Archivist Salary

Federal government, state governments, education institutions, museums, etc. hire archivist to take care of information that is termed as valuable and may be needful in the future. The median salary also depends on the organization they work for and the geographical location of their work. Changing times have also seen a broadening of the scope of work for archivists with work profiles like digital archivists who take care of digital records. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the expected employment growth in this profession is pegged at over 20 percent for the coming decade. Like most other salary ranges for jobs, the salary is also determined by the educational qualification of the candidate and the number of years of experience they have.

Education and Job Description

Many employers prefer candidates who have a graduate degree, but some will hire candidates with undergraduate degree for entry-level positions. If you are planning to make a career as an archivist you should consider pursuing graduate level programs in archival studies. Students can also take up specialization subjects in such programs like maintaining digital records, preserving film, etc. Other way to prosper in this profession is to acquire a certification from the Academy of Certified Archivists, although this is a voluntary certification many employers prefer candidates who have this certification. The salary of an archivist will also be determined by this certification.

The generic archivists job description is that they preserve information of value in different forms for future references. They catalog objects and documents which might be used for research projects or just as a point of reference. Archivists maintain records and keep detailed files that enables the easy retrieval of these items when required. They also ensure that the documents or objects are preserved and are maintained in such a way that they don't lose their usefulness. The nature of work also depends on the specialization they have acquired, some may work with photographic film, some with paper documents and others with electronic documents. The preservation and catalog techniques will differ in such cases and so will the salary of an archivist.

Average Salary

The salary range is between USD 32,000 to USD 51,000 according to the national data although this could vary a little in metropolitan areas. Most archivist are employed by museums and the median annual salary is around USD 45,000. According to statistics of all the employed archivist the top 10 percent earn salaries that are above USD 75,000 annually.

Archivist who are fresh out of college will mostly be hired as assistants to curators or other experienced archivists. The assistant archivist salary in some places can go up to USD 37,000 annually as salary negotiations greatly depend on the educational qualification and different types of archivists workshops attended by the candidate.

There are different specializations in this profession, one of them is digital archivist and the salary is around USD 41,000 annually. The average salary of an archivist can vary greatly depending on factors like the size of the employer organization, industry you working for, experience, location, etc. A digital archivist can get around USD 47,000 in California and around USD 49,000 in New York.

The archivist salaries greatly depend on their specialization and the industry they work in, for example the average salary of film archivist is around USD 30,000. State statistics reveal that the average salary in New York is around USD 35,000 and for the state of California it is USD 33,000. The annual salary of an archivist in the state of Texas is around the USD 28,000 mark.

Candidates with a Masters in library science and history can expect to earn around USD 75,000 annually as an archivist. The job outlook for this profession is also good for the coming years with growth expected to be more than average for the coming decade.