Archivists

Appraise, edit, and direct safekeeping of permanent records and historically valuable documents. Participate in research activities based on archival materials.

Most important skills

Reading Comprehension
Active Listening
Writing
Speaking
Critical Thinking
Active Learning
Complex Problem Solving
Service Orientation

Key knowledge

History and Archeology
English Language
Customer and Personal Service
Computers and Electronics
Administration and Management
Administrative
Education and Training
Law and Government

What the work involves

Create and maintain accessible, retrievable computer archives and databases, incorporating current advances in electronic information storage technology.
Organize archival records and develop classification systems to facilitate access to archival materials.
Authenticate and appraise historical documents and archival materials.
Provide reference services and assistance for users needing archival materials.
Direct activities of workers who assist in arranging, cataloguing, exhibiting, and maintaining collections of valuable materials.
Prepare archival records, such as document descriptions, to allow easy access to information.
Preserve records, documents, and objects, copying records to film, videotape, audiotape, disk, or computer formats as necessary.
Establish and administer policy guidelines concerning public access and use of materials.

Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Conventional, Investigative, Social.

Qualifications and licensing

Most common education: Master's Degree (83.9% of respondents)
Related experience: Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year (35.5%)
On-the-job training: Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year (25.8%)
Preparation level: O*NET job zone 5: Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
Licensing: Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.

Check before planning

Licensing for Archivists is not yet verified for any state: check the state licensing board before planning.

Limits

Distributions show what current workers or occupational experts report, not legal minimums.
Requirements vary by employer and state; time to qualify is not estimated.

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections · dataset 2026.10.8 · method e3-qualification-1.0.0

Work environment

How the typical conditions of this occupation compare with 911 occupations in O*NET (very low = the lowest fifth).

Levels are relative. Most occupations involve a lot of contact with people, for example, so “very low” can still mean regular contact; the last column shows what workers actually reported.

Rankings compare typical U.S. occupation-level work conditions; individual jobs and employers vary. Data: O*NET 31.0 Work Context and BLS wages (May 2025).
Condition	Level	Compared with other occupations	Most common answer (O*NET survey)
Contact with others	Low	Lower on contact with others than 70% of occupations compared	39% of surveyed respondents chose “Constant contact with others”
Dealing with the public	High	Higher on dealing with the public than 79% of occupations compared	45% of surveyed respondents chose “Very important”
Teamwork	Low	Lower on teamwork than 71% of occupations compared	39% of surveyed respondents chose “Very important”
Freedom to make decisions	Low	Lower on freedom to make decisions than 61% of occupations compared	65% of surveyed respondents chose “Some freedom”
Time pressure	Very low	Lower on time pressure than 95% of occupations compared	61% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a month or more but not every week”
Conflict situations	Very low	Lower on conflict situations than 93% of occupations compared	65% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month”
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people	Very low	Lower on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 82% of occupations compared	68% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month”
Consequence of error	Low	Lower on consequence of error than 64% of occupations compared	38% of surveyed respondents chose “Fairly serious”

Work-pressure profile

Time pressure: very low
Conflict situations: very low
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: very low
Consequence of error: low

Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.

Full answer distributions