How much does a Metadata Specialist make in the United States?
As of July 01, 2026, the average salary for a Metadata Specialist in the United States is $68,390 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $33.
However, a Metadata Specialist's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $76,605
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $62,790 to $72,690
Key Factors That Influence Metadata Specialist Salaries
A Metadata Specialist'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 Metadata Specialist Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Metadata Specialist'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): $64,963
Early Career (1-2 years): $65,465
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $66,551
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $67,805
Expert (over 8 years): $69,481
Levels
Salary
Entry Level Metadata Specialist
$64,963
Intermediate Level Metadata Specialist
$65,465
Senior Level Metadata Specialist
$66,551
Specialist Level Metadata Specialist
$67,805
Expert Level Metadata Specialist
$69,481
$64,9630 yr
$65,465< 2 yrs
$66,5512-4 yrs
$67,8055-8 yrs
$69,481> 8 yrs
View as Table
View as Graph
What Am I Worth?
How Do Metadata Specialist 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 Metadata Specialists.
For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
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: $86,190
San Francisco: $85,290
Oakland: $83,490
San Jose, CA$86,190
San Francisco, CA$85,290
Oakland, CA$83,490
New York, NY$78,690
Paramus, NJ$77,790
Queens Village, NY$77,790
Passaic, NJ$77,690
Bergenfield, NJ$77,690
Huntington, NY$77,490
Stamford, CT$77,490
Newark, NJ$76,990
Bridgeport, CT$76,890
Vallejo, CA$76,690
New Brunswick, NJ$76,690
Petaluma, CA$76,690
Middlesex, NJ$76,490
Somerset, NJ$76,490
Santa Cruz, CA$76,390
Boston, MA$75,990
Monterey, CA$75,690
Seattle, WA$75,590
Santa Rosa, CA$75,590
Los Angeles, CA$75,490
Juneau, AK$75,390
Washington, DC$75,290
Orange, CA$74,990
Santa Ana, CA$74,890
Anaheim, CA$74,790
Anchorage, AK$74,790
Long Beach, CA$74,790
Santa Maria, CA$74,490
Everett, WA$74,490
Danbury, CT$74,290
Bremerton, WA$74,190
Tacoma, WA$73,990
New Suffolk, NY$73,990
Santa Barbara, CA$73,890
Sacramento, CA$73,890
Trenton, NJ$73,790
San Diego, CA$73,790
Brockton, MA$73,690
Fairbanks, AK$73,490
Lompoc, CA$73,390
Lowell, MA$73,290
Ventura, CA$73,290
Nashua, NH$73,290
Stockton, CA$73,290
Modesto, CA$72,790
Poughkeepsie, NY$72,590
Olympia, WA$72,490
Kennewick, WA$72,490
New Haven, CT$72,490
Lawrence, MA$72,190
Hartford, CT$72,190
Riverside, CA$72,090
New Bedford, MA$72,090
Richland, WA$72,090
San Bernardino, CA$71,990
Bakersfield, CA$71,990
New Britain, CT$71,890
Atlantic City, NJ$71,890
New London, CT$71,890
Norwich, CT$71,890
Portsmouth, NH$71,890
Boulder, CO$71,690
Worcester, MA$71,590
Portland, OR$71,590
Minneapolis, MN$71,390
Philadelphia, PA$71,290
Honolulu, HI$71,090
Saint Paul, MN$71,090
Vineland, NJ$71,090
Providence, RI$70,890
