SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Appraise, edit, and direct safekeeping of permanent records and historically valuable documents. Participate in research activities based on archival materials.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 25-4011.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $39,970 | $3,331 | $769 | $19.22 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $50,680 | $4,223 | $975 | $24.37 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $64,550 | $5,379 | $1,241 | $31.03 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $83,020 | $6,918 | $1,597 | $39.92 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $110,550 | $9,212 | $2,126 | $53.15 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Archivists is $64,550, which is 27% higher. Among the 64 occupations of the field Educational Instruction and Library, it ranks number 48 by median pay. With 7,970 jobs, it makes up about 0.5 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Archivists pay by state
The highest median pay was in District of Columbia ($93,040), Connecticut ($79,790) and Massachusetts ($78,180). The lowest was in Puerto Rico ($40,900), Arizona ($47,010) and Kentucky ($48,810). The most jobs were in California (1,160), New York (960) and Maryland (660). The occupation is most concentrated in District of Columbia, where its share of all jobs is 5.5 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 200 | $93,040 | $93,530 | $44.73 |
| Connecticut | 160 | $79,790 | $81,360 | $38.36 |
| Massachusetts | 270 | $78,180 | $81,700 | $37.59 |
| Rhode Island | 40 | $76,990 | $80,690 | $37.01 |
| Washington | 640 | $76,490 | $78,620 | $36.77 |
| Maryland | 660 | $76,440 | $86,880 | $36.75 |
| New York | 960 | $73,860 | $78,040 | $35.51 |
| California | 1,160 | $70,530 | $77,160 | $33.91 |
| New Jersey | 70 | $67,900 | $74,040 | $32.64 |
| Minnesota | 90 | $65,740 | $60,130 | $31.61 |
| Michigan | 160 | $63,890 | $69,090 | $30.72 |
| Oregon | 70 | $61,880 | $63,410 | $29.75 |
| New Hampshire | 50 | $61,410 | $66,130 | $29.52 |
| Pennsylvania | 360 | $60,690 | $62,210 | $29.18 |
| Missouri | 150 | $60,020 | $64,790 | $28.86 |
| Wisconsin | 220 | $59,400 | $59,180 | $28.56 |
| Illinois | 200 | $59,340 | $67,020 | $28.53 |
| Colorado | 70 | $59,210 | $64,830 | $28.47 |
| Louisiana | 50 | $59,070 | $60,940 | $28.40 |
| Georgia | 150 | $59,010 | $64,360 | $28.37 |
| Iowa | 40 | $59,010 | $56,790 | $28.37 |
| Ohio | 150 | $58,790 | $59,200 | $28.26 |
| Arkansas | 40 | $58,560 | $67,940 | $28.15 |
| Idaho | 30 | $58,370 | $60,790 | $28.06 |
| Alabama | 100 | $57,860 | $62,090 | $27.82 |
| Utah | 80 | $56,660 | $57,610 | $27.24 |
| Maine | 60 | $56,260 | $59,940 | $27.05 |
| North Carolina | 130 | $55,370 | $58,890 | $26.62 |
| Indiana | 70 | $54,220 | $57,370 | $26.07 |
| Delaware | 50 | $53,890 | $55,250 | $25.91 |
| Tennessee | 110 | $53,210 | $56,700 | $25.58 |
| South Carolina | 60 | $52,810 | $55,220 | $25.39 |
| Florida | 100 | $52,100 | $58,800 | $25.05 |
| Oklahoma | 80 | $51,940 | $53,540 | $24.97 |
| Texas | 490 | $50,160 | $55,360 | $24.12 |
| Kansas | 30 | $49,200 | $55,780 | $23.65 |
| Kentucky | 40 | $48,810 | $51,130 | $23.47 |
| Arizona | not published | $47,010 | $48,650 | $22.60 |
| Puerto Rico | 30 | $40,900 | $40,710 | $19.66 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School$65,120 a year
- Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School$65,030 a year
- Special Education Teachers, Preschool$64,830 a year
- Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$64,370 a year
- Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education$63,970 a year
- Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary$63,820 a year
Common questions
How much do Archivists earn in the United States?
The median pay was $64,550 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $39,970 and the highest-paid 10% more than $110,550.
How many people work as Archivists?
About 7,970 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.