Reference archivist demographics and statistics in the US
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Reference archivist demographics by:
Reference archivist gender statistics
50.0% of reference archivists are women and 50.0% of reference archivists are men.
- Male, 50.0%
- Female, 50.0%
Reference archivist gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 50.0% |
| Female | 50.0% |
Reference archivist gender pay gap
Women earn 98¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$32,758
Female income
$32,222
Reference archivist gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in reference archivist positions over time. Currently, 50.0% of reference archivists are female.
Reference archivist gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 46.78% | 53.22% |
| 2011 | 44.80% | 55.20% |
| 2012 | 42.69% | 57.31% |
| 2013 | 49.85% | 50.15% |
| 2014 | 41.72% | 58.28% |
| 2015 | 43.31% | 56.69% |
| 2016 | 42.16% | 57.84% |
| 2017 | 42.88% | 57.12% |
| 2018 | 46.78% | 53.22% |
| 2019 | 49.99% | 50.01% |
| 2020 | 49.64% | 50.36% |
| 2021 | 50.00% | 50.00% |
Reference archivist related jobs gender ratio
We compared reference archivists with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, technician's helper and exhibit technician have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Elementary Librarian | 8% | 92% |
| Children's Librarian | 11% | 89% |
| High School Librarian | 15% | 85% |
| Reference Archivist | 50% | 50% |
| Art Preparator | 78% | 22% |
| Exhibit Technician | 80% | 20% |
| Technician's Helper | 88% | 12% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Reference archivist demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among reference archivists is White, which makes up 81.5% of all reference archivists. Comparatively, 5.2% of reference archivists are Hispanic or Latino and 4.3% of reference archivists are Unknown.
- White, 81.5%
- Hispanic or Latino, 5.2%
- Unknown, 4.3%
- Black or African American, 4.2%
- Asian, 3.5%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%
Reference archivist race
| Reference archivist race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 81.5% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 5.2% |
| Unknown | 4.3% |
| Black or African American | 4.2% |
| Asian | 3.5% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.3% |
Reference archivist race and ethnicity over time
See how reference archivist racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Reference archivist race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 84.59% | 5.43% | 2.45% | 5.25% |
| 2011 | 85.67% | 3.66% | 1.59% | 6.05% |
| 2012 | 84.64% | 4.30% | 3.53% | 4.45% |
| 2013 | 83.46% | 5.21% | 3.68% | 4.44% |
| 2014 | 83.53% | 3.47% | 4.23% | 4.83% |
| 2015 | 85.84% | 3.01% | 2.56% | 4.37% |
| 2016 | 83.96% | 4.01% | 2.77% | 6.09% |
| 2017 | 84.69% | 3.27% | 4.58% | 5.24% |
| 2018 | 82.61% | 3.91% | 3.50% | 7.14% |
| 2019 | 84.61% | 3.36% | 2.71% | 5.97% |
| 2020 | 81.19% | 2.72% | 2.72% | 7.63% |
| 2021 | 81.54% | 4.19% | 3.52% | 5.23% |
Reference archivist wage gap by race
According to our data, hispanic or latino reference archivists have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Unknown reference archivists have the lowest average salary at $31,818.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $31,818 |
| White | $33,066 |
| Black or African American | $32,421 |
| Asian | $32,169 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $34,378 |
Average reference archivist age
See how the average age of reference archivists varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Reference archivist age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 38 | |
| White | 47 | 42 |
| Black or African American | 49 | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 37.5 | 35.5 |
Reference archivist age breakdown
The average age of reference archivists is 40+ years years old, representing 61% of the reference archivist population.
Reference archivist age breakdown
| Reference Archivist Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 61% |
| 30-40 years | 28% |
| 20-30 years | 11% |
Reference archivist educational attainment
The most common degree for reference archivists is master's degree, with 52% of reference archivists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 43% and bachelor's degree degree at 4%.
- Master's, 52%
- Bachelor's, 43%
- High School Diploma, 4%
Reference archivists by degree level
| Reference archivist degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Master's | 52% |
| Bachelor's | 43% |
| High School Diploma | 4% |
Reference archivist jobs you might like
Reference archivist wage gap by degree level
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $38,099 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $33,975 |
Reference archivist turnover and employment statistics
Reference archivist unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for reference archivists between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Reference archivist unemployment rate by year
| Year | Reference archivist unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 4.02% |
| 2011 | 6.47% |
| 2012 | 6.15% |
| 2013 | 4.30% |
| 2014 | 4.48% |
| 2015 | 4.57% |
| 2016 | 4.33% |
| 2017 | 2.58% |
| 2018 | 4.23% |
| 2019 | 2.23% |
| 2020 | 4.71% |
| 2021 | 5.55% |
Average reference archivist tenure
The average reference archivist stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 26 reference archivists resumes in Zippia's database.
Reference archivist tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 30% |
| 1-2 years | 19% |
| 3-4 years | 11% |
| 5-7 years | 22% |
| 8-10 years | 4% |
| 11+ years | 15% |
Reference archivist LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of reference archivists that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Assistant Daycare Teacher | 6.04% | 80,847 |
| Fourth Grade Teacher | 9.52% | 57,897 |
| Adult Reference Librarian | 10.75% | 2,147 |
| Reference Archivist | 12.52% | - |
| Instructor Nurse | 12.94% | 50,341 |
| Circulation Technician | 13.69% | 5,355 |
| Curriculum Specialist | 16.25% | 1,583 |
Similar reference archivist jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Assistant Daycare Teacher | 6.04% | 80,847 |
| Fourth Grade Teacher | 9.52% | 57,897 |
| Adult Reference Librarian | 10.75% | 2,147 |
| Instructor Nurse | 12.94% | 50,341 |
| Circulation Technician | 13.69% | 5,355 |
| Curriculum Specialist | 16.25% | 1,583 |
Foreign languages spoken by reference archivists
The most common foreign language among reference archivists is French at 20.0%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is Spanish at 20.0% and Italian is the third-most popular at 20.0%.
- French, 20.0%
- Spanish, 20.0%
- Italian, 20.0%
- Portuguese, 10.0%
- Czech, 10.0%
- Other, 20.0%
Reference archivist languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| French | 20.0% |
| Spanish | 20.0% |
| Italian | 20.0% |
| Portuguese | 10.0% |
| Czech | 10.0% |
| Other | 20.0% |