Chicago, IL$70,690
Bellingham, WA$70,590
Baltimore, MD$70,490
Springfield, MA$70,490
Chico, CA$70,290
Pittsfield, MA$70,090
Manchester, NH$69,990
Spokane, WA$69,690
Denver, CO$69,690
Albany, NY$69,390
Troy, NY$69,390
Nassau, NY$69,290
Schenectady, NY$69,190
Wilmington, DE$69,190
Burlington, VT$69,090
Salem, OR$68,990
Portland, ME$68,790
Yakima, WA$68,790
Rochester, MN$68,490
Reno, NV$68,490
Fresno, CA$68,490
Milwaukee, WI$68,490
Ann Arbor, MI$68,390
Allentown, PA$68,390
Detroit, MI$68,390
Colorado Springs, CO$68,190
Syracuse, NY$68,190
Carson City, NV$68,190
Houston, TX$68,090
Eugene, OR$68,090
Gary, IN$67,990
Galveston, TX$67,890
Bismarck, ND$67,890
Springfield, OR$67,890
Medford, OR$67,790
Fort Collins, CO$67,790
Concord, NH$67,690
Austin, TX$67,690
Mesa, AZ$67,590
Reading, PA$67,590
Dallas, TX$67,490
Saint Cloud, MN$67,490
Phoenix, AZ$67,490
Madison, WI$67,390
Utica, NY$67,190
Rochester, NY$67,090
Des Moines, IA$67,090
Raleigh, NC$67,090
Atlanta, GA$66,990
Battle Creek, MI$66,890
Salt Lake City, UT$66,890
Lancaster, PA$66,790
Harrisburg, PA$66,690
Pittsburgh, PA$66,590
Boca Raton, FL$66,590
Columbus, OH$66,590
Kansas City, MO$66,590
Champaign, IL$66,590
Kansas City, KS$66,590
Fort Worth, TX$66,590
Indianapolis, IN$66,490
Richmond, VA$66,490
Cleveland, OH$66,490
Cincinnati, OH$66,390
Las Vegas, NV$66,390
Petersburg, VA$66,290
Huntsville, AL$66,190
Lansing, MI$66,190
Lebanon, PA$66,190
Pueblo, CO$66,190
Appleton, WI$66,190
Racine, WI$66,090
Buffalo, NY$66,090
Dayton, OH$66,090
Charlotte, NC$66,090
Saint Louis, MO$66,090
Lorain, OH$65,990
Beaumont, TX$65,990
Billings, MT$65,990
Benton Harbor, MI$65,990
Elkhart, IN$65,990
York, PA$65,990
Gastonia, NC$65,990
Rockford, IL$65,890
Rock Hill, SC$65,890
Binghamton, NY$65,890
Toledo, OH$65,890
Springfield, IL$65,790
Elyria, OH$65,790
Fargo, ND$65,790
Flagstaff, AZ$65,790
Cheyenne, WY$65,690
Miami, FL$65,690
Grand Forks, ND$65,690
Fort Lauderdale, FL$65,690
Duluth, MN$65,690
Bangor, ME$65,490
Cedar Rapids, IA$65,390
Durham, NC$65,390
Louisville, KY$65,390
Grand Rapids, MI$65,390
Hialeah, FL$65,390
Casper, WY$65,290
Virginia Beach, VA$65,190
New Orleans, LA$65,190
Scranton, PA$65,190
Akron, OH$65,090
Peoria, IL$64,990
Sarasota, FL$64,990
Nashville, TN$64,990
Omaha, NE$64,990
Green Bay, WI$64,990
Tucson, AZ$64,890
Jamestown, NY$64,890
Davenport, IA$64,890
Charleston, SC$64,890
Baton Rouge, LA$64,890
Saint Petersburg, FL$64,790
Tampa, FL$64,790
Evansville, IN$64,790
Port Arthur, TX$64,790
Bradenton, FL$64,690
Santa Fe, NM$64,590
Clearwater, FL$64,490
Orlando, FL$64,490
La Crosse, WI$64,290
Canton, OH$64,290
Albuquerque, NM$64,290
Newport News, VA$64,290
High Point, NC$64,290
Ogden, UT$64,190
Corpus Christi, TX$64,190
Boise, ID$64,090
Salisbury, NC$64,090
Jacksonville, FL$64,090
Laramie, WY$64,090
Rock Island, IL$64,090
Norfolk, VA$64,090
Saginaw, MI$64,090
Fort Myers, FL$63,990
Moline, IL$63,990
Memphis, TN$63,990
Waterloo, IA$63,890
Tulsa, OK$63,890
Spartanburg, SC$63,790
Lincoln, NE$63,790
Fort Wayne, IN$63,790
