The median pay for Document Management Specialists is $116,580 a year ($56.05/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to grow 5.1% through 2035, with about 27,000 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
- SOC 15-1299
- Computer and Mathematical
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Document Management Specialist in four numbers
- Median pay
- $116,580a year, or $56.05/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $56KTop 10% $188K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +5.1%Faster than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+5.1%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +5.1% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 27,000471,200 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 2025471.2K
- Projected 2035495.3K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 471.2K Projected 2035 495.3K - Typical education
- Bachelor'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- High school5%
- Associate's10%
- Bachelor's60%
- Post-bacc certificate10%
- Master's15%
Highest education held by document management specialists Segment Value High school 5% Associate's 10% Bachelor's 60% Post-bacc certificate 10% Master's 15%
Also advertised as: Business Records Manager, Certified Document Imaging Architect, Document Control Manager, Document Management Consultant, ECM Consultant (Enterprise Content Management Consultant), Electronic Content Manager.
Pay
How much do Document Management Specialists make?
Every document management specialist in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$116,580
Middle half earn $79,370 to $157,500
- 10th
- $55,940
- 25th
- $79,370
- 75th
- $157,500
- 90th
- $188,470
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $55,940 |
| 25th | $79,370 |
| Median | $116,580 |
| 75th | $157,500 |
| 90th | $188,470 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $116,580
- Median hourly wage
- $56.05/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $122,230
- People employed
- 435,370
Versus all US occupations
At $116,580, Document Management Specialists earn 129% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $65,600 a year.
Versus computer and mathematical occupations
The median is typical for the Computer and Mathematical group, where the middle occupation pays $116,580.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $188,470 or more while the bottom 10% earn $55,940, a gap of 3.4×. That is an unusually wide spread, which usually tracks specialisation, employer type and years of experience.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 82% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
District of Columbia pays the most at $156,590, and still leads at $142,483 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Document Management Specialists the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1District of Columbia | $156,590 | $142,483 | 17,200 |
| 2Maryland | $144,680 | $137,844 | 19,060 |
| 3Colorado | $139,580 | $135,446 | 11,800 |
| 4Virginia | $139,030 | $137,512 | 17,000 |
| 5Delaware | $137,470 | $137,734 | 860 |
| 6California | $134,440 | $121,423 | 80,150 |
| 7Washington | $128,940 | $120,490 | 14,360 |
| 8Connecticut | $127,720 | $123,270 | 3,100 |
| 9New Mexico | $127,090 | $137,824 | 1,650 |
| 10Hawaii | $120,100 | $109,230 | 2,080 |
Job outlook
Is Document Management Specialist a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Faster than average. +5.1% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Document Management Specialists | +5.1% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Faster than average
BLS projects employment of Document Management Specialists to change 5.1% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 24,200 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 27,000 openings are projected each year, 5.7% of the 471,200 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Document Management Specialist
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Bachelor's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Medium preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as document management specialists.
- Bachelor's Degree60%
- Master's Degree15%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree10%
- Post-Baccalaureate Certificate10%
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)5%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's Degree | 60% |
| Master's Degree | 15% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 10% |
| Post-Baccalaureate Certificate | 10% |
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 5% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Document Management Specialist do?
Implement and administer enterprise-wide document management systems and related procedures that allow organizations to capture, store, retrieve, share, and destroy electronic records and documents.
Day-to-day tasks
- Assist in the assessment, acquisition, or deployment of new electronic document management systems.
- Keep abreast of developments in document management technologies and techniques by reviewing current literature, talking with colleagues, participating in educational programs, attending meetings or workshops, or participating in professional organizations or conferences.
- Conduct needs assessments to identify document management requirements of departments or end users.
- Propose recommendations for improving content management system capabilities.
- Assist in determining document management policies to facilitate efficient, legal, and secure access to electronic content.
- Assist in the development of document or content classification taxonomies to facilitate information capture, search, and retrieval.
