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College Archivist Salary in the United States

How much does a College Archivist make in the United States?

As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a College Archivist in the United States is $74,890 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $36.

However, a College Archivist's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $89,983
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $68,090 to $82,790
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $61,899
Salary Factors Salary-Boosting Skills Salary by Experience Related Job Salaries Top Paying Cities Explore Related Jobs

Key Factors That Influence College Archivist Salaries

A College Archivist's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects College Archivist Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a College Archivist's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $72,657
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $72,860
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $75,480
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $78,781
  • Expert (over 8 years): $79,017
Levels Salary
Entry Level College Archivist$72,657
Intermediate Level College Archivist$72,860
Senior Level College Archivist$75,480
Specialist Level College Archivist$78,781
Expert Level College Archivist$79,017
View as Graph

How Do College Archivist Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract College Archivists. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
  • District of Columbia: $82,890.
  • California: $82,590.
  • Massachusetts: $81,490.

Top Paying Cities for College Archivists

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $94,490
  • San Francisco: $93,390
  • Oakland: $91,490

What Skills Can Increase a College Archivist's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Commitment (Mentioned in 6.18% Job Postings): An agreement or pledge to do something in the future a commitment to improve conditions at the prison especially : an engagement to assume a financial obligation at a future date.
  • Microsoft Office (Mentioned in 2.06% Job Postings): Microsoft Office is a suite of desktop productivity applications that is designed by Microsoft for business use. You can create documents containing text and images, work with data in spreadsheets and databases, create presentations and posters.
  • Content Management (Mentioned in 1.14% Job Postings): Content management (CM) is a set of processes and technologies that supports the collection, managing, and publishing of information in any form or medium. When stored and accessed via computers, this information may be more specifically referred to as digital content, or simply as content. Digital content may take the form of text (such as electronic documents), multimedia files (such as audio or video files), or any other file type that follows a content lifecycle requiring management.The process is complex enough to manage that several large and small commercial software vendors such as Interwoven and Microsoft offer content management software to control and automate significant aspects of the content lifecycle.
Skills Demand Percentage
Commitment 6.18%
Microsoft Office 2.06%
Content Management 1.14%
See More Skills

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a College Archivist's salary.

  • WordPress: Can increase your salary by up to 13%.
  • Consulting: Can increase your salary by up to 11%.
  • Dedication: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
WordPress $84,626
13%
Consulting $83,128
11%
Dedication $80,881
8%
Get Latest Data

College Archivist Salary by Company Size: Startups vs. Enterprise

College Archivist salary potential scales significantly with company size. Data shows that Enterprise companies (5,000+ employees) pay the highest average salary at around $79,488. While startup companies pay approximate $67,691.

College Archivist Salary by Company Size

Company Size Employees Average Salary
Startup 1~50 $67,691
Growth Stage 51~500 $71,473
Established 501~5000 $76,871
Enterprise 5000+ $79,488

College Archivist Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For College Archivist roles, the industry you choose can impact your earning potential by as much as 50% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the highest-paying industry, Healthcare, offers compensation 25% above the average. Conversely, College Archivist positions in Edu., Government & Nonprofi typically offer lower base pay, as this sector often view College Archivist as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industry for a College Archivist

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Healthcare$93,612$45.025%

College Archivist Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a College Archivist's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on September 01, 2026
$68,090
Average $74,890/year
$82,790
$5,674
Average $6,241/month
$6,899
$1,309
Average $1,440/week
$1,592
$33
Average $36/hour
$40
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $82,790 $6,899 $1,592 $40
Average $74,890 $6,241 $1,440 $36
25th Percentile $68,090 $5,674 $1,309 $33

College Archivist Salary Growth & Career Path

College Archivist

Next Role

For a College Archivist, the most direct path to higher earnings is advancing to the Document Storage Specialist role. This promotion typically comes with a significant pay increase, bringing the average annual salary to $57,301 - a projected growth of -23% over your current level.

Most common benefits for College Archivist

  • Social Security
  • 401 (k)
  • Disability
  • Healthcare
  • Pension
  • Time Off (days)

Common company salaries for College Archivist

Here are companies hiring for College Archivist and their salaries, click below for more details.

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FAQ about College Archivist

1. What industry pays the highest salary for College Archivist?

The Healthcare industry offers the highest average compensation for College Archivist roles, with salaries approximately 25% above the market median.

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

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