Librarians and media collections specialists salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $43,660 | $20.99 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $68,270 | $32.82 |
| Mean (average) | $72,840 | $35.02 |
| 90th percentile | $103,990 | $50.00 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Librarians and media collections specialists pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 52 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $64,650 | $37,890 | $78,310 | 2,750 | 1.51 |
| Alaska | $78,810 | $48,760 | $98,530 | 350 | 1.27 |
| Arizona | $60,500 | $35,730 | $96,490 | 1,990 | 0.71 |
| Arkansas | $56,800 | $31,640 | $73,210 | 1,490 | 1.33 |
| California | $89,790 | $50,750 | $132,870 | 10,180 | 0.65 |
| Colorado | $76,480 | $51,200 | $101,280 | 1,990 | 0.8 |
| Connecticut | $79,210 | $50,340 | $116,720 | 2,550 | 1.75 |
| Delaware | $77,700 | $56,940 | $102,160 | 370 | 0.89 |
| District of Columbia | $96,550 | $63,540 | $126,660 | 960 | 1.59 |
| Florida | $67,060 | $49,320 | $92,240 | 6,670 | 0.78 |
| Georgia | $76,750 | $48,500 | $101,730 | 3,330 | 0.79 |
| Hawaii | $68,270 | $51,280 | $97,760 | 300 | 0.56 |
| Idaho | $54,130 | $35,940 | $90,950 | 650 | 0.88 |
| Illinois | $62,700 | $38,650 | $103,540 | 5,390 | 1.03 |
| Indiana | $53,500 | $32,520 | $79,300 | 1,920 | 0.7 |
| Iowa | $58,440 | $31,620 | $86,600 | 1,770 | 1.32 |
| Kansas | $61,900 | $34,780 | $80,570 | 1,620 | 1.31 |
| Kentucky | $65,200 | $45,950 | $85,190 | 1,980 | 1.15 |
| Louisiana | $60,650 | $46,800 | $78,240 | 2,130 | 1.28 |
| Maine | $59,540 | $36,580 | $83,640 | 780 | 1.42 |
| Maryland | $88,570 | $57,380 | $123,910 | 3,220 | 1.35 |
| Massachusetts | $78,540 | $50,260 | $109,060 | 4,980 | 1.59 |
| Michigan | $60,010 | $39,450 | $89,750 | 3,940 | 1.04 |
| Minnesota | $77,650 | $48,040 | $99,990 | 2,220 | 0.88 |
| Mississippi | $56,970 | $29,340 | $68,970 | 1,060 | 1.06 |
| Missouri | $58,700 | $34,510 | $86,850 | 2,970 | 1.17 |
| Montana | $63,870 | $40,750 | $84,440 | 640 | 1.45 |
| Nebraska | $64,060 | $33,820 | $92,860 | 1,200 | 1.36 |
| Nevada | $84,540 | $56,310 | $102,940 | 610 | 0.45 |
| New Hampshire | $63,580 | $40,560 | $94,300 | 1,150 | 1.95 |
| New Jersey | $78,380 | $56,320 | $107,050 | 4,100 | 1.11 |
| New Mexico | $62,530 | $41,600 | $97,490 | 580 | 0.78 |
| New York | $78,590 | $52,340 | $129,970 | 11,870 | 1.42 |
| North Carolina | $61,420 | $44,600 | $83,650 | 4,010 | 0.94 |
| North Dakota | $62,830 | $36,400 | $98,000 | 570 | 1.53 |
| Ohio | $60,630 | $39,710 | $92,900 | 4,820 | 1.01 |
| Oklahoma | $58,180 | $32,350 | $82,650 | 1,820 | 1.24 |
| Oregon | $78,070 | $43,740 | $116,250 | 1,690 | 1 |
| Pennsylvania | $62,880 | $37,240 | $98,490 | 5,050 | 0.97 |
| Puerto Rico | $51,610 | $29,690 | $74,190 | 1,310 | 1.63 |
| Rhode Island | $75,860 | $50,040 | $100,990 | 780 | 1.8 |
| South Carolina | $62,640 | $36,490 | $92,890 | 2,130 | 1.07 |
| South Dakota | $51,210 | $37,760 | $77,500 | 490 | 1.25 |
| Tennessee | $62,090 | $36,860 | $80,140 | 2,540 | 0.9 |
| Texas | $71,860 | $49,240 | $100,790 | 9,150 | 0.76 |
| Utah | $53,730 | $35,810 | $99,890 | 1,630 | 1.09 |
| Vermont | $62,360 | $36,390 | $86,070 | 600 | 2.29 |
| Virginia | $77,430 | $48,510 | $107,600 | 4,590 | 1.3 |
| Washington | $100,030 | $64,440 | $129,690 | 2,750 | 0.9 |
| West Virginia | $42,980 | $29,910 | $63,130 | 610 | 1.01 |
| Wisconsin | $66,870 | $46,350 | $85,970 | 2,450 | 0.97 |
| Wyoming | $46,530 | $27,990 | $74,290 | 440 | 1.82 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for librarians and media collections specialists
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 12,600. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for librarians and media collections specialists
- Typical entry education
- Master's degree
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- None
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: 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).
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- Educational/Instructional Technology CIP 13.0501
- School Librarian/School Library Media Specialist CIP 13.1334
- Library and Information Science CIP 25.0101
- Children and Youth Library Services CIP 25.0102
- Library Science and Administration, Other CIP 25.0199
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Search standard reference materials, including online sources and the Internet, to answer patrons' reference questions.
- Analyze patrons' requests to determine needed information and assist in furnishing or locating that information.
- Supervise daily library operations, budgeting, planning, and personnel activities, such as hiring, training, scheduling, and performance evaluations.
- Plan and teach classes on topics such as information literacy, library instruction, and technology use.
- Code, classify, and catalog books, publications, films, audio-visual aids, and other library materials, based on subject matter or standard library classification systems.
- Confer with colleagues, faculty, and community members and organizations to conduct informational programs, make collection decisions, and determine library services to offer.
- Review and evaluate materials, using book reviews, catalogs, faculty recommendations, and current holdings to select and order print, audio-visual, and electronic resources.
- Evaluate vendor products and performance, negotiate contracts, and place orders.
Technology skills
- Microsoft Excel (in demand)
- Microsoft Office software (in demand)
- Springshare LibGuides (in demand)
- Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Adobe After Effects (hot technology)
- Adobe Creative Cloud software (hot technology)
- Adobe Illustrator (hot technology)
- Adobe InDesign (hot technology)
- Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Autodesk AutoCAD (hot technology)
- Cascading style sheets CSS (hot technology)
- Extensible markup language XML (hot technology)
- Facebook (hot technology)
- Google Workspace software (hot technology)
- Hypertext markup language HTML (hot technology)
- JavaScript (hot technology)
Transferable skills for career changers: Service Orientation, Social Perceptiveness, Judgment and Decision Making, Instructing, Coordination, Complex Problem Solving.
Common job titles: Catalog Librarian, Cataloger, Librarian, Library Media Specialist, Reference and Instruction Librarian, Reference Librarian, Research Librarian, School Librarian, Technical Services Librarian, University Librarian.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do librarians and media collections specialists make?
The national median annual wage for librarians and media collections specialists was $68,270 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $43,660 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $103,990. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do librarians and media collections specialists need?
BLS lists master's degree as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and none on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is librarians and media collections specialists a growing career?
BLS projects employment of librarians and media collections specialists to change +2.6% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 12,600 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay librarians and media collections specialists the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were Washington ($100,030), District of Columbia ($96,550), California ($89,790). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.