Librarians vs Archivists
Median pay is about $4k higher for Librarians. Both usually start with the same education: master's.
marks the higher pay or growth. Education, difficulty and the AI rows depend on what you want, so they are not marked.
| Measure | Librarians | Archivists |
|---|---|---|
| Pay | ||
| Median pay | $68,270, higher | $64,550 |
| Entry pay 25th percentile | $56,310, higher | $50,680 |
| Experienced pay 75th percentile | $84,480, higher | $83,020 |
| Outlook, 2025 to 2035 | ||
| Projected growth | +2.6% Growing | +3.4% Growing, higher |
| Openings a year | 12,600 | 1,100 |
| Getting in | ||
| Typical education | Master's | Master's |
| Difficulty modeled | 2.6 / 5 | 2.6 / 5 |
| AI | ||
| Displacement risk modeled | Moderate | Very high |
| AI exposure modeled, percentile | 42nd pct | 96th pct |
Where the skills differ
Only Librarians
- Monitoring
Only Archivists
- Active Learning
Both lean on reading comprehension, active listening, speaking, writing, critical thinking.
More comparisons
Compare Librarians with
Compare Archivists with
Pay and outlook: BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills: O*NET 30.3. Difficulty, displacement risk and AI exposure are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.