Archivists

Salary Overview

Job Outlook (2024–2034)

Key Skills

Knowledge Areas

What They 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.
• Preserve records, documents, and objects, copying records to film, videotape, audiotape, disk, or computer formats as necessary.
• Research and record the origins and historical significance of archival materials.

Tools & Technology

★ = Hot Technology (in-demand)

Education Requirements

Typical entry-level education: Master's Degree

Related Careers

Careers with the highest skill compatibility from Archivists.

A Day in the Life

An archivist's day blends intellectual detective work with meticulous physical and digital preservation. Morning tasks might involve processing a newly acquired collection—sorting through boxes of materials, identifying significant items, creating finding aids that describe the collection's scope and contents, and determining appropriate preservation treatments. Midday could be spent assisting researchers in a reading room, locating requested materials, explaining repository policies, and helping visitors navigate complex collections. Afternoon work might include digitization projects—scanning fragile documents, creating metadata records, and uploading materials to digital archive platforms. Administrative duties include writing collection development policies, preparing grant applications for preservation projects, coordinating with donors about potential acquisitions, and managing student assistants or volunteers. Outreach activities such as exhibition curation, public programming, and social media engagement increasingly occupy archivists' time.

Work Environment

Archivists work in environmentally controlled repositories designed to preserve materials—typically cool, dry, low-light spaces. Time is divided between storage areas where collections are processed, reading rooms where researchers are assisted, offices where administrative work is completed, and digitization studios. Physical demands include lifting archival boxes, standing at processing tables for extended periods, and handling potentially dusty or moldy materials requiring protective equipment. Institutional cultures vary significantly—government archives tend toward formal hierarchies while university and historical society archives often foster more collaborative, flexible environments. Most positions offer standard weekday schedules, though some reading rooms operate evenings and weekends. The archival community is notably supportive, with strong professional networks through the Society of American Archivists.

Career Path & Advancement

The standard educational requirement is a master's degree in library science (MLS/MLIS) with an archival concentration, or a master's in archival studies, history with archival focus, or a related field. The Academy of Certified Archivists (ACA) offers the Certified Archivist (CA) credential, which requires passing an examination and meeting experience requirements. Entry-level positions include processing archivist, reference archivist, or project archivist, often beginning with grant-funded positions or institutional internships. Mid-career advancement leads to department head, curator, or collection manager roles. Senior positions include director of archives, chief archivist, or state archivist. Some archivists transition to related fields including records management, digital preservation, museum curation, or library administration. Academic archivists at universities may pursue faculty status and tenure.

Specializations

Digital archivists specialize in preserving born-digital materials—emails, databases, websites, social media content, and digital photographs—using tools like Archivematica, BitCurator, and digital forensics techniques. Government archivists work with public records at federal, state, and local levels, navigating freedom of information requirements and retention schedules. Corporate archivists manage business records, brand heritage collections, and organizational history for companies like Coca-Cola, Disney, and major banks. Film and media archivists preserve motion pictures, television recordings, and audio materials requiring specialized storage conditions and format migration expertise. Manuscript archivists focus on personal papers, correspondence, and literary collections. Religious archivists maintain records of churches, dioceses, and religious orders spanning centuries of institutional history.

Pros & Cons

Industry Insight

The archival profession faces the enormous challenge of digital preservation at scale—born-digital records are being created at unprecedented volumes while fragile legacy media formats deteriorate. Email archiving, web harvesting, and social media preservation are rapidly growing specializations. Artificial intelligence and machine learning tools are beginning to assist with tasks like automated metadata extraction, handwriting recognition, and collection-level description, augmenting but not replacing archivists' intellectual work. The push for diversity, equity, and inclusion in archival practice is reshaping collection development policies, descriptive standards, and outreach strategies to better document underrepresented communities. Government transparency and accountability movements sustain demand for government archivists and records managers. Cultural heritage preservation in the face of climate change, conflict, and natural disasters has heightened international attention to archival stewardship.