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Job outlook for archivists in the United States
Archivist job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected archivist job growth rate is 12% from 2018-2028.
About 4,200 new jobs for archivists are projected over the next decade.
Archivist salaries have increased 12% for archivists in the last 5 years.
There are over 5,267 archivists currently employed in the United States.
There are 449 active archivist job openings in the US.
The average archivist salary is $47,145.
Are archivist jobs in demand?
Archivist job and salary trends over time
Archivist jobs over time
Archivist job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 5,267 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 5,638 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 5,646 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 5,483 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 5,233 | 0.00% |
Average archivist salary over time
Archivist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $47,145 | $22.67 | +5.2% |
| 2025 | $44,811 | $21.54 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $43,391 | $20.86 | +0.9% |
| 2023 | $42,992 | $20.67 | +2.5% |
| 2022 | $41,946 | $20.17 | +0.5% |
Archivist jobs by state
Most common states for archivists
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 39,536,653 | 15 | 0% |
| 2 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 8 | 0% |
| 3 | New York | 19,849,399 | 8 | 0% |
| 4 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 4 | 0% |
| 5 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 4 | 0% |
| 6 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 4 | 0% |
| 7 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 2 | 0% |
| 8 | Ohio | 11,658,609 | 2 | 0% |
| 9 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 1 | 0% |
| 10 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 1 | 0% |
| 11 | Nevada | 2,998,039 | 1 | 0% |
| 12 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 1 | 0% |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 1 | 0% |
| 14 | Alaska | 739,795 | 0 | 0% |
| 15 | Delaware | 961,939 | 0 | 0% |
| 16 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 0 | 0% |
| 17 | West Virginia | 1,815,857 | 0 | 0% |
| 18 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 0 | 0% |
| 19 | Vermont | 623,657 | 0 | 0% |
| 20 | Louisiana | 4,684,333 | 0 | 0% |
Most common cities for archivists
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Altoona | 1 | 2% | $44,184 |
| 2 | Bowie | 1 | 2% | $59,270 |
| 3 | Cambridge | 1 | 1% | $52,958 |
| 4 | Atlanta | 1 | 0% | $38,900 |
| 5 | New York | 1 | 0% | $55,574 |
| 6 | Washington | 1 | 0% | $74,576 |
Archivist job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of archivist experts
Spelman College
What general advice would you give to an Archivist?
Nafeesa Muhammad Ph.D.: Know that the history profession can be lucrative, fulfilling, and challenging, sometimes simultaneously. Despite the national trend of students turning away from the humanities because of an emphasis on STEM fields and concerns over the applicability of a history degree, there are several unsung careers and positions for history, and more broadly humanities majors. Such professions, which include being an archivist, librarian, or historian for the CIA or FBI, open up many opportunities for historians with the research acumen to carry out complex historical projects.