Provo, UT$63,790
Cedar Falls, IA$63,690
San Antonio, TX$63,690
Savannah, GA$63,590
Greensboro, NC$63,590
South Bend, IN$63,590
Muskegon, MI$63,490
Birmingham, AL$63,490
Winston Salem, NC$63,490
Augusta, GA$63,290
Lexington, KY$63,290
Greenville, SC$63,290
Lake Charles, LA$63,290
Anderson, IN$63,290
Columbia, SC$63,190
Tuscaloosa, AL$63,190
Wichita, KS$63,190
Lima, OH$63,190
Springfield, OH$63,090
Asheville, NC$62,990
Bloomington, IN$62,990
Knoxville, TN$62,690
Shreveport, LA$62,690
Wilmington, NC$62,590
Roanoke, VA$62,590
Oklahoma City, OK$62,490
Topeka, KS$62,490
Frankfort, KY$62,490
Chillicothe, OH$62,390
Longview, TX$62,390
Melbourne, FL$62,390
Terre Haute, IN$62,290
Sioux Falls, SD$62,290
Mobile, AL$62,290
Killeen, TX$62,190
Amarillo, TX$62,190
Altoona, PA$62,190
Fayetteville, AR$62,090
Chattanooga, TN$62,090
Sioux City, IA$61,990
Idaho Falls, ID$61,990
Lynchburg, VA$61,990
Gainesville, FL$61,890
Clarksville, TN$61,790
Daytona Beach, FL$61,790
Youngstown, OH$61,790
Lafayette, LA$61,790
Little Rock, AR$61,790
Portsmouth, OH$61,790
Pensacola, FL$61,690
Temple, TX$61,690
Hopkinsville, KY$61,490
Erie, PA$61,490
Florence, SC$61,490
Great Falls, MT$61,390
Charleston, WV$61,390
Macon, GA$61,290
Tallahassee, FL$61,290
Fayetteville, NC$61,190
Waco, TX$61,190
Helena, MT$61,190
Pine Bluff, AR$61,190
Vincennes, IN$61,090
Alamogordo, NM$60,990
Lubbock, TX$60,990
Twin Falls, ID$60,890
Rapid City, SD$60,890
Jackson, MS$60,790
Huntington, WV$60,790
Greenville, MS$60,790
Montgomery, AL$60,690
Parkersburg, WV$60,690
Springfield, MO$60,590
Biloxi, MS$60,590
Wichita Falls, TX$60,590
Monroe, LA$60,490
Johnstown, PA$60,490
Sumter, SC$60,490
Columbus, GA$60,490
Pascagoula, MS$60,290
Abilene, TX$60,290
Albany, GA$60,190
Kingsport, TN$60,190
Gulfport, MS$60,090
Alexandria, LA$59,890
Fort Smith, AR$59,690
El Paso, TX$59,490
Las Cruces, NM$59,190
Harlingen, TX$59,090
Pocatello, ID$59,090
Florence, AL$58,990
Brownsville, TX$58,990
Mcallen, TX$58,790
Dothan, AL$58,690
Columbus, MS$58,290
Altus, OK$57,990
Lawton, OK$57,890
Pierre, SD$57,590
What Skills Can Increase a Metadata Specialist's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Initiative (Mentioned in 6.7% Job Postings): Taking decisive action and initiating plans independently to address problems, improve professional life, and achieve goals.
CRM (Mentioned in 2.58% Job Postings): Customer relationship management (CRM) is a technology for managing all your company's relationships and interactions with customers and potential customers.
Medical Communications (Mentioned in 2.58% Job Postings): Medical communications are designed to stimulate awareness, discussion and procurement of new medical devices, drugs and treatments. Aimed at healthcare practitioners, buyers and stakeholders, it is a key aspect of pharmaceutical marketing
See More Skills
Skills
Demand Percentage
Initiative
6.7%
CRM
2.58%
Medical Communications
2.58%
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 Metadata Specialist's salary.
