Archivists Salary
The median pay for a archivists in Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA is $70,450/year ($33.87/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $49K at the entry level to $98K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.65), that's roughly $71,414 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,493/month, about 31.7% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $70K get you in Harrisburg-Carlisle?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Harrisburg-Carlisle’s Regional Price Parity (98.65). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About archivists
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What this looks like in Harrisburg-Carlisle
Archivists pay in Harrisburg-Carlisle tracks closely to the national median, $70K locally vs. $65K nationwide, a 9% difference. Rent runs $1,493/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 32.1% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 98.65) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for archivists in metros near Harrisburg-Carlisle, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $61K | $59K |
| Pittsburgh | $61K | $64K |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $77K | $69K |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson | $76K | $73K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA
Entry-level archivists (10th percentile) start around $49K. Mid-career wages sit at $70K. Top earners bring in $98K or more, a $49K spread from bottom to top.
Archivists pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Archivists salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $93K | +44% | 200 |
| Connecticut | $80K | +24% | 160 |
| Massachusetts | $78K | +21% | 270 |
| Rhode Island | $77K | +19% | 40 |
| Washington | $76K | +18% | 640 |
| Maryland | $76K | +18% | 660 |
| New York | $74K | +14% | 960 |
| California | $71K | +9% | 1,160 |
| New Jersey | $68K | +5% | 70 |
| Minnesota | $66K | +2% | 90 |
| Michigan | $64K | -1% | 160 |
| Oregon | $62K | -4% | 70 |
| New Hampshire | $61K | -5% | 50 |
| Pennsylvania | $61K | -6% | 360 |
| Missouri | $60K | -7% | 150 |
| Wisconsin | $59K | -8% | 220 |
| Illinois | $59K | -8% | 200 |
| Colorado | $59K | -8% | 70 |
| Louisiana | $59K | -8% | 50 |
| Georgia | $59K | -9% | 150 |
| Iowa | $59K | -9% | 40 |
| Ohio | $59K | -9% | 150 |
| Arkansas | $59K | -9% | 40 |
| Idaho | $58K | -10% | 30 |
| Alabama | $58K | -10% | 100 |
| Utah | $57K | -12% | 80 |
| Maine | $56K | -13% | 60 |
| North Carolina | $55K | -14% | 130 |
| Indiana | $54K | -16% | 70 |
| Delaware | $54K | -17% | 50 |
| Tennessee | $53K | -18% | 110 |
| South Carolina | $53K | -18% | 60 |
| Florida | $52K | -19% | 100 |
| Oklahoma | $52K | -20% | 80 |
| Texas | $50K | -22% | 490 |
| Kansas | $49K | -24% | 30 |
| Kentucky | $49K | -24% | 40 |
| Arizona | $47K | -27% | N/A |
Showing 1–10 of 38 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track archivists salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Harrisburg-Carlisle numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a archivist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Harrisburg-Carlisle?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $70K, rent takes 32.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,493/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,400/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for archivists in Harrisburg-Carlisle?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new archivists typically earn — is $49K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,969/month. At HUD’s $1,493/month FMR, rent would take 50% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is archivist a high-paying job in Harrisburg-Carlisle?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $70K locally vs. $65K nationally, a 9% difference.
How does Harrisburg-Carlisle compare to the national average for archivists?
Harrisburg-Carlisle pays $70K median vs. the U.S. average of $65K — that’s +9%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.65), the purchasing-power equivalent is $71K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do archivists make in Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA?
The median is $70,450 a year, that works out to about $34 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $49,490, and experienced archivists can clear $98,260. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $70K enough to live in Harrisburg-Carlisle?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,649/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,493/month, which eats 32.1% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a archivists salary go in Harrisburg-Carlisle?
Harrisburg-Carlisle has a Regional Price Parity of 98.65 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median archivists salary is worth about $71,414 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do archivists get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.