Archivists Salary
The median pay for a archivists in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI is $59,620/year ($28.66/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $39K at the entry level to $78K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 96.94), that's roughly $61,502 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,338/month, about 34.2% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $60K get you in Milwaukee-Waukesha?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Milwaukee-Waukesha’s Regional Price Parity (96.94). 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 Milwaukee-Waukesha
Archivists pay in Milwaukee-Waukesha tracks closely to the national median, $60K locally vs. $65K nationwide, a 8% difference. Rent runs $1,338/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 33.6% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 96.94) 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 Milwaukee-Waukesha, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Madison | $63K | $65K |
| 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, Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI
Entry-level archivists (10th percentile) start around $39K. Mid-career wages sit at $60K. Top earners bring in $78K or more, a $39K 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 |
| Iowa | $59K | -9% | 40 |
| Georgia | $59K | -9% | 150 |
| 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
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 Milwaukee-Waukesha numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a archivist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Milwaukee-Waukesha?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $60K, rent takes 33.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,338/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for archivists in Milwaukee-Waukesha?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new archivists typically earn — is $39K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,352/month. At HUD’s $1,338/month FMR, rent would take 57% 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 Milwaukee-Waukesha?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $60K locally vs. $65K nationally, a 8% difference.
How does Milwaukee-Waukesha compare to the national average for archivists?
Milwaukee-Waukesha pays $60K median vs. the U.S. average of $65K — that’s -8%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 96.94), the purchasing-power equivalent is $62K — below the national median.
How much do archivists make in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI?
The median is $59,620 a year, that works out to about $29 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $39,200, and experienced archivists can clear $77,750. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $60K enough to live in Milwaukee-Waukesha?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,986/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,338/month, which eats 33.6% 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 Milwaukee-Waukesha?
Milwaukee-Waukesha has a Regional Price Parity of 96.94 (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 $61,502 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.