RFP: Can increase your salary by up to 73%.
Agile: Can increase your salary by up to 43%.
Digital Strategy: Can increase your salary by up to 38%.
Skill
Salary
Salary % Increase
RFP
$118,315
73%
Agile
$97,798
43%
Digital Strategy
$94,378
38%
Information Architecture
$84,804
24%
CRM
$80,016
17%
Innovation
$79,332
16%
Get Latest Data
Metadata Specialist Salary by Company Size: Startups vs. Enterprise
Metadata Specialist salary potential scales significantly with company size.
Data shows that Enterprise companies (5,000+ employees) pay the highest average salary at around $72,636.
While startup companies pay approximate $61,865.
Metadata Specialist Salary by Company Size
Company Size
Employees
Average Salary
Startup
1~50
$61,865
Growth Stage
51~500
$65,314
Established
501~5000
$70,264
Enterprise
5000+
$72,636
Metadata Specialist Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Metadata Specialist roles, the industry you choose can impact your earning potential
by as much as 20% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the highest-paying industry, Healthcare,
offers compensation 10% above the average. Conversely,
Metadata Specialist positions in Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit typically offer lower base pay,
as this sector often view Metadata Specialist as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industry for a Metadata Specialist
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Healthcare
$75,229
$36.0
10%
Metadata Specialist Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Metadata Specialist'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.
Hourly
Monthly
Weekly
Yearly
Table View
Last Updated on July 01, 2026
$62,790
Average$68,390/year
$72,690
$5,233
Average$5,699/month
$6,058
$1,208
Average$1,315/week
$1,398
$30
Average$33/hour
$35
Annual Salary
Monthly Pay
Weekly Pay
Hourly Wage
75th Percentile
$72,690
$6,058
$1,398
$35
Average
$68,390
$5,699
$1,315
$33
25th Percentile
$62,790
$5,233
$1,208
$30
Metadata Specialist Salary Growth & Career Path
For a Metadata Specialist, the most direct path to higher earnings is advancing to the Educational Library Archivist role.
This promotion typically comes with a significant pay increase, bringing the average annual salary to
$74,900 - a projected growth of
10%
over your current level.
Salaries for a Metadata Specialist can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $58,684 in 2023
to around $58,616 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Metadata Specialist salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Metadata Specialist Over Time
2022
$???
2023
$58,684
2024
$58,864
2025
$58,616
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$58,684
2024
$58,864
2025
$58,616
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Metadata Specialist
Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
For Employers
If your compensation planning software is too rigid to deploy winning incentive strategies, it’s time to find an adaptable solution.
Compensation Planning
Common company salaries for Metadata Specialist
Here are companies hiring for Metadata Specialist and their salaries, click below for more details.
N
$97,099/per year
New York Police Department
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
S
$95,962/per year
State of New York - Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
U
$94,615/per year
US Department of Transportation
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
U
$93,141/per year
US General Services Administration
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
L
$92,342/per year
Los Angeles County
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
D
$92,011/per year
Department of Justice - Federal Bureau of Prisons
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
U
$91,967/per year
US Department of Commerce
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
U
$91,755/per year
US Department of Energy
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
F
$91,673/per year
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
N
$90,276/per year
Naval Sea Systems Command
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
T
$88,975/per year
The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
S
$88,721/per year
San Diego County
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
T
$88,664/per year
The TTB
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
L
$87,569/per year
Lutheran Services
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
M
$85,066/per year
Maryland Inc
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
S
$83,780/per year
State University of New York
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
N
$82,969/per year
New York State
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
P
$82,703/per year
Puerto Rico Department of Education
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
U
$80,526/per year
US Central Command
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
H
$80,286/per year
Health and Safety Executive Northern Ireland
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
A
$79,270/per year
Air Force Reserve
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
A
$78,505/per year
American Automobile Association (AAA)
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
S
$76,678/per year
State of Florida - Department of Health
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
N
$75,183/per year
New York State Department
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
S
$75,106/per year
State University System of Florida
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
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