Archivists vs File Clerks
Side-by-side · O*NET · BLS · AI-exposure research · Anthropic Economic Index
A factual, source-backed comparison of Archivists and File Clerks on the dimensions both occupations carry. Every figure is a position within an independent published dataset — not a verdict on which job is better, safer, or more “future-proof.”
At a glance
| Dimension | Archivists | File Clerks |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $61,570 | $41,270 |
| Employment | 7,050 | 78,980 |
| Employment outlook (2024–34) · BLS projection | About average (+3.8%) | Declining (-15.9%) |
| Annual openings · BLS projection | 1,100 | 7,300 |
| Typical education · O*NET | Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree). | Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not. |
| AI exposure · published exposure studies | High · 85th pct | High · 80th pct |
| Global GenAI gradient · ILO ISCO-08 · via crosswalk | 86th pct · 47% of tasks | 69th pct · 37% of tasks |
| Observed AI use · Anthropic Economic Index | Automation-leaning (48.9%) | Automation-leaning (48.9%) |
| Mostly remote-capable · Dingel–Neiman | Yes | Yes |
Pay and employment are BLS OEWS estimates; outlook and openings are BLS 2024–2034 projections; AI exposure and observed-use figures come from separate research and reflect exposure and usage, not predictions that either job will disappear. Compare like with like.
Skills
Shared: Reading Comprehension, Written Comprehension, Category Flexibility, English Language, Customer and Personal Service, Active Listening, Writing, Oral Expression, Written Expression, Information Ordering, Near Vision, Computers and Electronics, Oral Comprehension, Administration and Management, Deductive Reasoning, Administrative, Speaking, Inductive Reasoning, Critical Thinking, Active Learning, Complex Problem Solving, Law and Government, Service Orientation, Judgment and Decision Making, Speech Recognition, Monitoring, Fluency of Ideas, Problem Sensitivity, Selective Attention, Speech Clarity, Coordination, Time Management, Originality.
Specific to Archivists
- History and Archeology
- Education and Training
- Personnel and Human Resources
- Learning Strategies
- Instructing
- Systems Analysis
- Systems Evaluation
Specific to File Clerks
- Perceptual Speed
- Telecommunications
- Mathematics
- Public Safety and Security
- Social Perceptiveness
- Flexibility of Closure
- Far Vision
Knowledge, skills & abilities O*NET rates as important for each occupation. “Shared” are common to both; the columns list what is distinctive to each (top by the order O*NET surfaces).
Tools & technology
Shared: Spreadsheet software , Office suite software , Electronic mail software , Document management software , Data base user interface and query software , Presentation software , Word processing software .
Specific to Archivists
Full profiles
This page is a summary. See the complete source-backed profile for Archivists or File Clerks — tasks, the full skill graph, tools, work context, preparation, wages by percentile, industries, AI exposure and the AI work map.
More comparisons
Related occupations you can place side by side on the same sourced scale.
- Archivists vs Librarians and Media Collections Specialists
- Archivists vs Historians
- Archivists vs Curators
- Archivists vs Document Management Specialists
- Archivists vs Library Science Teachers, Postsecondary
- Archivists vs Social Science Research Assistants
- Archivists vs Museum Technicians and Conservators
- Archivists vs Statistical Assistants
Sources for this page
Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.
- O*NET 30.3 U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27) Anthropic
- Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai Microsoft Research
- “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130 OpenAI / academic
- AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans academic
- ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025 International Labour Organization
- IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022 Institute for Structural Research (IBS)
- Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation academic
- Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome academic
Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.
Cite this page
Singulariki. "Archivists vs File Clerks." Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Built from O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026. https://singulariki.com/compare/archivists-vs-file-clerks
Singulariki. (2026). Archivists vs File Clerks. Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Retrieved June 7, 2026, from https://singulariki.com/compare/archivists-vs-file-clerks
@misc{singulariki-archivists-vs-file-clerks,
title = {Archivists vs File Clerks},
author = {{Singulariki}},
year = {2026},
note = {O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026},
url = {https://singulariki.com/compare/archivists-vs-file-clerks}
} Citations name the underlying public dataset releases — they reflect what this page is built from, not just the URL.