How to hire an assistant archivist

How to hire an assistant archivist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step assistant archivist hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an assistant archivist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new assistant archivist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring an assistant archivist, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them an assistant archivist to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire an assistant archivist that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of assistant archivists.

   Type of Assistant Archivist	Description	Hourly rate
   Assistant Archivist	Archivists appraise, process, catalog, and preserve permanent records and historically valuable documents. Curators oversee collections of artwork and historic items, and may conduct public service activities for an institution... Show more	$11-47
   Archivist	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... Show more	$11-45
   Digital Archivist	A digital archivist specializes in storing and organizing digital materials for preservation and future use. They convert photographs, videos, documents, and other print materials into digital files, develop and implement storing systems, and maintain electronic records... Show more	$11-50

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Archival Collections
   • Reference Services
   • Historical Materials
   • Digital Assets
   • Cataloging
   • Adobe Photoshop
   • Student Assistants
   • Collection Materials
   • Rare Books
   • DACS
   • Historical Research
   • Digitizing
   • Library Materials
   • OCLC

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Perform physical processing and cataloging of rare books.
   • Create EAD and DACS compliant finding aids for entire archival collection.
   • Transpose institutional history into DACS compliant CMS.
   • Make MARC records and finding aids accessible online and locally, and make sure potential users are aware of their availability
   • Monitor all data for accuracy and notify appropriate personnel of need corrections ensuring successful FDA audits.
   • Create correspondences/completed FDA forms/maintain submission calendars/review submission documents.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your assistant archivist job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. An assistant archivist salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, assistant archivists' average salary in wyoming is 63% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level assistant archivists earn 77% less than senior-level assistant archivists.
   • Certifications. An assistant archivist with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in an assistant archivist's salary.

   Average assistant archivist salary

   $48,569yearly

   $23.35 hourly rate

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   Entry-level assistant archivist salary

   $23,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 22, 2026

4. Writing an assistant archivist job description

   A job description for an assistant archivist role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's an assistant archivist job description:

   Assistant archivist job description example

   Basic Qualifications
   
   * Master's degree in Library Science (completed or in progress), preferably with a concentration in archives management.
   
   * One year of experience appraising, arranging, and describing archival materials in a variety of formats.
   
   Additional Information
   
   This is a two year term appointment with potential for renewal, subject to departmental need.
   
   We regret that Harvard Law School is unable to provide visa sponsorship for staff positions.
   
   All offers to be made by HLS Human Resources.
   
   Be a part of excellence and leadership in legal education and scholarship at Harvard Law School. We are a community of talented people from diverse backgrounds, lived experiences, and perspectives, dedicated to advancing the cause of justice all over the world. We value our differences and our diversity as a source of strength. We are committed to developing and inspiring our students and our workforce. Whoever you are, whatever you do, however you do it, Harvard Law School is a place where you can thrive.
   
   Position Description
   
   As an Assistant Archivist you will:
   
   * Appraise the Charles Ogletree papers for digitization, appropriate levels of arrangement and description, and physical rehousing needs based on the project plan.
   
   * Create Describing Archives: A Content Standard DACS compliant descriptive metadata for the collection and enter it into a project spreadsheet on a rolling basis.
   
   * As needed, collaborate with other project team members in rehousing the collection, including re-boxing and re-foldering material, preparing the collection for digital imaging, inventory tracking' quality control of scanned images, and deposit of digital objects to the Harvard Library Digital Repository Service.
   
   * Update and maintain the collection's access tools, including an ArchivesSpace finding aid and Alma catalog record.
   
   * Follow procedures outlined in departmental processing manuals, and work as part of the team to help improve and document changes in departmental workflows and practices.
   
   * May supervise student assistants and interns.
   
   Job Summary
   
   The Harvard Law School Library seeks an assistant archivist to assist with processing and digitizing the Charles Ogletree papers, an approximately 500 linear foot manuscript collection comprising materials that document Ogletree's career as a Harvard Law professor, author, and legal theorist with interests in international law, civil rights law, and criminal law. The Harvard Law School Library promotes collaboration, innovation of processes and procedures, and high accountability in all phases of collections stewardship. The Digital Lab serves HLSL's mission to provide open access to the library's world-class collections, and manages accessioning, processing, and digitization of the library's Modern Manuscripts collection. Working collaboratively with the project managers and other Digital Lab and Historical & Special Collections staff, the Assistant Archivist will appraise, describe, and assist with making the collection accessible using the Library's integrated minimal processing, mass digitization workflow. The work on the Ogletree collection will contribute to the development of flexible, efficient, and user-centered archival processing and digitization practices and standards.

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5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find assistant archivists for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your assistant archivist job on Zippia to find and recruit assistant archivist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit assistant archivists, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new assistant archivist

   Once you have selected a candidate for the assistant archivist position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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