- Implement electronic document processing, retrieval, and distribution systems in collaboration with other information technology specialists.
- Identify and classify documents or other electronic content according to characteristics such as security level, function, and metadata.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayAlmost never works outdoors.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeSeated for more than half the working day.
Standing
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lot
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Reading Comprehension3.9
- Active Listening3.8
- Writing3.8
- Critical Thinking3.8
- Monitoring3.6
- Active Learning3.3
- Speaking3.1
- Learning Strategies3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 3.9 |
| Active Listening | 3.8 |
| Writing | 3.8 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.8 |
| Monitoring | 3.6 |
| Active Learning | 3.3 |
| Speaking | 3.1 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Complex Problem Solving3.6
- Systems Analysis3.6
- Systems Evaluation3.3
- Judgment and Decision Making3.1
- Time Management3.1
- Social Perceptiveness3.0
- Coordination3.0
- Instructing3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.6 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.6 |
| Systems Evaluation | 3.3 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.1 |
| Time Management | 3.1 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.0 |
| Coordination | 3.0 |
| Instructing | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Cloud-based management software · in demand
- Computer aided design CAD software · in demand
- Data base management system software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Data mining software · in demand
- Desktop publishing software · in demand
- Development environment software · in demand
- Document management software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Enterprise application integration software · in demand
- Graphics or photo imaging software · in demand
- Object or component oriented development software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Document Management Specialist?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Document Management Specialist |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 2 |
| Investigative | 4 |
| Artistic | 2 |
| Social | 2 |
| Enterprising | 3 |
| Conventional | 7 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around organising, following procedures and working precisely with data, combined with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data.
- Conventional6.7
- Investigative3.9
- Enterprising2.9
- Social2.3
- Artistic1.8
- Realistic1.8
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Document Management Specialist
O*NET related occupations
- Business and Financial Operations
- Computer and Mathematical
- Computer and Mathematical
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
Health Information Technologist and Medical Registrar
$68,020median a year
Most earn $40K to $117K
+15.9%Associate's - Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Computer and Mathematical
More computer and mathematical careers
Median annual pay, with document management specialists highlighted
- Software Developer$135,980
- Actuary$130,000
- Data Scientist$120,230
- Business Intelligence Analyst$120,230
- Document Management Specialist$116,580
- Database Administrator$104,620
- Web Designer$104,000
- Computer Programmer$100,390
- Web Developer$92,650
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Software Developer | $135,980 |
| Actuary | $130,000 |
| Data Scientist | $120,230 |
| Business Intelligence Analyst | $120,230 |
| Document Management Specialist | $116,580 |
| Database Administrator | $104,620 |
| Web Designer | $104,000 |
| Computer Programmer | $100,390 |
| Web Developer | $92,650 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Document Management Specialist appears on
Questions
Document Management Specialist: frequently asked questions
How much do Document Management Specialists make?
Document Management Specialists earn a median of $116,580 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). That is 129% above the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $56.05/hr. The middle half earn between $79,370 and $157,500. The top 10% earn $188,470 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Document Management Specialist?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Document Management Specialists, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as medium preparation. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 60.0% hold bachelor's degree.
Is Document Management Specialist a growing career?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 5.1% over 2025–2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 27,000 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Document Management Specialist do?
Implement and administer enterprise-wide document management systems and related procedures that allow organizations to capture, store, retrieve, share, and destroy electronic records and documents. A core O*NET task: assist in the assessment, acquisition, or deployment of new electronic document management systems. Employers most often ask for Cloud-based management software, Computer aided design CAD software, Data base management system software.
Which states pay Document Management Specialists the most?
The highest state medians for Document Management Specialists are District of Columbia ($156,590), Maryland ($144,680), Colorado ($139,580) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Document Management Specialist?
O*NET scores Document Management Specialists highest on the Conventional and Investigative interest areas, so the work mixes organising, following procedures and working precisely with data with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ISTJ, ESTJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.