Archivist
Key facts
Archivists assess, collect, organise, preserve and provide access to records and archives. Records maintained are in any format, analogue or digital and include several kinds of media (documents, photographs, video and sound recordings, etc.).
Archivists are responsible for the long-term care and accessibility of records and archives. This involves assessing the value of materials, developing systems for organizing and describing them, and implementing preservation strategies to protect them from deterioration. You'll work with a wide range of formats, from traditional paper documents and photographs to audio, video, and digital files, ensuring they remain usable and available for research and public access. This role often requires strategic thinking and leadership to manage collections effectively.
- • Appraising, selecting, and acquiring records of historical or administrative value.
- • Organizing and describing archives using established standards and metadata.
- • Implementing preservation techniques to protect records from damage and deterioration.
Where this occupation is in demand
Reported labour shortages and surpluses, by year. Published for occupation groups, not for individual job titles.
Figures cover Legal, social and cultural professionals — 186 jobs including this one.
In shortage: Italy, Romania.
Longest-running shortage: Italy, 2 years.
Where it is regulated, your qualification would need formal recognition before you could practise.
Select a place on the map to see its figures.
About this source›
Source: ELA/EURES labour shortages and surpluses. Readings are published at occupation-group level, and cover Europe. Editions differ in annex layout and country coverage, so a change between years does not always mean the labour market changed. Countries in grey were not reported, which is not the same as being in balance.
What these words mean
The four things this section reports
- Reported demand
- Whether employers report needing people in this job — a judgement published by a national or EU body, not a count.
- Where it is heading
- Which way employment in this job is expected to move over the coming years, from an official projection.
- Openings
- Roughly how many openings arise — from growth and from people leaving the job.
- Typical pay
- What people in this job typically earn where the source publishes it. Blank does not mean unpaid; it means nobody publishes it for that place.
A measure is left out when nobody publishes it for that place, rather than shown as zero.
Which way the market leans for you
- In your favour
- More openings than people looking — employers are competing for candidates.
- Balanced
- Openings and candidates are roughly matched.
- Competitive
- More people looking than openings — expect to compete.
- Mixed evidence
- Sources disagree, or the same occupation group is short in one part and oversupplied in another.
Every source resolves to one of these four, so there is a single vocabulary to learn. What differs is the evidence behind it, which is printed underneath each verdict — a measured ratio of openings to jobseekers, or an assessment published by a national body.
How this job compares with other jobs in the same country
- Strong
- Among the strongest in that country
- Good
- Stronger than most jobs in that country
- Mixed
- About typical for that country
- Weak
- Weaker than most jobs in that country
This is a rank within one country, not a score you can carry across borders — the registers behind two countries count different people, so the same number means different things in each. It is also why a job can be among the strongest in a country and still show as Competitive: it leads the field in a market that is crowded overall.
Where these come from
Every figure is published by a national statistics office, a public employment service or an EU body, and each card names its source and the period it covers. Some places are counted monthly, others assessed once or twice a year, so two places on the same map can be describing different moments — the date is always shown.
None of this predicts one person’s chances. It describes a market.
Reported demand · Typical pay · Where it is heading (United States, Ireland, Australia, Malta, United Kingdom)
| Reported demand | Typical pay | Where it is heading | |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Not reported | $64,550 2025-05 | +3.8% 2024–2034 · BLS 2024-2034 |
| Ireland | Not reported | — | +15.9% 2023–2035 · Cedefop 2026 * |
| Australia | Assessed as balanced Jobs and Skills Australia 2025 * | — | — |
| Malta | Shortage reported ELA/EURES 2024 * | — | — |
| United Kingdom | Not reported | £33,096 2025-provisional | — |
* Published for occupation groups, not for individual job titles.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS)
Source: Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Open Government Licence v3.0
Do you guide students, clients or employees? Use this occupation data in your organisation.
Future Outlook for archivist
The outlook for archivist reflects a balanced mix of automation exposure and durable, human-led work.
How are these scores calculated?
The Resilience Score (0–100) estimates how structurally protected this occupation is from automation and AI disruption, based on task-level analysis. Higher scores mean more human-judgment-intensive tasks. AI Exposure shows the estimated percentage of task hours that current AI capabilities could affect. These are model-derived structural indicators, not predictions about individual job security.
How could archivist change as AI adoption grows?
Several task areas may shift toward AI-assisted workflows, so reskilling becomes more important.
Illustrative scenario based on task automatability — not a forecast. Values are rounded the further ahead you look.
Several task areas may shift toward AI-assisted workflows, so reskilling becomes more important.
Illustrative scenario based on task automatability — not a forecast. Values are rounded the further ahead you look.
Model-based estimate. Use it as a planning signal, not a guarantee.
