Culture and history

How to become an archivist

Official title: Archivist

Also called: Technical archivist, Archives analyst, Archives research officer, Documents restorer, Film archivist, Records archivist

Archivists manage the safekeeping and use of permanent records and historical documents and materials. They may assist with research activities based on archival materials.

Main tasks

Organise and store records, documents and materials
Create digital and physical archival databases
Develop systems for archives, museums and libraries
Prepare materials for preservation, storage and display
Help people find archived resources
Assist with research
Categorise different aspects of documents and objects
Manage people and systems

How to become one

You usually need a qualification to become an archivist. You usually need NCEA Level 3 to do the study or training for this job. Other requirements: a diploma in library and information management and curation; a Bachelor of Library and Information Studies; a postgraduate certificate or diploma in library and information and curation; a Master of Information Studies; experience in similar work.

See the full Tahatū profile

Ways in

Certificates and diplomas: Advanced certificates and diplomas in library and information management and curation. TEC links this job to study in library information management and curation studies. Qualifications: NZ Dip in Library and Information Studies, NZ Cert in Library and Information Services for Children and Teens. Usually 11 months to 1 year. Graduates of these qualifications earn a median $51,000 a year one year after study; 75% are employed one year after (TEC, from Stats NZ IDI data).

Pay · Past change · AI and this job

Most common pay: $65,000 to $95,000 a year (median $78,000), a TEC estimate before tax.
Lower: $53,000 a year · Upper: $115,000 a year
TEC's pay figures are estimates only. TEC says they must not be used to set pay, in pay negotiations or in visa applications.
Change in the number of people doing this job between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses: Increase (TEC). This is past change, not a forecast.
People employed in the group Archivists, Curators and Records Managers: 2,058 at the 2018 Census and 2,427 at the 2023 Census (+17.9%). Past change, not a forecast.
Generative AI could change some tasks in this job, by the ILO's global estimate.

Who does this work

About 340 people did this job at the 2023 Census (TEC).
In the group Archivists, Curators and Records Managers, 58% of workers are female (sex at birth, 2023 Census).
Where people in the group Archivists, Curators and Records Managers work (2023 Census): Auckland 28.6%, Wellington 19.8%, and Canterbury 12%.

Questions people ask

How do I become an archivist?

How much does an archivist earn in New Zealand?

The Tertiary Education Commission estimates median pay at $78,000 a year, before tax. Most common pay is $65,000 to $95,000 a year.

Has the number of people working as an archivist grown in New Zealand?

It has grown: TEC records an increase in the number of people doing this job between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses. This is past change, not a forecast.

Will AI change the work of an archivist?

Generative AI could change some tasks in this job, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

Stats NZ (via Figure.NZ): Census 2023: employed by regional council, occupation (ANZSCO V1.3 unit group) and sex at birth (2023 Census), CC BY 4.0 (Stats NZ), CC BY 3.0 NZ (Figure.NZ), retrieved 4 October 2026
Stats NZ (via Figure.NZ): Census totals by topic for individuals 2013, 2018, 2023 (CEN23_TBT_004): employed by occupation, ANZSCO V1.3, summed to unit group (2023 Census (CEN23_TBT_004)), CC BY 4.0 (Stats NZ), CC BY 3.0 NZ (Figure.NZ), retrieved 4 October 2026
Tertiary Education Commission (Tahatu Career Navigator): Tahatu career ideas: descriptions, tasks, pay estimates, people employed, employment change 2018 to 2023, entry requirements, registration, interest scores (Site scrape 2026-10 (816 career ideas, sitemap lastmod 2026-10-01)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
International Labour Organization, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (ILO Working Paper 140, Gmyrek et al.) (ILO Working Paper 140, May 2025, Annex Table A1), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026

This content is sourced from the Tertiary Education Commission through the Tahatū Career Navigator website (www.tahatu.govt.nz) and used under the CC BY 4.0 licence. All or some of the information has been modified by Peernovo. TEC has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. TEC will not be held accountable for any errors within this content.

Qualification information from NZQA, used under CC BY 3.0 NZ.

This work is based on/includes Stats NZ's data which are licensed by Stats NZ for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence. Census data via Figure.NZ.

Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.

Sources: Tertiary Education Commission, Tahatū Career Navigator (career ideas, pay estimates, entry requirements and study options, CC BY 4.0, modified by Peernovo); Stats NZ, 2023 Census (via Figure.NZ) and the National Occupation List (CC BY 4.0); NZQA qualification information (CC BY 3.0 NZ); O*NET interest scores (CC BY 4.0); ILO global generative AI exposure index (CC BY 4.0). Links between career ideas and ANZSCO groups, degree fields and broad job groups are Peernovo's.

These results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.

Graduate outcomes: these results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.

Updated 4 October 2026