What it pays
Government survey numbers — not estimates, not ads.
Half of all Archivists in the U.S. earn more than $64,550 a year — the middle 80% land between $39,970 and $110,550. About 7,970 people in the U.S. do this work. Figures are for the U.S. occupation group “Archivists”. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics survey, published 2025.) In India, Professionals earn about ₹38,298 a month on average — around ₹4.6 lakh a year (government PLFS survey via ILOSTAT, occupation-family figure).
$64,550typical pay / year
7,970people in this work
$110,550+top 10% earn
₹4.6 lakha year in India (family avg)
Think you get this job?Six quick questions on how it really works — with a hint and the reason behind every answer.
Test yourself →The work, task by task
These are the real jobs-to-be-done, not a wish list. Each task shows where we found it, and the prompt underneath is written for that exact task.
Keeping the record6
Organise records and archives
+Rearrange and index the municipal archive so records from 1900–1950 are grouped by department and accession…
Organise records and archives
+Rearrange and index the municipal archive so records from 1900–1950 are grouped by department and accession number, create a retention schedule summary, note preservation risks, and produce a folder-level inventory for the curator by Friday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft OfficeESCOjob descriptionsO*NETWikipedia
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Preserve records and archives
+Plan a preservation action for the council's paper register: assess material condition, list immediate…
Preserve records and archives
+Plan a preservation action for the council's paper register: assess material condition, list immediate stabilization steps, climate-control targets for long-term storage, and estimate vendor costs for digitisation and conservation over six months.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft OfficeMicrosoft ExcelESCOjob descriptionsWikipedia
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Assess records and archives
+Carry out an appraisal of the transport records series: define appraisal criteria, highlight records for…
Assess records and archives
+Carry out an appraisal of the transport records series: define appraisal criteria, highlight records for permanent retention, justify disposal of duplicates, and produce a short report with recommended retention periods for legal and historical value.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft OfficeESCOWikipedia
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Collect records and archives
+Collect the departmental correspondence, meeting minutes and digital files related to the 2010 housing…
Collect records and archives
+Collect the departmental correspondence, meeting minutes and digital files related to the 2010 housing policy, ensure sensitive personal data is quarantined under the retention schedule, create accession records and move physical boxes to cold storage by Friday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft AccessESCOWikipedia
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Acquire and catalog materials
+Acquire the donated private papers from Dr. Ellen Harper, verify provenance and legal transfer, catalogue…
Acquire and catalog materials
+Acquire the donated private papers from Dr. Ellen Harper, verify provenance and legal transfer, catalogue each folder with title, date range, and access restrictions, and attach finding aids so researchers can request items next month.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Accessjob descriptionsO*NET
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Apply specialized knowledge to records
+Apply appraisal criteria to the city planning records from 1998–2005, flag files with long-term research…
Apply specialized knowledge to records
+Apply appraisal criteria to the city planning records from 1998–2005, flag files with long-term research value or personal data concerns, recommend retention periods and restricted access codes, and prepare the appraisal report for the collections committee.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Exceljob descriptionsO*NET
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The daily work13
Provide reference services
+Answer Dr. Hassan's email requesting access to the 1950s municipal correspondence: confirm which boxes are…
Provide reference services
+Answer Dr. Hassan's email requesting access to the 1950s municipal correspondence: confirm which boxes are open for view, list the redaction rules we must apply, propose two appointment slots next Tuesday, and attach the digital finding aid and access form for signature before the visit.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft Exceljob descriptions
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Participate in professional development and training
+Register for the regional archives training on digital preservation, justify attendance to my manager with…
Participate in professional development and training
+Register for the regional archives training on digital preservation, justify attendance to my manager with expected skills gained, book the Tuesday morning slot, and add the course materials and my learning objectives to my professional development record.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft Exceljob descriptions
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Direct activities of workers who assist in arranging, cataloguing, exhibiting, and maintaining collections of valuable materials.
+Assign staff duties for the next quarter: who will arrange incoming collections, who will catalogue new…
Direct activities of workers who assist in arranging, cataloguing, exhibiting, and maintaining collections of valuable materials.
+Assign staff duties for the next quarter: who will arrange incoming collections, who will catalogue new accessions, who will prepare exhibit mounts, and who will manage preventive conservation; include deadlines, training needs, and a weekly check-in on Friday with the collections manager.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelO*NET
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Coordinate educational and public outreach programs, such as tours, workshops, lectures, and classes.
+Draft a six-month public program schedule listing docent-led tours, a lunchtime lecture series, three…
Coordinate educational and public outreach programs, such as tours, workshops, lectures, and classes.
