Archivist salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for an archivist is $118,500 per annum, before tax, up $24,800 since 2018.
Pay is set by the employer's classification structure rather than one market rate, so a state records office, a university and a museum can pay differently for similar work. Employers usually ask for a postgraduate qualification and relevant collection experience, and both affect where you sit in the band. Responsibility for a collection, a team or a digital program is what tends to move an archivist up through the bands.
How to negotiate a higher archivist salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time archivist salary is $118,500; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Data analysis and Regulatory compliance tend to command a premium over general archivist experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Time it deliberately. Reviews, the end of a project you delivered, or taking on responsibility beyond your job description are stronger moments to ask than an arbitrary date on the calendar.
- Ask for a number, not a raise. "Based on the market rate and [specific contribution], I'd like to move to X" gets a clearer answer than "I think I deserve more."
Archivist salary questions
How much do archivists earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for an archivist is $118,500 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is archivist pay rising or falling?
The median archivist salary is up $24,800 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.