Archives Technician Jobs
Archives Technician jobs are open across government agencies, universities, museums, and corporate records departments, at every level from entry-level to senior and supervisory, with specializations in digital preservation, records management, and manuscript processing. See the openings below and apply to the ones that match your experience.
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Job Responsibilities
Working under the direction of the Agency Director, the Deputy Director of Archives and Records Management (ARM) will serve as the State Archivist of South Carolina. The position coordinates, evaluates, and supervises the agency’s Archives and Records Management Division, which is one of three divisions at the SC Department of Archives and History. The Deputy Director (ARM) will have operational oversight of the division’s Reference Services Section; Archival Processing Section; Records Management Section; State Records Center; and Technical Services Section. The Deputy Director (ARM) supervises, plans, and directs division activities, to include budgeting; creating and implementing work plans; reviewing and improving work processes; coordinating records work with other divisions; hiring, training, and evaluating division staff; and monitoring both the quantity and quality of division work. The Deputy Director (ARM) also provides and promotes access to the Archives’ records collection by assisting research patrons and agency staff; by researching historical and legal queries as needed; by conducting building tours and workshops; and by managing special projects as assigned. In addition, the Deputy Director (ARM) may function as Interim Agency Director in the absence of the Agency Director and serve on division and agency committees as assigned. This is not a remote position, and most of the work will be performed at the SC Department of Archives and History in Columbia, SC.
Minimum and Additional Requirements
- Minimum of five years of management experience in positions of increasing responsibility in archives, manuscript repositories, libraries, or museums.
- A bachelor’s degree and graduate-level study in library or information science, history, public history, or a related field.
- Knowledge of the practices, principles, and procedures of archives administration.
- Knowledge of South Carolina and United States history.
- Ability to lead teams of staff and to work effectively with the public.
- The ability to organize, plan, and execute work goals in a timely and effective manner.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Elevated level of problem-solving and organizational skills.
- Must be willing to travel periodically both within and outside the state.
- Must be willing to periodically work evenings and weekends.
- Must be able to lift boxes of records weighing up to fifty pounds from above shoulder level to below knee level.
Preferred Qualifications
- Ten years of management experience in positions of increasing responsibility in archives, manuscript repositories, libraries, or museums.
- Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS); Master of Library Science (MLS); MA in Public History; MA in History, or a graduate-level degree in a related field.
Job Responsibilities
Working under the direction of the Agency Director, the Deputy Director of Archives and Records Management (ARM) will serve as the State Archivist of South Carolina. The position coordinates, evaluates, and supervises the agency’s Archives and Records Management Division, which is one of three divisions at the SC Department of Archives and History. The Deputy Director (ARM) will have operational oversight of the division’s Reference Services Section; Archival Processing Section; Records Management Section; State Records Center; and Technical Services Section. The Deputy Director (ARM) supervises, plans, and directs division activities, to include budgeting; creating and implementing work plans; reviewing and improving work processes; coordinating records work with other divisions; hiring, training, and evaluating division staff; and monitoring both the quantity and quality of division work. The Deputy Director (ARM) also provides and promotes access to the Archives’ records collection by assisting research patrons and agency staff; by researching historical and legal queries as needed; by conducting building tours and workshops; and by managing special projects as assigned. In addition, the Deputy Director (ARM) may function as Interim Agency Director in the absence of the Agency Director and serve on division and agency committees as assigned. This is not a remote position, and most of the work will be performed at the SC Department of Archives and History in Columbia, SC.
Minimum and Additional Requirements
- Minimum of five years of management experience in positions of increasing responsibility in archives, manuscript repositories, libraries, or museums.
- A bachelor’s degree and graduate-level study in library or information science, history, public history, or a related field.
- Knowledge of the practices, principles, and procedures of archives administration.
- Knowledge of South Carolina and United States history.
- Ability to lead teams of staff and to work effectively with the public.
- The ability to organize, plan, and execute work goals in a timely and effective manner.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Elevated level of problem-solving and organizational skills.
