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Field of degree: Library science

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Library science field of degree. Employment: 26,710. Median annual wage: $54,000.

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Table 1. Library science degree, 2023
Data	Library science	All fields
Employment	26,710	63,725,710
Median wage	54,000	70,000
Percent employed part time	21	15
Percent employed in occupations requiring at least a bachelor's degree	69	62
Percent with an advanced degree	71	38
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

Chart 1. Types of library science major, 2023.

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Chart 1. Types of library science, 2023
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, 2023.

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Chart 2. Employment distribution of workers with a library science degree, by occupational group, 2023
Occupational group	Occupational group share
Educational instruction and library occupations	50%
Management occupations	12
Office and administrative support occupations	11
Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations	5
Computer and mathematical occupations	4
Other	18
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
Occupation	Percent degree holders in this field, this occupation, 2023	Percent of this occupation with an advanced degree, 2023	Percent growth, projected 2024–34	Typical entry-level education
Librarians and media collections specialists	36%	59%	2%	Master's degree
Elementary school teachers, except special education	6	49	-2	Bachelor's degree
Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary	3	56	-2	Master's degree
Receptionists and information clerks	3	3	0	High school diploma or equivalent
Health specialties teachers, postsecondary	2	74	17	Doctoral or professional degree
Library assistants, clerical	2	10	-7	High school diploma or equivalent
Managers, all other	2	21	4	Bachelor's degree
Computer user support specialists	2	12	-4	Some college, no degree
Cashiers	2	2	-10	No formal educational credential
Secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive	2	5	-2	High school diploma or equivalent
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 August 28, 2025).

Last Modified Date: Thursday, August 28, 2025