How To Become an Archivist

Stan T.Career, RequirementsLeave a Comment

How Long Does It Take, What Degree Do You Need, and More

Archivists

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

Salary
$61210
Becoming One
Very Hard
Education
Master's degree
Job Satisfaction
Job Growth

Personality
Interest Match



What degree do you need

Recommended degree level

Master’s Degree

We did a survey to ask other Archivists what degree they had when they became an Archivist. Here are the results.
Master’s Degree
80.65%


Bachelor’s Degree
12.9%


Post-Baccalaureate Certificate
3.23%


One of the most common questions that we always get is what major or degree do I need to become Archivists or what courses do I need to take.

We also asked Archivists what did they major in college or university and here are the top 5 most popular majors that came up.

Archives Administration
Historic Preservation and Conservation
Cultural Resource Management and Policy Analysis
Historic Preservation and Conservation
Museology or Museum Studies

Most employers prefer Archivists to have a graduate degree in history, library science, archival science, or records management.



How hard is it

Difficulty
Very Hard

You will need an extensive amount of skill, knowledge and experience to be an Archivist. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, a surgeon must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.

Careers in this difficulty category may need some on-the-job-training, but most of these careers assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, and work-related experience and training. These careers usually involve coordinating, training, supervising, or managing the activities of others to accomplish goals. Very advanced communication and organizational skills are required. Similar careers include pharmacists, lawyers, astronomers, biologists, neurologists, and veterinarians.


Related work experience required
2 to 4 years

2 to 4 years
32.26%


6 months to 1 year
19.35%


1 to 2 years
19.35%


Job training
Up to 1 month

Up to 1 month
32.26%


6 months to 1 year
25.81%


1 to 3 months
19.35%



License and certifications

Do you need any license or certification
Recommended but not required

The Academy of Certified Archivists offers voluntary certification for archivists. Archivists with at least a master’s degree and a year of professional archival experience can obtain the Certified Archivist credential by passing an exam. They must renew their certification periodically by retaking the exam or fulfilling continuing education credits. At this time, only a few employers require or prefer certification.


Skills required

We asked other Archivists if they could only have 5 skills, what would they be. Here is what they said.

1. Reading Comprehension what does this mean
2. Active Listening what does this mean
3. Writing what does this mean
4. Judgement and Decision Making what does this mean
5. Critical Thinking what does this mean

= Hot in-demand that most employers are looking for


Knowledge required

Just like any other job, you will need certain know-hows to excel at your job. Archivists are generally very knowledgeable in these 5 key areas.

1. English Language what does this mean
2. History and Archeology what does this mean
3. Customer and Personal Service what does this mean
4. Computers and Electronics what does this mean
5. Administration and Management what does this mean


Learn more about Archivists

Summary
Job Description
Salary
Requirements (You are here)
Quiz

Related to Archivists Requirements

Archivists requirements, how to become Archivists, degree required to be an Archivist, Archivists license and certifications, majors to be an Archivist, is it hard to become an Archivist and how long does it take


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.