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Field of degree: Library science

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Library science field of degree. Employment: 21,980. Median annual wage: $49,000.

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Table 1. Library science degree, 2021
Data	Library science	All fields
Employment	21,980	59,687,450
Median wage	49,000	63,000
Percent employed part time	19	14
Percent employed in occupations requiring at least a bachelor's degree	65	62
Percent with an advanced degree	67	38
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

Chart 1. Types of library science major, 2021.

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Chart 1. Types of library science, 2021
Library science major	Major share
Library Science	100%
Note: The sum of percents by major may not total 100 due to rounding. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

Chart 2. Employment distribution of workers with a library science degree, by occupational group, 2021.

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Chart 2. Employment distribution of workers with a library science degree, by occupational group, 2021
Occupational group	Occupational group share
Educational instruction and library occupations	51%
Office and administrative support occupations	12
Management occupations	9
Sales and related occupations	5
Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations	4
Other	19
Note: The sum of percents by major may not total 100 due to rounding. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

Table 2. Top-employing occupations for workers with a library science degree.

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Table 2. Top-employing occupations for workers with a library science degree
Occupational Outlook Handbook profile	Percent growth, projected 2022–32	Typical entry-level education	Percent degree holders in this field, this occupation, 2021	Percent of this occupation with an advanced degree, 2021
Accountants and auditors	4%	Bachelor's degree	2%	29%
Postsecondary teachers, all other	4	Doctoral or professional degree	3	72
Librarians and media collections specialists	3	Master's degree	32	57
Managers, all other	3	Bachelor's degree	4	21
Preschool teachers, except special education	3	Associate's degree	2	17
Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary	1	Master's degree	2	57
Elementary school teachers, except special education	1	Bachelor's degree	7	49
Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education	1	Bachelor's degree	2	55
Teaching assistants, except postsecondary	0	Some college, no degree	2	8
Secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive	-12	High school diploma or equivalent	3	5
Note: Occupational profiles may comprise multiple SOC occupations, which may have differing education categories. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (projected growth, entry-level education) and U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (degree holders, advanced degrees).

Suggested citation:

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Field of degree: Library science,
at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/field-of-degree/library-science/library-science-field-of-degree.htm (visited November 29, 2023).

Last Modified Date: Wednesday, September 6, 2023