Becoming a librarian is sometimes thought of as a “labor of love;” an occupation that people enter more due to their commitment to the values of the career than a desire to make a lot of money.
But due to the significant educational investment that one must make in order to become a librarian (an undergrad degree plus a master’s program), most who enter the field do want to make sure that the job will provide enough financial support. So what type of salary do librarians make?
To cut right to the chase, the average salary for librarians is $56,360, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
However, because of the fact that librarian job descriptions are extremely diverse today, there is naturally a lot of variance.
Key Factors Affecting the Salary of Librarian Jobs
There are numerous factors to take into account when determining the salary of a particular librarian, including:
Type of library. Salaries will vary depending on the setting, for example a public, academic, school, government or corporate library. Corporate and academic jobs often tend to have higher salaries than public and school, but you cannot make any definite generalizations without taking into account other factors.
Job title/Primary job functions. Similarly, the main category of work, such as technical services, reference and instruction, cataloging and processing, or administration will also play a strong role in the salary level. As with most other fields, the higher level of responsibility, the higher the salary.
Level of education/experience. Most librarian positions require a variety of qualifications including a master’s in Library and Information science, but many academic positions require a subject master’s, while other librarians have a JD, MBA or even a PhD. These advanced degrees will naturally command a higher salary for the librarian. Also, experience gained in previous library positions plays a major role in determining pay, but the undergraduate major does not usually matter much.)
Geography/Location. As is the case with just about any job, librarian salaries vary from state to state (and country to country) due to economic differences. In general, large metropolitan areas will have higher salaries than rural or less developed locations. For example, the same BLS report linked above lists the mean annual salary for Wyoming to be $43,600, and the District of Columbia to be $68,690.
It is also important to remember that librarians are not the only ones who work in a library, and library assistants and technicians are not included in these statistics.
Since the required education ranges from a high school diploma to a bachelor’s degree and their jobs are limited to specific tasks, the salary is significantly lower to that of a librarian.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that library assistants and technicians earn on average from $10.55 to $17.77
Future Employment Outlook for Librarians
Some predict that librarian employment will show growth in the next decade as a generation of librarians reaches retirement age. This same prediction, however, has appeared for years and in many cases those positions have been consolidated, eliminated, or otherwise not filled.
So it’s not wise to bank on a major increase in open positions in the future especially in an era in which appropriate public spending for libraries is not always available.
However, opportunities for librarians and information professionals with advanced specialized research skills and technical proficiencies are being recruited by more corporations and non-traditional library settings.
The job is be changing rapidly due to profound technological changes. But even with the boom of information being published and distributed over the internet in electronic form, there will always be a need for skilled professionals to organize, evaluate and help others access it.
In many cases, some of these alternative and emerging job environments for librarians command even higher salaries, so that is undoubtedly a positive trend.
In conclusion, there are many details that can determine what salary a librarian will earn. Hopefully you know are armed with the knowledge to find a comfortable library position that is right for you.
References:
Librarians. Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2010. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Online Access
Library Technicians and Library Assistants. Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Online Access