How to Become an Archivist
Appraise, organize and preserve records and documents of lasting value so people can find and use them. It typically requires a master's degree, with a median salary of $64,550 per year and about average projected job growth.
Median pay
$64,550/yr
Middle half
$50,680 to $83,020
Job growth
About average
Openings / yr
1,100
Majors that lead here
Key skills
- Organization
- Research
- Cataloging
- Attention to Detail
Related careers
- School Principal (K-12 Administrator)$105,870 median
- College Administrator (Postsecondary)$104,590 median
- School Psychologist$95,990 median
- Instructional Coordinator$77,440 median
- Teacher (Secondary Education)$72,040 median
- Librarian$68,270 median
Frequently asked questions
How much does an Archivist make?
The median pay for an Archivist is $64,550 a year, and the middle half of workers earn between $50,680 and $83,020 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025). That covers everyone in the job, not only people starting out, so newer workers sit toward the lower end.
What degree do you need to become an Archivist?
The usual entry point is a master's degree. Common majors are History, Library and Information Science, and Art History.
Is Archivist a growing field?
Projected job growth for this role from 2024 to 2034 is about average (BLS projections via O*NET), with roughly 1,100 U.S. openings a year.
What skills does an Archivist use most?
Common skills for this role are Organization, Research, Cataloging, and Attention to Detail.
Planning to become a Archivist?
Save this career to your PlanexAI path and track the majors, courses, and milestones that lead to it.
Not sure this is right for you?
Take our free 2-minute quiz to match your interests to majors and careers.
Take the major quizWhere these pay figures come from
Career pay is the annual wage of everyone working in that occupation, not only recent graduates, so it includes people who have done the job for decades. The middle half is the 25th to the 75th percentile. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).
All figures are national. What you earn depends on where you work, who you work for, and how far you take the degree.
Job-growth figures: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).