Digital Archivist

Career Guide

A Digital Archivist preserves, organizes, and provides access to digital records and collections so they remain usable and trustworthy over time. This role combines collection care, information organization, and practical technology skills to protect digital materials from loss, corruption, or becoming unreadable.

Key Responsibilities

Select and appraise digital materials for long term preservation
Ingest digital files and capture required descriptive information
Create and maintain metadata to support search and discovery
Apply file naming and folder standards for consistent organization
Plan and run digital preservation workflows
Monitor file integrity and run fixity checks
Manage storage, backups, and retention schedules
Support access requests and publish materials to access platforms
Document policies, procedures, and decision logs
Address privacy, rights, and sensitive content handling
Coordinate digitization handoffs and quality checks
Collaborate with IT, records teams, and collection owners

Top Skills for Success

Digital Preservation

Metadata Creation

Collection Management

Information Organization

Records Management

File Format Knowledge

Data Integrity Management

Repository Management

Quality Assurance

Documentation

Rights Management

Privacy Awareness

Stakeholder Communication

Project Management

Scripting Basics

Career Progression

Can Lead To

Digital Archivist

Digital Preservation Specialist

Metadata Librarian

Records Manager

Digital Collections Manager

Transition Opportunities

Digital Preservation Manager

Head of Digital Collections

Repository Manager

Information Governance Manager

Data Steward

Content Operations Manager

Common Skill Gaps

Often Missing Skills

Digital Preservation PlanningMetadata Standards KnowledgeRepository Platform ExperienceScripting BasicsRights ManagementPrivacy AwarenessWorkflow Automation

Development SuggestionsBuild a small preservation workflow using sample collections, practice writing clear metadata, and learn one repository tool. Add basic scripting to automate simple checks like file lists and checksums. Seek projects that include rights review, access decisions, and documentation.

Salary & Demand

Median Salary Range

Entry LevelUSD 50,000 to 70,000

Mid LevelUSD 70,000 to 95,000

Senior LevelUSD 95,000 to 130,000

Growth Trend

Steady demand, driven by digitization, records compliance, and the need to preserve born digital materials across libraries, universities, government, healthcare, and media.

Companies Hiring

Major Employers

National Archives and Records AdministrationLibrary of CongressSmithsonian InstitutionBritish LibraryThe National ArchivesGoogleMicrosoftAdobeNetflixThe New York TimesKaiser PermanenteMayo ClinicDeloitte

Industry Sectors

LibrariesMuseumsUniversitiesGovernmentHealthcareMedia and PublishingTechnologyConsultingCorporate Archives

Recommended Next Steps

Create a portfolio with a sample ingest workflow, metadata examples, and a preservation plan

Learn a digital repository platform and document what you configured and why

Practice fixity checks and version tracking on a real or sample collection

Take a short course in metadata and digital preservation fundamentals

Build basic scripting skills to automate repetitive tasks

Join a professional community and attend a local meetup or webinar

Target roles in libraries, universities, government, healthcare, and media where digital collections are growing