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 record3
Organise records and archives
+Survey the manuscript boxes in Bay 3, list items by accession number and condition, tag items needing…
Organise records and archives
+Survey the manuscript boxes in Bay 3, list items by accession number and condition, tag items needing conservation, create a folder structure and retention schedule for digital transfer, and circulate the inventory to Sarah in collections by Friday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft OfficeESCOjob descriptionsO*NETWikipedia
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Preserve records and archives
+Draft a preservation plan for the medieval charters: record current physical condition, recommend specific…
Preserve records and archives
+Draft a preservation plan for the medieval charters: record current physical condition, recommend specific storage and handling improvements, set environmental targets and deadlines for high‑resolution capture or microfilm, and submit the plan to Head Archivist by the end of the month.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft OfficeESCOjob descriptionsWikipedia
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Acquire and catalog materials
+Acquire the estate maps and 19th-century ledgers offered by the Walker family, negotiate accession terms,…
Acquire and catalog materials
+Acquire the estate maps and 19th-century ledgers offered by the Walker family, negotiate accession terms, catalogue each volume with provenance, physical condition and rights statements, and assign shelfmark identifiers before shelfing.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft AccessMicrosoft Exceljob descriptionsO*NET
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Analysing3
Assess records and archives
+Assess the administrative and historical files from Finance and HR for retention value, note GDPR risks,…
Assess records and archives
+Assess the administrative and historical files from Finance and HR for retention value, note GDPR risks, propose transfer candidates to the archives and a 12-month review timetable, and flag any urgent preservation or access restrictions.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft AccessMicrosoft ExcelESCOWikipedia
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Collect records and archives
+Collect closed case files and donor correspondence from Building Services and Development, verify…
Collect records and archives
+Collect closed case files and donor correspondence from Building Services and Development, verify completeness against accession lists, quarantine personal data where needed, produce a receipt list and schedule delivery to the repository next Wednesday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft ExcelESCOWikipedia
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Apply specialized knowledge to records
+Apply appraisal criteria and archival principles to the newly digitised council minutes, determine long-term…
Apply specialized knowledge to records
+Apply appraisal criteria and archival principles to the newly digitised council minutes, determine long-term retention versus routine disposal, document legal and research value, and produce a defensible recommendation for the records committee.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Accessjob descriptionsO*NET
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The daily work13
Provide reference services
+Answer the researcher’s query about 1950s planning records: locate the accession file, confirm access…
Provide reference services
+Answer the researcher’s query about 1950s planning records: locate the accession file, confirm access restrictions under the data protection policy, prepare a two-page reference note with citation details and allowed copying guidance, and send it to Dr. Ahmed by Wednesday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft Exceljob descriptions
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Participate in professional development and training
+Book me on the regional archives workshop, list three relevant modules to attend for appraisal and digital…
Participate in professional development and training
+Book me on the regional archives workshop, list three relevant modules to attend for appraisal and digital preservation, block the morning of June 12 for study, and circulate a one-paragraph learning objective to my manager and team.
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 and schedule the team that will arrange, catalogue, exhibit and conserve the 19th century…
Direct activities of workers who assist in arranging, cataloguing, exhibiting, and maintaining collections of valuable materials.
+Assign and schedule the team that will arrange, catalogue, exhibit and conserve the 19th century correspondence collection, including task owners, deadlines, handling instructions, and a weekly check‑in with conservation technician Maria by Thursday.
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 the yearly outreach calendar for tours, workshops and lectures tied to our current exhibition, set…
Coordinate educational and public outreach programs, such as tours, workshops, lectures, and classes.
+Draft the yearly outreach calendar for tours, workshops and lectures tied to our current exhibition, set target audiences and capacity limits, note required AV and staffing, and send the draft to outreach manager David for review by next Monday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft PowerPointO*NET
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Select and edit documents for publication and display, applying knowledge of subject, literary expression, and presentation techniques.
+Select twenty items from the colonial ledger for the next display, edit plain‑language captions explaining…
Select and edit documents for publication and display, applying knowledge of subject, literary expression, and presentation techniques.
+Select twenty items from the colonial ledger for the next display, edit plain‑language captions explaining provenance and significance, prepare caption proofs and a selection list, and deliver them to curator Helen for sign‑off by Friday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft WordO*NET
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Authenticate and appraise historical documents
+Examine the three undated letters from the estate lot, verify authenticity using paper, ink and provenance…
Authenticate and appraise historical documents
+Examine the three undated letters from the estate lot, verify authenticity using paper, ink and provenance notes, record appraisal decisions and recommended retention periods, then update the catalogue entry with rationale and sign the report.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Accessjob descriptions
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Create metadata and finding aids
+Create detailed metadata and a finding aid for the newly acquired photographer Augustus Cole archive using…
Create metadata and finding aids
+Create detailed metadata and a finding aid for the newly acquired photographer Augustus Cole archive using standard fields, subject headings and access restrictions, export the finding aid and circulation notes and deliver to the reading room by Wednesday.
The tools that do the workExtensible markup language XMLjob descriptions
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Digitize collections
+Digitize the council minutes box 12A and the accompanying photographs at 300 dpi, assign persistent…
Digitize collections
+Digitize the council minutes box 12A and the accompanying photographs at 300 dpi, assign persistent filenames, embed basic metadata including accession 1998-04 and access restrictions, then deliver a verified master and access copies to the repository drive by Friday.
The tools that do the workAdobe Acrobatjob descriptions
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Assist researchers and the public
+Prepare a clear access summary and redaction note for the Phyllis Grant estate file, schedule a one-hour…
Assist researchers and the public
+Prepare a clear access summary and redaction note for the Phyllis Grant estate file, schedule a one-hour consultation slot next Tuesday at 10am for the researcher, and attach the digital preview and reproduction terms to the confirmation email after checking privacy flags.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Outlookjob descriptions
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Locate records in stacks
+Locate box 7B, folder labelled Planning Applications 2003 in the closed stacks, verify its shelfmark against…
Locate records in stacks
+Locate box 7B, folder labelled Planning Applications 2003 in the closed stacks, verify its shelfmark against the catalogue entry, photograph the folder spine for record, and move it to the reading room locker with a signed request slip before lunch.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Accessjob descriptions
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Clean, repair, and conserve documents
+Surface-clean and flatten the torn deed in accession 2011-09 using soft brushes and blotter under weight,…
Clean, repair, and conserve documents
+Surface-clean and flatten the torn deed in accession 2011-09 using soft brushes and blotter under weight, record the treatment steps and materials in the conservation log, then rehouse in an acid-free folder and label for restricted handling.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Officejob descriptions
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Apply archival theory, methods, and appraisal
+Appraise the recently acquired business archive against our retention policy, produce a short accession…
Apply archival theory, methods, and appraisal
+Appraise the recently acquired business archive against our retention policy, produce a short accession statement describing provenance, selection rationale and recommended retention periods, then circulate to the appraisal panel for sign-off by Thursday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Officejob descriptions
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Assist with legal concerns and ethics
+Draft a concise legal note on third-party data in the employment records series, list applicable privacy…
Assist with legal concerns and ethics
+Draft a concise legal note on third-party data in the employment records series, list applicable privacy constraints and consent gaps, recommend whether to redact or restrict access, and send the note to Legal and the Director of Records by end of day Wednesday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Officejob descriptions
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Says who?
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Activities this job lives in
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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