Archivists preserve records for museums, zoos, colleges and other institutions

February 28, 2010

Archivists preserve records for museums, zoos, colleges and other institutions

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Outlook: Employment of archivists is expected to increase 20 percent over the 2008-18 decade, much faster than the average for all occupations.

Pay: The 80 archivists in the Seattle-Bellevue-Tacoma area earned a median wage of $45,180 in 2008.

The job: Archivists work for museums, governments, zoos, colleges, corporations and other institutions that require experts to preserve important records and artifacts. Archivists mainly handle records and documents -- collecting, organizing and maintaining control of information that can include photos, films, video and sound recordings, electronic data files and paper records. Demand for archivists who specialize in electronic records and records management will grow more rapidly than the demand for archivists who specialize in older media formats. Some spend time providing reference assistance to the public, while others perform research or process records.

Training/licensing: A graduate degree in history or library science with courses in archival science is preferred. A few colleges offer master’s degrees in archival studies.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

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