Archivists pay in the U.S.
$70,640avg. a year
$33.96 an hour · 7,970 employed
Archivists in the U.S. earn an average of $70,640 a year and a median of $64,550. Pay is highest in District of Columbia ($93,530) and lowest in Arizona ($48,650).
$64,550Median pay
$33.96Average hourly
+15%Avg. pay since 2020
7,970Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for archivists
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
1200 jobs
District of Columbia
$93,530
$44.97 an hour
2660 jobs
Maryland
$86,880
$41.77 an hour
3270 jobs
Massachusetts
$81,700
$39.28 an hour
4160 jobs
Connecticut
$81,360
$39.12 an hour
540 jobs
Rhode Island
$80,690
$38.79 an hour
6640 jobs
Washington
$78,620
$37.80 an hour
7960 jobs
New York
$78,040
$37.52 an hour
81,160 jobs
California
$77,160
$37.10 an hour
970 jobs
New Jersey
$74,040
$35.59 an hour
10160 jobs
Michigan
$69,090
$33.21 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Archivists pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
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Under $57k$57k–$62k$62k–$69k$69k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $100,910 | $48.51 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $88,250 | $42.43 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $82,700 | $39.76 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $81,510 | $39.19 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $80,960 | $38.92 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $80,650 | $38.77 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $80,480 | $38.69 |
| Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | $78,350 | $37.67 |
Related jobs
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Archivists pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $62,090 | $57,860 | 100 |
| Arizona | $48,650 | $47,010 | – |
| Arkansas | $67,940 | $58,560 | 40 |
| California | $77,160 | $70,530 | 1,160 |
| Colorado | $64,830 | $59,210 | 70 |
| Connecticut | $81,360 | $79,790 | 160 |
| Delaware | $55,250 | $53,890 | 50 |
| District of Columbia | $93,530 | $93,040 | 200 |
| Florida | $58,800 | $52,100 | 100 |
| Georgia | $64,360 | $59,010 | 150 |
| Idaho | $60,790 | $58,370 | 30 |
| Illinois | $67,020 | $59,340 | 200 |
| Indiana | $57,370 | $54,220 | 70 |
| Iowa | $56,790 | $59,010 | 40 |
| Kansas | $55,780 | $49,200 | 30 |
| Kentucky | $51,130 | $48,810 | 40 |
| Louisiana | $60,940 | $59,070 | 50 |
| Maine | $59,940 | $56,260 | 60 |
| Maryland | $86,880 | $76,440 | 660 |
| Massachusetts | $81,700 | $78,180 | 270 |
| Michigan | $69,090 | $63,890 | 160 |
| Minnesota | $60,130 | $65,740 | 90 |
| Missouri | $64,790 | $60,020 | 150 |
| New Hampshire | $66,130 | $61,410 | 50 |
| New Jersey | $74,040 | $67,900 | 70 |
| New York | $78,040 | $73,860 | 960 |
| North Carolina | $58,890 | $55,370 | 130 |
| Ohio | $59,200 | $58,790 | 150 |
| Oklahoma | $53,540 | $51,940 | 80 |
| Oregon | $63,410 | $61,880 | 70 |
| Pennsylvania | $62,210 | $60,690 | 360 |
| Rhode Island | $80,690 | $76,990 | 40 |
| South Carolina | $55,220 | $52,810 | 60 |
| Tennessee | $56,700 | $53,210 | 110 |
| Texas | $55,360 | $50,160 | 490 |
| Utah | $57,610 | $56,660 | 80 |
| Washington | $78,620 | $76,490 | 640 |
| Wisconsin | $59,180 | $59,400 | 220 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
$80,650
760 jobsWashington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
$88,250
670 jobsLos Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$76,720
490 jobsSeattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
$81,510
310 jobsBaltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD
$80,960
230 jobsBoston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
$82,700
230 jobsSan Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
$80,480
180 jobsChicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$67,230
160 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do archivists make?
The average is $70,640 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $64,550 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $33.96, and the median is $31.03 an hour.
Which state pays archivists the most?
District of Columbia, with an average of $93,530 a year. The best-paying metro area is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA at $100,910.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $39,970 a year, and the top 10% earn over $110,550.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 25-4011. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.