Compare this to your profile
How AI may change this role
Deterministic, model-based interpretation of current role signals — not a guarantee of replacement.
What still depends on people
- aid archive users with their enquiries
- respect data protection principles
- manage archive users guidelines
Where AI may become a co-pilot
- study a collection
- store archival documents
Tasks most exposed to automation
- create semantic trees
- appraise historical documents
- perform records management
Vital Signs & AI Vectors
AI Exposure Vectors
0-100%Exposure to AI-assisted analysis, pattern recognition, and predictive modelling tasks
Exposure to content generation, creative augmentation, and large language model tools
Exposure to physical automation, robotics, and sensor-driven task displacement
Exposure to workflow automation, decision-support software, and process digitisation
Technical Details
NexFuture v3.0 estimates automation exposure natively from ESCO essential-skill groups, weighted by skill mass and calibrated against expert anchors. Scores are probabilistic estimates, not guarantees. See the NexFuture Methodology White Paper for full details.
Measures automation exposure. It does not measure pay, demand, or how many jobs exist near you.
What people in this role usually do
Arts, Entertainment, & Design
A typical day as an archivist
09 09:00 · Morning facilitate access to information
10 10:30 · Mid-morning aid archive users with their enquiries
12 12:00 · Midday appraise historical documents
14 14:00 · Afternoon contextualise records collection
15 15:30 · Late afternoon store archival documents
17 17:00 · Wrap-up create semantic trees
Task order is illustrative. Individual days vary.
What you need to do this work
The skills, knowledge and tools this role calls for — and the traits and rewards that come with it.
-
perform records management
Manage the life-cycle of records of institutions, indivduals, corporate bodies, collections, oral history.
-
facilitate access to information
Prepare documents for archiving; ensure that the information can easily be accessed at all times.
-
manage digital archives
Create and maintain computer archives and databases, incorporating latest developments in electronic information storage technology.
-
contextualise records collection
Comment, describe, and provide context for the records in a collection.
-
write scientific publications
Present the hypothesis, findings, and conclusions of your scientific research in your field of expertise in a professional publication.
-
aid archive users with their enquiries
Provide reference services and overall assistance for researchers and visitors in their search for archival materials.
-
respect data protection principles
Ensure that access to personal or institutional data conforms to the legal and ethical framework governing such access.
-
store archival documents
Store and preserve archival documents. Copy archive records to film, videotape, audiotape, disk, or computer formats as required.
-
manage archive users guidelines
Establish policy guidelines on public access to a (digital) archive and the cautious use of present materials. Communicate the guidelines to archive visitors.
-
create semantic trees
Create coherent lists and hierarchies of concepts and terms to ensure consistent indexing in knowledge organisation systems.
-
study a collection
Research and trace the origins and the historical significance of collections and archive content.
-
appraise historical documents
Authenticate and evaluate historical documents and archive materials.
collection management
The process of resource evaluation, selection and life-cycle planning to create and promote a coherent collection in line with the developing needs of the users or customers. Understanding legal deposit for long-term access to publications.
conservation techniques
The procedures, instruments, techniques, materials and chemicals used in conservation and archiving.
- digitization
Path to become an archivist
What it typically takes to qualify: education level, where it is a regulated profession, and where to study.
Bachelor's or equivalent level
Regulated in 9 countries on record. Minimum EQF 4–7, depending on the country.
Reflects the EU regulated-professions database. Not legal advice — confirm requirements with the relevant national authority before relying on this for a career or immigration decision.
264 programmes in 20 countries teach the core skills of this job. Plus 19 short courses that build single skills.
A few examples, taught in the language of this page:
Master of Arts (Archives & Records Management)
University College Dublin · Ireland
Digital Humanities
Rijksuniversiteit Groningen · the Netherlands
Master of Science in Information and Library Management
Dublin Business School · Ireland
Applied Museum and Heritage Studies - part time
Reinwardt Academie · the Netherlands
Diploma in Heritage and Folklore Studies
University College Cork · Ireland
Public History and Cultural Heritage
Trinity College Dublin, University of Dublin · Ireland
These are 6 of 283.
Sources
- 1. Source: Europass Qualification Dataset Register (European Commission)
- 2. Bron: DUO open onderwijsdata
Growth Pathways & Similar Roles
Explore typical career progression paths, adjacent skills, and similar roles to plan your next transition.
Where does archivist fit?
Similarity scores based on skill overlap from ESCO data.
For organisations
The data on this page, working for your students, clients and staff.
Frequently asked questions
What kind of education is typically required to become an archivist?
How does the rise of digital records impact the archivist's role?
What are the common work environments for archivists?
How much does Archivist pay in the United States?
Is Archivist a regulated profession?
Sources: ESCO O*NET ELA/EURES Cedefop BLS Data updated October 3, 2026 About our data