Archivists
Machines can already do 31% of this job's tasks. By 2035 that rises to 52%. The job changes before it disappears.
Share of the work machines can do
Worldwide baseline, 2026 to 2050
Archivists in 2026: the short answer
- Today: machines can do 31% of this job's tasks, and AI use is already seen in 13% of them.
- Forecast: machines can do half of its tasks by 2034, and 52% by 2035, according to the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit.
- Size: 7,970 people do this job in the United States, on a median pay of $64,550 a year.
- Contact with people: it scores 74% for contact with people.
- Also called: Accessioning Archivist, Archivist, Digital Archivist, Film Archivist.
Updated by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit. These are worldwide baseline figures; the Workforce Starburst shows them for your country. Go deeper: How ready am I? or an executive briefing.
How the work changes, task by task
The tasks that take up most of the day, with the share of each that machines can do in 2026 (dark) and 2035 (pink). Worldwide baseline.
| Task | Share of the day | Machines can do | 2026 to 2035 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Organize archival records and develop classification systems to facilitate access to archival materials | 18% | 3% to 25% | |
| Prepare archival records, such as document descriptions, to allow easy access to information | 16% | 56% to 76% | |
| Provide reference services and assistance for users needing archival materials | 13% | 9% to 27% | |
| Create and maintain accessible, retrievable computer archives and databases, incorporating current advances in electronic information storage technology | 10% | 76% to 82% | |
| Preserve records, documents, and objects, copying records to film, videotape, audiotape, disk, or computer formats as necessary | 8% | 18% to 51% | |
| Direct activities of workers who assist in arranging, cataloguing, exhibiting, and maintaining collections of valuable materials | 7% | 9% to 23% | |
| Research and record the origins and historical significance of archival materials | 5% | 22% to 55% | |
| Locate new materials and direct their acquisition and display | 5% | 45% to 72% |
The skills this job runs on
The skills archivists use most, most used first.
Safer jobs nearby
Jobs with a similar skill shape where machines can do less of the work by 2035.
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Questions
When will machines do half of the tasks of Archivists?
Machines can do half of its tasks by 2034. That is the worldwide baseline from the 311 Workforce Starburst, before adjusting for country.
Will AI take the job of archivists?
Machines can do 31% of the tasks of archivists today and 52% by 2035. The job changes before it disappears: the routine tasks move first.
Sources and citing
Tasks and their share of the day: O*NET 31.0, occupation 25-4011.00 (US Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Pay and jobs: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. AI use today: Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Scoring and forecast: the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit; after 2035 the figures extend each trend, with lower confidence. Foresight, not advice.
Cite as: 311 Institute (2026). Archivists: the outlook to 2050. 311 Workforce Starburst. https://www.311institute.com/jobs/archivists/