Archivists vs Library Technicians: $65K vs $45K Median Pay

Archivists vs Library Technicians: what changes?

Consider Archivists if you want to appraise, edit, and direct safekeeping of permanent records and historically valuable documents. Consider Library Technicians if you would rather assist librarians by helping readers in the use of library catalogs, databases, and indexes to locate books and other materials; and by answering questions that require only brief consultation of standard…. Entry credentials differ: Archivists, master's degree; Library Technicians, postsecondary nondegree award.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Archivists and Library Technicians. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences

Archivists

National median pay (2025): $64,550
Route into the job: Master's degree
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: Organize archival records and develop classification systems to facilitate access to archival materials.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 1,100

Know before you choose

This is a small national occupation (10,300 jobs in 2025), so location and employer concentration can matter more than the national median suggests.

See the full Archivists brief

Library Technicians

National median pay (2025): $44,580
Route into the job: Postsecondary nondegree award
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: Reserve, circulate, renew, and discharge books and other materials.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 10,800

Know before you choose

BLS projects employment to shrink 6.4% from 2025 to 2035. Openings can still occur when existing workers leave.

See the full Library Technicians brief

How the national numbers differ

Library Technicians has the edge on annual openings

Library Technicians is at 10,800 annual openings, compared with 1,100 annual openings for Archivists.

Archivists has the edge on median pay

Archivists is at $64,550, compared with $44,580 for Library Technicians.

Archivists has the edge on projected growth

Archivists is at 3.4% projected growth, compared with -6.4% projected growth for Library Technicians.

Typical preparation differs.

Archivists: Master's degree Library Technicians: Postsecondary nondegree award Preparation categories do not establish admission difficulty, calendar time, tuition, time without earnings, or licensing difficulty.

38.3/ 100

Archivists

34.5/ 100

Library Technicians

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence