Department of Labor Logo United States Department of Labor
Dot gov

The .gov means it's official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2022

25-4022 Librarians and Media Collections Specialists

Administer and maintain libraries or collections of information, for public or private access through reference or borrowing. Work in a variety of settings, such as educational institutions, museums, and corporations, and with various types of informational materials, such as books, periodicals, recordings, films, and databases. Tasks may include acquiring, cataloging, and circulating library materials, and user services such as locating and organizing information, providing instruction on how to access information, and setting up and operating a library’s media equipment.


National estimates for Librarians and Media Collections Specialists
Industry profile for Librarians and Media Collections Specialists
Geographic profile for Librarians and Media Collections Specialists

National estimates for Librarians and Media Collections Specialists:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Librarians and Media Collections Specialists:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
131,680 0.8 % $ 31.14 $ 64,770 0.5 %

Percentile wage estimates for Librarians and Media Collections Specialists:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 17.43 $ 23.22 $ 29.65 $ 37.54 $ 47.43
Annual Wage (2) $ 36,260 $ 48,300 $ 61,660 $ 78,090 $ 98,650


Industry profile for Librarians and Media Collections Specialists:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Librarians and Media Collections Specialists are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Librarians and Media Collections Specialists, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Librarians and Media Collections Specialists:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Elementary and Secondary Schools 49,420 0.59 $ 32.38 $ 67,360
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 42,540 0.79 $ 28.35 $ 58,970
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 19,220 0.64 $ 33.18 $ 69,020
Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services 7,300 4.15 $ 28.33 $ 58,920
Junior Colleges 3,900 0.62 $ 35.64 $ 74,140

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Librarians and Media Collections Specialists:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services 7,300 4.15 $ 28.33 $ 58,920
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 42,540 0.79 $ 28.35 $ 58,970
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 19,220 0.64 $ 33.18 $ 69,020
Junior Colleges 3,900 0.62 $ 35.64 $ 74,140
Elementary and Secondary Schools 49,420 0.59 $ 32.38 $ 67,360

Top paying industries for Librarians and Media Collections Specialists:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) 1,240 0.06 $ 47.01 $ 97,780
Scientific Research and Development Services 310 0.04 $ 40.87 $ 85,020
Legal Services 690 0.06 $ 40.18 $ 83,570
Management of Companies and Enterprises 170 0.01 $ 38.10 $ 79,240
Grantmaking and Giving Services 50 0.04 $ 37.30 $ 77,580


Geographic profile for Librarians and Media Collections Specialists:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Librarians and Media Collections Specialists are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Librarians and Media Collections Specialists, see the Create Customized Tables function.



Map of employment of librarians and media collections specialists by state, May 2022


States with the highest employment level in Librarians and Media Collections Specialists:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York 11,970 1.31 1.48 $ 37.09 $ 77,140
California 9,760 0.55 0.62 $ 37.98 $ 78,990
Texas 9,700 0.75 0.84 $ 29.40 $ 61,150
Florida 5,880 0.64 0.72 $ 29.04 $ 60,410
Illinois 5,120 0.87 0.98 $ 30.67 $ 63,790


Map of location quotient of librarians and media collections specialists by state, May 2022


States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Librarians and Media Collections Specialists:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Vermont 590 2.00 2.24 $ 28.75 $ 59,800
New Hampshire 1,090 1.66 1.86 $ 29.59 $ 61,560
Louisiana 2,930 1.59 1.78 $ 27.55 $ 57,300
Rhode Island 720 1.51 1.70 $ 33.74 $ 70,190
Connecticut 2,400 1.47 1.65 $ 35.43 $ 73,700


Map of annual mean wages of librarians and media collections specialists by state, May 2022


Top paying states for Librarians and Media Collections Specialists:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 900 1.31 1.47 $ 43.08 $ 89,610
Washington 2,480 0.73 0.82 $ 42.17 $ 87,710
California 9,760 0.55 0.62 $ 37.98 $ 78,990
Maryland 3,500 1.33 1.49 $ 37.55 $ 78,100
New York 11,970 1.31 1.48 $ 37.09 $ 77,140



Map of employment of librarians and media collections specialists by area, May 2022


Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Librarians and Media Collections Specialists:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 11,110 1.21 1.36 $ 38.96 $ 81,040
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 3,790 0.86 0.96 $ 32.85 $ 68,330
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 3,760 1.24 1.39 $ 42.27 $ 87,920
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 3,540 1.31 1.47 $ 37.55 $ 78,100
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 3,070 0.50 0.56 $ 38.22 $ 79,500
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 2,810 0.74 0.83 $ 30.41 $ 63,240
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 2,390 0.86 0.97 $ 32.51 $ 67,610
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 2,170 0.79 0.89 $ 31.26 $ 65,020
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 1,860 0.61 0.68 $ 31.29 $ 65,070
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 1,690 0.90 1.01 $ 34.36 $ 71,470


Map of location quotient of librarians and media collections specialists by area, May 2022


Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Librarians and Media Collections Specialists:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
State College, PA 270 4.18 4.70 $ 30.72 $ 63,900
Gainesville, FL 360 2.61 2.94 $ 25.08 $ 52,170
Cumberland, MD-WV 90 2.46 2.77 $ 27.68 $ 57,570
Dover-Durham, NH-ME 110 2.19 2.46 $ 30.64 $ 63,720
Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA 150 2.18 2.45 $ 25.19 $ 52,400
Lawrence, KS 100 2.15 2.42 $ 30.86 $ 64,180
New Orleans-Metairie, LA 1,110 2.14 2.41 $ 28.20 $ 58,660
Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL 110 2.13 2.39 $ 24.14 $ 50,220
Muncie, IN 90 2.06 2.31 $ 24.52 $ 50,990
Charlottesville, VA 220 2.03 2.28 $ 34.38 $ 71,520


Map of annual mean wages of librarians and media collections specialists by area, May 2022


Top paying metropolitan areas for Librarians and Media Collections Specialists:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 1,460 0.72 0.80 $ 45.30 $ 94,220
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 1,630 0.68 0.77 $ 43.36 $ 90,190
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 730 0.65 0.73 $ 43.08 $ 89,600
Olympia-Tumwater, WA 70 0.59 0.66 $ 42.76 $ 88,950
Kennewick-Richland, WA 70 0.58 0.65 $ 42.45 $ 88,300
Bremerton-Silverdale, WA 110 1.16 1.31 $ 42.33 $ 88,040
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 3,760 1.24 1.39 $ 42.27 $ 87,920
Yakima, WA 80 0.87 0.98 $ 40.08 $ 83,370
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA 90 0.46 0.52 $ 39.81 $ 82,810
Modesto, CA 60 0.33 0.37 $ 39.81 $ 82,800

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Librarians and Media Collections Specialists:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 490 1.29 1.45 $ 22.09 $ 45,950
North Northeastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area (noncontiguous) 360 1.12 1.26 $ 18.35 $ 38,160
Southeast Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area 330 1.97 2.22 $ 22.57 $ 46,950
Southwest Maine nonmetropolitan area 330 1.74 1.95 $ 26.94 $ 56,040
West Central-Southwest New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 300 3.06 3.44 $ 29.69 $ 61,740

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Librarians and Media Collections Specialists:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
West Central-Southwest New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 300 3.06 3.44 $ 29.69 $ 61,740
Northern New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 100 2.98 3.35 $ 22.17 $ 46,110
Connecticut nonmetropolitan area 100 2.97 3.34 $ 27.58 $ 57,370
East-Central Montana nonmetropolitan area 170 2.73 3.06 $ 24.73 $ 51,430
Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area 180 2.66 2.99 $ 26.61 $ 55,360

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Librarians and Media Collections Specialists:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area 150 2.50 2.81 $ 33.57 $ 69,820
Northwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area 110 0.88 0.98 $ 32.82 $ 68,270
Eastern Washington nonmetropolitan area 100 1.03 1.15 $ 32.00 $ 66,570
North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area 110 1.04 1.17 $ 31.64 $ 65,800
Maryland nonmetropolitan area 100 1.71 1.92 $ 31.28 $ 65,060


About May 2022 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OEWS estimates and related information:

May 2022 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: April 25, 2023