Career comparison
Archivist vs. Curator
Side-by-side pay, training, growth and day-to-day duties to help you choose between two related careers.
Archivists earn more at the median ($64,550 vs. $63,420), while archivists usually get to work faster (2 years after a bachelor’s of training). Archivists preserve historical records and help people find them. Curators build museum collections and plan exhibitions that tell stories.
Pay data: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Outlook: BLS 2025–35 · Checked October 15, 2026
| Archivist | Curator | |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $64,550 ($31.03/hr) | $63,420 ($30.49/hr) |
| Pay range (10th–90th) | $39,970 – $110,550 | $40,470 – $107,140 |
| Job growth, 2025–35 | +3.4% (about as fast as average) | +4.9% (about as fast as average) |
| Openings per year | 1,100 | 1,600 |
| Typical entry education | Master's degree | Master's degree |
| Training time | 2 years after a bachelor’s | 2 years after a bachelor’s plus experience |
| Key credential | Certified Archivist | Master’s |
| Work setting | Archivists work in archives, libraries, museums, government offices and corporations.. | Curators work in museums, galleries and historic sites.. |
What each job does
Archivist
- Appraise records
- Arrange and describe collections
- Write finding aids
- Preserve materials
- Digitize collections
Curator
- Research collections
- Recommend acquisitions
- Plan exhibitions
- Write labels and catalogs
- Work with donors
How they’re similar
Both careers involve working independently and desk work. They sit in different fields, education & childcare and arts, media & design, but share transferable skills such as attention to detail and storytelling.
Which should you choose?
Choose archivist if…
- I love history
- I’m very organized
- I like quiet work
Choose curator if…
- I love art or history
- I like research
- I tell good stories
Still torn? Take the Archivist fit quiz and the Curator fit quiz, or the full Career Match Quiz.
Quick comparisons
Which pays more, archivist or curator?
Archivists earn more at the median: $64,550 versus $63,420 for curators, based on BLS May 2025 data.
Which takes less time to train for?
Archivists typically train faster (2 years after a bachelor’s) than curators (2 years after a bachelor’s plus experience).
Which career has better job growth?
BLS projects curators to grow +4.9% from 2025–35, compared with +3.4% for archivists.