- Must be willing to travel periodically both within and outside the state.
- Must be willing to periodically work evenings and weekends.
- Must be able to lift boxes of records weighing up to fifty pounds from above shoulder level to below knee level.
Preferred Qualifications
- Ten years of management experience in positions of increasing responsibility in archives, manuscript repositories, libraries, or museums.
- Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS); Master of Library Science (MLS); MA in Public History; MA in History, or a graduate-level degree in a related field.
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Find Archives Technician JobsArchives Technician Job Market
Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Education
- Non-Profit & Social Services
- Healthcare & Medical Services
What Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in archives technician jobs.
- Bachelor's degree in library science, history, or a related field
- Experience processing archival collections and creating finding aids
- Familiarity with archival management software such as ArchivesSpace
- Knowledge of descriptive standards including DACS, EAD, or Dublin Core
- Ability to handle, rehouse, and assess condition of physical materials
- Experience with digitization workflows and metadata entry
Tips for Your Archives Technician Job Search
Tailor your resume to archival standards
Hiring managers in archives roles scan for specific arrangement and description methods, like DACS or EAD. Name the finding aids you've created, the collections you've processed, and the volume of materials you've handled to give reviewers concrete evidence of your scope.
Highlight your digital preservation experience
Many postings now require hands-on work with digitization workflows, metadata schemas, or preservation storage systems. If you've used tools like ArchivesSpace, CONTENTdm, or Preservica, list them by name rather than describing your work in general terms.
Apply early to roles that fit
Migrate Mate lists archives technician openings from across the United States in one place, so you can find roles that match and apply directly to each listing.
Target postings by institution type
Federal archives technician roles carry different classification requirements than university or museum positions. Searching by institution type helps you find openings where your credentials and experience map directly to what the employer is actually assessing.
Prepare practical examples for skills assessments
Many archives technician interviews include a written or hands-on component, such as arranging a mock collection or describing a sample folder. Reviewing arrangement and description principles beforehand and practicing with real-world examples puts you ahead of candidates who only prepare verbally.
Follow up after submitting a federal application
Federal archives positions often move slowly through HR review. A brief, professional follow-up email to the hiring point of contact a few weeks after the application window closes signals sustained interest and sometimes surfaces information about where your application stands.
Archives Technician Jobs: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies are hiring the most archives technicians?
The most active employers for archives technicians right now are Howard University, Sewanee, and Brandeis University, and the most openings are in Ohio, Florida, and Georgia, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Government agencies and universities consistently account for a large share of active postings in this field.
How many archives technician jobs are remote?
About 0% of archives technician openings are fully remote or hybrid as of November 2026, reflecting the hands-on nature of most collections work. Digital archives roles, metadata projects, and processing tasks tied to born-digital collections tend to offer the most flexibility for remote arrangements.
How do you become an archives technician?
Start with a bachelor's degree in history, library science, or a related discipline, then gain hands-on experience through internships or volunteer work at a library, historical society, or government agency. Completing coursework or a certificate in archival studies, learning core descriptive standards like DACS, and building practical skills in a collections management system will round out your candidacy for most entry-level roles.
Can you get an archives technician job with little or no experience?
Yes, entry-level archives technician roles exist specifically for candidates with limited professional experience, particularly at universities and nonprofit institutions. Volunteer work processing a local historical society's collections, completing an archival internship during school, or participating in a digitization project can substitute for paid experience when you're applying to your first position.
What does the archives technician interview process look like?
Most archives technician interviews involve a phone or video screening followed by one or two in-person or virtual rounds with the hiring manager and sometimes a collections team. Candidates are frequently asked to walk through their processing experience, explain their approach to arrangement and description, and in some cases complete a practical exercise such as describing a sample folder or identifying preservation concerns in a mock collection.
Where can I find and apply to archives technician jobs?
You can find and apply to archives technician jobs on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings from across the United States. Search the listings to find roles that match your experience level and specialization, then apply directly to each one that fits.
See All 10 Archives Technician Jobs
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