+Draft a six-month public program schedule listing docent-led tours, a lunchtime lecture series, three hands-on workshops for schools, target audiences, room capacities, promotion notes, and budget estimates, then circulate to Outreach and the Education Officer by Monday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft ExcelO*NET
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Select and edit documents for publication and display, applying knowledge of subject, literary expression, and presentation techniques.
+Prepare a short list of ten candidate items for the upcoming display, write curator notes that explain…
Select and edit documents for publication and display, applying knowledge of subject, literary expression, and presentation techniques.
+Prepare a short list of ten candidate items for the upcoming display, write curator notes that explain significance and condition, select photography needs and caption text, and send the list to Exhibitions and Conservation for sign-off by Friday.
The tools that do the workAdobe InDesignAdobe PhotoshopO*NET
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Authenticate and appraise historical documents
+Authenticate and appraise the March manuscript accession: record provenance, condition with photographs,…
Authenticate and appraise historical documents
+Authenticate and appraise the March manuscript accession: record provenance, condition with photographs, estimated historical value, recommended retention or disposal, and any data protection risks; compile the appraisal report and submit it to the Archives Board within two weeks.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Wordjob descriptions
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Create metadata and finding aids
+Create metadata records and a finding aid for the newly accessioned civic correspondence: apply approved…
Create metadata and finding aids
+Create metadata records and a finding aid for the newly accessioned civic correspondence: apply approved vocabulary, item-level dates, creators, access restrictions, and a searchable scope-and-content summary, then upload the finding aid to the online catalogue by end of month.
The tools that do the workExtensible markup language XMLjob descriptions
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Digitize collections
+Digitize the 1940s council minutes box 12 in high-resolution, capture each page with visible marginalia,…
Digitize collections
+Digitize the 1940s council minutes box 12 in high-resolution, capture each page with visible marginalia, create searchable text via OCR, validate filename and metadata against the accession register, then deliver the master TIFFs and a staff-facing access copy by Friday.
The tools that do the workAdobe AcrobatAdobe Photoshopjob descriptions
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Assist researchers and the public
+Prepare a researcher booking: confirm Susan Patel’s ID and research scope, pull the requested personnel files…
Assist researchers and the public
+Prepare a researcher booking: confirm Susan Patel’s ID and research scope, pull the requested personnel files A–F, note any closure periods or redactions, draft the guidance sheet on handling originals, and email the appointment confirmation and conditions to Susan for Thursday morning.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Outlookjob descriptions
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Locate records in stacks
+Locate file reference B/1987/23 in the stacks: check the paper catalogue entry, route to map row 7, shelf 3,…
Locate records in stacks
+Locate file reference B/1987/23 in the stacks: check the paper catalogue entry, route to map row 7, shelf 3, box labelled Borough Records, confirm the box identity, and log the retrieval with time, staff initials, and condition before placing it on the researcher hold shelf.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Exceljob descriptions
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Clean, repair, and conserve documents
+Stabilise and conserve the damaged parish register volume: surface-clean the leaves, humidify and flatten…
Clean, repair, and conserve documents
+Stabilise and conserve the damaged parish register volume: surface-clean the leaves, humidify and flatten warped pages, mend tears with archival repair tissue, resew loose gatherings as needed, update the conservation record with materials used and treatment photos.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Officejob descriptions
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Apply archival theory, methods, and appraisal
+Apply appraisal to the 1990s planning case files tranche: review provenance and retention schedule, identify…
Apply archival theory, methods, and appraisal
+Apply appraisal to the 1990s planning case files tranche: review provenance and retention schedule, identify items with long-term historical value, recommend final selections for archival accession, note ones for restricted access, and prepare the appraisal report for the Head of Archives.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Officejob descriptions
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Assist with legal concerns and ethics
+Advise on legal and ethical clearance for digitising personnel records: check data protection retention…
Assist with legal concerns and ethics
+Advise on legal and ethical clearance for digitising personnel records: check data protection retention rules, identify sensitive fields needing redaction, propose consent or FOI responses, draft the clearance memo for Legal and the Data Protection Officer and attach sample redaction examples.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft OfficeMicrosoft Exceljob descriptions
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Says who?
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The logs, files & records this job keeps
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Same family of work — each with its own tasks and prompts.
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Built on public evidence: O*NET®, ESCO, Wikipedia, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ILOSTAT. All sources & licenses
Built on public evidence: O*NET®, ESCO, Wikipedia, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ILOSTAT. All sources & licenses