivists salary trend (2011–2024) β†’