Archivists
Appraise, edit, and direct safekeeping of permanent records and historically valuable documents. Participate in research activities based on archival materials.
Archivists appraise, edit, and direct safekeeping of permanent records and historically valuable documents. Participate in research activities based on archival materials. The role reports a median annual salary of $61,570 in the US and is projected to grow 4% over the next decade (about as fast as average). Entry typically requires a Master's degree, and shows moderate AI exposure (0.64 on a 0-1 scale) — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. The most in-demand skills for the role include art collections, conservation techniques, collection management, project management, museum databases.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £34,237 a year for Archivists and curators (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 2472). ONS rates this estimate acceptable: it rests on a small sample, so treat it as a rough guide. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Professionals” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only Archivists, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 2. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- History and Archeology
- English Language
- Customer and Personal Service
- Computers and Electronics
- Administration and Management
- Administrative
- Education and Training
- Law and Government
What you'd actually do
- 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.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Archivists do?
Appraise, edit, and direct safekeeping of permanent records and historically valuable documents. Participate in research activities based on archival materials.
How much does Archivists earn?
The median annual salary for Archivists in the US is $61,570.
What is the job outlook for Archivists?
The role is projected to grow 4% over the next decade (about as fast as average). Current US employment is approximately 9,300 workers.
How do I become a archivists?
The typical entry education is a Master's degree. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does Archivists need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include art collections, conservation techniques, collection management, project management, museum databases, create collection conservation plan. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Archivists?
Our AI-durability model gives Archivists a score of 0.64 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at moderate AI exposure — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. Learning to work with AI tools rather than against them is the path forward.
How hard is it to enter this field?
Archivists has high barrier to entry — highly gated — a graduate degree or extended training/apprenticeship is typically required.