Salary AI Book a Demo
upper level job

Academic Archivist Salary in the United States

How much does an Academic Archivist make in the United States?

As of August 01, 2026, the average salary for an Academic Archivist in the United States is $74,847 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $36.

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

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $89,993
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $68,079 to $82,775
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $61,917
Salary Factors Salary-Boosting Skills Salary by Experience Related Job Salaries Top Paying Cities Explore Related Jobs

Key Factors That Influence Academic Archivist Salaries

An Academic 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, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Academic Archivist Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of an Academic 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): $72,625
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $72,827
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $75,439
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $78,752
  • Expert (over 8 years): $78,988
Levels Salary
Entry Level Academic Archivist$72,625
Intermediate Level Academic Archivist$72,827
Senior Level Academic Archivist$75,439
Specialist Level Academic Archivist$78,752
Expert Level Academic Archivist$78,988
View as Graph

How Do Academic Archivists 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 Academic Archivists. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
  • District of Columbia: $82,871.
  • California: $82,556.
  • Massachusetts: $81,456.

Top Paying Cities for Academic Archivist

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: $94,405
  • San Francisco: $93,371
  • Oakland: $91,403

What Skills Can Increase an Academic 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 an Academic 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 $84,577
13%
Consulting $83,080
11%
Dedication $80,835
8%
Get Latest Data

Academic Archivist Salary by Company Size: Startups vs. Enterprise

Academic Archivist salary potential scales significantly with company size. Data shows that Enterprise companies (5,000+ employees) pay the highest average salary at around $79,392. While startup companies pay approximate $67,653.

Academic Archivist Salary by Company Size

Company Size Employees Average Salary
Startup 1~50 $67,653
Growth Stage 51~500 $71,417
Established 501~5000 $76,796
Enterprise 5000+ $79,392

Academic Archivist Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Academic 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, Academic Archivist positions in Edu., Government & Nonprofi typically offer lower base pay, as this sector often view Academic Archivist as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industry for an Academic Archivist

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Healthcare$93,559$45.025%

How Education impacts an Academic Archivist's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Academic Archivist enter the field with a Bachelor's Degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for an Academic Archivist with a Bachelor's Degree is between $0 and $0.

Academic Archivist Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Academic Archivist
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 26.7%
High School 26.7%
Associates 40.0%
Bachelors 20.0%
Masters 40.0%
Doctorate 13.3%
View as Graph

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

Understanding how an Academic 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 August 01, 2026
$68,079
Average $74,847/year
$82,775
$5,673
Average $6,237/month
$6,898
$1,309
Average $1,439/week
$1,592
$33
Average $36/hour
$40
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $82,775 $6,898 $1,592 $40
Average $74,847 $6,237 $1,439 $36
25th Percentile $68,079 $5,673 $1,309 $33

Academic Archivist Salary Growth & Career Path

Academic Archivist

Next Role

For an Academic Archivist, the most direct path to higher earnings is advancing to the Archivists role. This promotion typically comes with a significant pay increase, bringing the average annual salary to $57,123 - a projected growth of -24% over your current level.

Most common benefits for Academic Archivist

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

Common company salaries for Academic Archivist

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

Find Your Next Academic Archivist Job

Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Academic Archivist job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.

For Employees

Analyze the market and your qualifications to negotiate your salary with confidence.

Get a Salary Increase

Search thousands of open positions to find your next opportunity.

Search Job Openings

For Employers

Individualize employee pay based on unique job requirements and personal qualifications.

Adjust Employee Salary

Get the latest market price for benchmark jobs and jobs in your industry.

Price My Industry Jobs

FAQ about Academic Archivist

1. Where can an Academic Archivist earn the most?

An Academic Archivist's earning potential can vary widely depending on several factors, including location, industry, experience, education, and the specific employer. According to the latest salary data by Salary.com, an Academic Archivist earns the most in San Jose, CA, where the annual salary of an Academic Archivist is $94,405.

2. What is the highest pay for Academic Archivist?

The highest pay for Academic Archivist is $89,993.

3. What is the lowest pay for Academic Archivist?

The lowest pay for Academic Archivist is $61,917.

4. What are the responsibilities of Academic Archivist?

Establishes policies and procedures for university special collections, archives, digitization, preservation, and conservation. Collaborates with other college offices in identifying potential donors and materials that support the university's collections. Requires a master's degree. Typically reports to a manager. Work is generally independent and collaborative in nature. Contributes to moderately complex aspects of a project. Typically requires 4-7 years of related experience.

5. What industry pays the highest salary for Academic Archivist?

The Healthcare industry offers the highest average compensation for Academic 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.

Are you an HR manager or compensation specialist?

Salary.com's CompAnalyst platform offers:

  • Detailed skills and competency reports for specific positions
  • Job and employee pricing reports
  • Compensation data tools, salary structures, surveys and benchmarks.
Learn about CompAnalyst