What are the main factors that influence a Metadata Specialist's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change A Metadata Specialist's salary?

A Metadata Specialist's salary grows with experience: starting around $64,963 for beginners, reaching about $66,551 at mid-level, and approach $69,481 for experts.

What are the highest paying states for a Metadata Specialist?

Metadata Specialist salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Metadata Specialist roles are District of Columbia $75,690, California $75,390, Massachusetts $74,390. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Metadata Specialist roles make?

Salaries for Metadata Specialist level roles vary by specialization: Metadata Manager: $129,868; Metadata Analyst: $89,015; Search Metadata Specialist: $75,123; Digital Services Specialist: $68,317; Metadata Coordinator: $67,254.

How do different companies affect a Metadata Specialist's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Metadata Specialist roles. Large, established industry leaders like New York Police Department ($97,099) and State of New York - Metropolitan Transportation Authority ($95,962) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $75,106.

Metadata Specialist Salary in the United States

How much does a Metadata Specialist make in the United States?

As of May 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
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $57,691

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Metadata Specialist Salaries by Percentile

	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

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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

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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:

District of Columbia: $75,690.
California: $75,390.
Massachusetts: $74,390.

District of Columbia $75,690 California $75,390 Massachusetts $74,390 Washington $74,090 New Jersey $74,090 Alaska $73,990 Connecticut $73,090 New York $72,690

Hawaii $71,490 Rhode Island $70,890 Maryland $70,490 Minnesota $69,990 Colorado $69,790 Illinois $69,690 Oregon $69,390 Delaware $69,190

New Hampshire $69,090 Virginia $68,790 Pennsylvania $68,090 Nevada $67,690 North Dakota $67,490 Michigan $67,290 Wisconsin $67,290 Vermont $67,090

Maine $66,690 Texas $66,690 Arizona $66,590 Ohio $66,590 Georgia $65,890 Indiana $65,590 Wyoming $65,590 Utah $65,490

Iowa $65,390 Kansas $65,090 Missouri $64,990 Louisiana $64,990 North Carolina $64,990 Florida $64,690 Montana $64,490 Nebraska $64,390

Kentucky $64,290 South Carolina $64,090 Tennessee $63,890 Idaho $63,790 New Mexico $63,290 Oklahoma $63,190 Alabama $62,790 South Dakota $62,090

