Archivists pay range in Los Angeles
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $43,570 a year or less, while the top 10% make $123,830 or more. The middle half of archivists in Los Angeles earn between $51,630 and $88,270.
- $44K10th
- $52K25th
- $71KMedian
- $88K75th
- $124K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $76,720 | $6,393 | $36.88 |
| Median | $70,630 | $5,886 | $33.96 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $51,630 | $4,302 | $24.82 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $88,270 | $7,356 | $42.44 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.
Archivists pay in Los Angeles vs. California and the U.S.
Archivists in Los Angeles earn about the same as the California average ($77,160) and 9% more than the U.S. average ($70,640). At the median the gap is +9% against the U.S. median of $64,550.
| Area | Average | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | $76,720 | $70,630 | $43,570 | $123,830 | 490 |
| California | $77,160 | $70,530 | $43,540 | $122,190 | 1,160 |
| United States | $70,640 | $64,550 | $39,970 | $110,550 | 7,970 |
State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.
Archivists salary after taxes in Los Angeles
On the average salary of $76,720, a single filer in Los Angeles takes home about $59,737 a year, or $4,978 a month and $2,298 every two weeks. Taxes take 22% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Is Los Angeles a good place for archivists? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Los Angeles area are 14% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 113.6), so the average $76,720 buys what about $67,555 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.3 times the median wage of all jobs in Los Angeles ($55,850). A typical home costs $968,608, or 12.6 years of this average salary before tax.
Archivists salary in other California cities
Los Angeles ranks 5th of 7 California metro areas for this job; San Jose pays the most ($100,910).
- San Jose$100,910
- Oxnard$86,110
- San Francisco$80,480
- Sacramento$77,770
- Los Angeles$76,720
- San Diego$67,430
- Riverside$65,990
Highest-paying cities for archivists
Bridgeport, CT pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($102,880).
- Bridgeport, CT$102,880
- San Jose, CA$100,910
- Washington, DC$88,250
- Oxnard, CA$86,110
- Boston, MA$82,700
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Archivists salary in Los Angeles: questions
How much do archivists make an hour in Los Angeles?
$36.88 an hour on average, and $33.96 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level archivists salary in Los Angeles?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $43,570 a year and the 25th percentile is $51,630, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the archivists take-home pay in Los Angeles?
About $59,737 a year ($4,978 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $76,720. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do archivists earn more in Los Angeles than elsewhere?
The average here is 9% more than the U.S. average for this job ($70,640).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 25-4011; area Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (31080). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.1%.
- U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 1.52, this job is 1.5 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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