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The differences between archivists and archives assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an archivist and an archives assistant. Additionally, an archivist has an average salary of $47,145, which is higher than the $36,042 average annual salary of an archives assistant.
The top three skills for an archivist include archival collections, online database and archival materials. The most important skills for an archives assistant are online database, archival materials, and archival collections.
| Archivist | Archives Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $47,145 | $36,042 |
| Hourly rate | $22.67 | $17.33 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 449 | 433 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
An archivist is an information professional who assesses the value of information and then stores them in such a way that people can access the information and make sense of it. Archivists are required to have a great understanding of the historical context of the records, such as the relationship of a record to other records and why it was created in the first place. They must work closely with record managers and his/her torians to store and preserve perishable documents. Archivists must also organize public events such as talks and exhibitions.
An archives assistant is in charge of performing support tasks to help archivists maintain smooth workflow operations. Their responsibilities typically include assisting archivists in managing a collection of documents and literary works, maintaining documentation for all procedures, scanning and organizing files, updating databases, encoding files into electronic data, arranging items according to protocols and guidelines, and running errands as needed. Moreover, an archives assistant may also assist clients, answer inquiries, and help them locate items, all while adhering to the facility's policies and regulations.
Archivists and archives assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Archivist | Archives Assistant | |
| Average salary | $47,145 | $36,042 |
| Salary range | Between $23,000 And $94,000 | Between $23,000 And $55,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | - |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | - |
| Best paying company | Apple | - |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between an archivist and an archives assistant in terms of educational background:
| Archivist | Archives Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | History | History |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between archivists' and archives assistants' demographics:
| Archivist | Archives Assistant | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 43.1% Female, 56.9% | Male, 37.9% Female, 62.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.3% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.3% Asian, 5.1% White, 76.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3% | Black or African American, 5.2% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 7.3% Asian, 5.1% White, 77.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 13% | 13% |