Arkansas $61,790 West Virginia $61,590 Mississippi $60,990

Top Paying Cities for Metadata Specialists

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 $77,690

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 $76,590

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

Long Beach, CA $74,790

Anchorage, AK $74,690

Santa Maria, CA $74,490

Everett, WA $74,490

Danbury, CT $74,290

Bremerton, WA $74,190

Sacramento, CA $73,890

Tacoma, WA $73,890

New Suffolk, NY $73,890

Trenton, NJ $73,790

San Diego, CA $73,790

Santa Barbara, 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

New Haven, CT $72,490

Olympia, WA $72,490

Kennewick, WA $72,490

Lawrence, MA $72,190

Hartford, CT $72,090

Riverside, CA $72,090

New Bedford, MA $72,090

Richland, WA $72,090

Bakersfield, CA $71,990

Norwich, CT $71,890

Portsmouth, NH $71,890

New London, CT $71,890

San Bernardino, CA $71,890

New Britain, CT $71,890

Atlantic City, NJ $71,890

Boulder, CO $71,690

Portland, OR $71,590

Worcester, MA $71,590

Minneapolis, MN $71,390

Philadelphia, PA $71,290

Honolulu, HI $71,090

Saint Paul, MN $71,090

Vineland, NJ $70,990

Providence, RI $70,790

Chicago, IL $70,590

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 $68,690

Rochester, MN $68,490

Reno, NV $68,490

Fresno, CA $68,490

Ann Arbor, MI $68,390

Allentown, PA $68,390

Milwaukee, WI $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

Bismarck, ND $67,890

Galveston, TX $67,890

Springfield, OR $67,890

Medford, OR $67,790

Fort Collins, CO $67,690

Concord, NH $67,690

Austin, TX $67,690

Mesa, AZ $67,490

Reading, PA $67,490

Phoenix, AZ $67,490

Dallas, TX $67,490

Saint Cloud, MN $67,390

Madison, WI $67,390

Utica, NY $67,190

Rochester, NY $67,090

Des Moines, IA $67,090

Raleigh, NC $66,990

Atlanta, GA $66,890

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

Racine, WI $66,090

Saint Louis, MO $66,090

Charlotte, NC $66,090

Dayton, OH $66,090

Buffalo, NY $66,090

Appleton, WI $66,090

York, PA $65,990

Elkhart, IN $65,990

Gastonia, NC $65,990

Billings, MT $65,990

Beaumont, TX $65,990

Lorain, OH $65,990

Rockford, IL $65,890

Binghamton, NY $65,890

Rock Hill, SC $65,890

Toledo, OH $65,890

Benton Harbor, MI $65,890

Springfield, IL $65,790

Elyria, OH $65,790

Fargo, ND $65,790

Flagstaff, AZ $65,790

Fort Lauderdale, FL $65,690

Duluth, MN $65,690

Miami, FL $65,690

Cheyenne, WY $65,590

Grand Forks, ND $65,590

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

Scranton, PA $65,190

New Orleans, LA $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

Charleston, SC $64,890

Baton Rouge, LA $64,890

Davenport, IA $64,890

Jamestown, NY $64,890

Tucson, AZ $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

Rock Island, IL $64,090

Salisbury, NC $64,090

Jacksonville, FL $64,090

Laramie, WY $64,090

Norfolk, VA $64,090

Saginaw, MI $64,090

Memphis, TN $63,990

Boise, ID $63,990

Moline, IL $63,990

Fort Myers, FL $63,990

Waterloo, IA $63,890

Tulsa, OK $63,890

Provo, UT $63,790

Fort Wayne, IN $63,790

Spartanburg, SC $63,790

Lincoln, NE $63,790

Cedar Falls, IA $63,690

San Antonio, TX $63,690

Greensboro, NC $63,590

South Bend, IN $63,590

Savannah, GA $63,590

Muskegon, MI $63,490

Birmingham, AL $63,490

Winston Salem, NC $63,490

Greenville, SC $63,290

Lake Charles, LA $63,290

Anderson, IN $63,290

Lexington, KY $63,290

Augusta, GA $63,290

Wichita, KS $63,190

Tuscaloosa, AL $63,190

Lima, OH $63,190

Springfield, OH $63,090

Columbia, SC $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

Frankfort, KY $62,490

Oklahoma City, OK $62,490

Topeka, KS $62,490

Chillicothe, OH $62,390

Longview, TX $62,390

Melbourne, FL $62,390

Sioux Falls, SD $62,290

Mobile, AL $62,290

Terre Haute, IN $62,290

Amarillo, TX $62,190

Altoona, PA $62,190

Killeen, TX $62,190

Chattanooga, TN $62,090

Fayetteville, AR $62,090

Sioux City, IA $61,990

Idaho Falls, ID $61,990

Lynchburg, VA $61,990

Gainesville, FL $61,890

Daytona Beach, FL $61,790

Portsmouth, OH $61,790

Little Rock, AR $61,790

Lafayette, LA $61,790

Youngstown, OH $61,790

Temple, TX $61,690

Clarksville, TN $61,690

Pensacola, FL $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

Helena, MT $61,190

Waco, TX $61,190

Tallahassee, FL $61,190

Fayetteville, NC $61,190

Pine Bluff, AR $61,090

Vincennes, IN $61,090

Lubbock, TX $60,990

Alamogordo, NM $60,990

Twin Falls, ID $60,890

Rapid City, SD $60,890

Jackson, MS $60,790

Huntington, WV $60,790

Greenville, MS $60,790

Parkersburg, WV $60,690

Montgomery, AL $60,690

Wichita Falls, TX $60,590

Springfield, MO $60,590

Biloxi, MS $60,590

Sumter, SC $60,490

Johnstown, PA $60,490

Monroe, LA $60,490

Columbus, GA $60,390

Pascagoula, MS $60,290

Abilene, TX $60,290

Kingsport, TN $60,090

Albany, GA $60,090

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 $58,990

Florence, AL $58,990

Brownsville, TX $58,890

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: 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.

Last Updated on May 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

Metadata Specialist

Educational Library Archivist

Document Storage Specialist

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 of jobs related to Metadata Specialist

Salary Trends for Metadata Specialist

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

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

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