Archivists Salary
The median pay for a archivists in Madison, WI is $63,040/year ($30.31/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $43K at the entry level to $84K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.29), that's roughly $64,796 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,168/month, or 28.2% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $63K get you in Madison?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Madison’s Regional Price Parity (97.29). 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 Madison
Archivists pay in Madison tracks closely to the national median, $63K locally vs. $65K nationwide, a 2% difference. Rent runs $1,168/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 27.8% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 97.29) 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 Madison, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee-Waukesha | $60K | $62K |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $58K | $56K |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn | $67K | $67K |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington | $66K | $63K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Madison, WI
Entry-level archivists (10th percentile) start around $43K. Mid-career wages sit at $63K. Top earners bring in $84K or more, a $41K 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 Madison numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a archivist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Madison?
Yes — at the median salary of $63K, rent takes 27.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,168/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for archivists in Madison?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new archivists typically earn — is $43K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,577/month. At HUD’s $1,168/month FMR, rent would take 45% 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 Madison?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $63K locally vs. $65K nationally, a 2% difference.
How does Madison compare to the national average for archivists?
Madison pays $63K median vs. the U.S. average of $65K — that’s -2%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.29), the purchasing-power equivalent is $65K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do archivists make in Madison, WI?
The median is $63,040 a year, that works out to about $30 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $42,950, and experienced archivists can clear $84,300. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $63K enough to live in Madison?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,200/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,168/month, which eats 27.8% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a archivists salary go in Madison?
Madison has a Regional Price Parity of 97.29 (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 $64,796 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.