Salary

Average Salary: $52,930

Expected Lifetime Earnings: $2,209,722


As a professional outlet for your OCD, archiving is not a bad way to make a living. Your pay depends on what it is you are cataloging, and for whom. Funding sources for hiring archivists vary from employer to employer, so you'll want to make sure you can hang with the kinds of funds that come to your chosen specialty.

As with job opportunity, a better salary comes with a higher degree. Coming straight out of the gate with a bachelor's degree will probably land you an entry-level position in the high $20,000s to low $30,000s. A master's will certainly bump you up to the $45,000-to-start range, mostly because you'll have a specialized degree (source).  A PhD can double that, and your job will probably throw in the comfy chair as a bonus.

Unsurprisingly, the best paying jobs are in government archives. When you work for the National Archives and Records Administration (or NARA, NASA's more bookish older sibling), you're responsible for the preservation and organization of countless important documents of historical significance. Along with this incredible trust comes an incredible paycheck of at least $80,000, along with civil service perks like health care and pension.

 
To be fair, they have a pretty big house. (Source)

There are other jobs that have perks too, though. Most jobs for archivists can be found at colleges and universities (source), and grants funding your work will typically land a cool fifty grand in your pocket. Museums will pay you a little less, but the chances of working with ancient treasures may be worth it to you. Corporations, computer services, and motion picture production offices will pay more, but there are fewer of those jobs available (and everybody wants 'em). 

You can even make a decent wage archiving for religious institutions, although the bigger places like the Vatican usually like to hire in-house.