Reference Archivist

Reference Archivist Salary

$11K

$53K

$52,194

/year

$25.09

/hour

Reference Archivist Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$52,194

Columbus

Ohio

$50,414

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    How much does a Reference Archivist make?

    As of Aug 3, 2026, the average annual pay for a Reference Archivist in the United States is $52,194 a year.

    Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $25.09 an hour. This is the equivalent of $1,003/week or $4,349/month.

    While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $53,000 and as low as $11,000, the majority of Reference Archivist salaries currently range between $52,000 (25th percentile) to $52,500 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $52,500 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Reference Archivist varies little (about 500), which suggests that regardless of location, there are not many opportunities for increased pay or advancement, even with several years of experience.

    A Reference Archivist in your area makes on average $50,414 per year, or $1,780 (3.410%) less than the national average annual salary of $52,194. Ohio ranks number 30 out of 50 states nationwide for Reference Archivist salaries.

    To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Reference Archivist jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.

    Find your next high paying job as a Reference Archivist on ZipRecruiter today.

    What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Reference Archivist Jobs

    We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Reference Archivist job is above the national average. Topping the list is Pennington County, SD, , with Beverly, MA, and Glenwood Springs, CO, close behind in the second and third positions. Glenwood Springs, CO, beats the national average by $24,249 (46.5%), and Pennington County, SD, furthers that trend with another $27,056 (51.8%) above the $52,194 average.

    With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Reference Archivist appears to be exceedingly fruitful.

    However, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies modestly at 22% between Pennington County, SD, and Johnson City, TN, , suggesting it may be difficult to see much positive wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may help determine the balance between location and salary for a Reference Archivist role.

    City

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Pennington County, SD

    $79,250

    $38.10

    Beverly, MA

    $77,788

    $37.40

    Glenwood Springs, CO

    $76,443

    $36.75

    Midland, MI

    $72,738

    $34.97

    Spearfish, SD

    $71,171

    $34.22

    Burleigh County, ND

    $71,067

    $34.17

    Douglas County, NE

    $66,137

    $31.80

    Nome, AK

    $64,747

    $31.13

    Berkeley, CA

    $63,908

    $30.73

    Johnson City, TN

    $63,191

    $30.38

    What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Reference Archivist Jobs in the U.S.

    We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Reference Archivist category.

    For example Trainee Psychologist jobs pay as much as $101,862 (195.2%) more than the average Reference Archivist salary of $52,194. If you're qualified, finding work as a Trainee Psychologist may help you make more money than that of the average Reference Archivist position.

    Job Title

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Trainee Psychologist

    $154,056

    $74.07

    Entry Level Movie Review Writer

    $54,981

    $26.43

    Air Force Recruiter

    $53,004

    $25.48

    Maui Police

    $47,896

    $23.03

    Appen Social Media Evaluator

    $47,714

    $22.94

    About Our Data

    ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.

    Infographic detailing Reference Archivist salary across the United States as of July 2026. Displays a bar chart with salary percentiles, a national average salary of $52,194 per year or $25.09 an hour, and a color-coded map showing state-by-state salary variations.