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Field of degree: Library science

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Library science field of degree. Employment: 25,980. Median annual wage: $60,000.

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Table 1. Library science degree, 2024
Data	Library science	All fields
Employment	25,980	65,886,610
Median wage	60,000	73,000
Percent employed part time	25	15
Percent employed in occupations requiring at least a bachelor's degree	57	61
Percent with an advanced degree	69	39
Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

Chart 1. Type of library science major, 2024.

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Chart 1. Type of library science, 2024
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.

Chart 2. Employment distribution of workers with a library science degree, by occupational group, 2024.

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Chart 2. Employment distribution of workers with a library science degree, by occupational group, 2024
Occupational group	Occupational group share
Educational instruction and library occupations	38
Office and administrative support occupations	13
Management occupations	12
Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations	7
Healthcare support occupations	5
Other	26
Note: The sum of percents by major may not total 100 due to rounding. Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

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, 2024	Percent of this occupation with an advanced degree, 2024	Percent growth, projected 2025–35	Typical entry-level education
Librarians and media collections specialists	27	58	3	Master's degree
Elementary school teachers, except special education	5	50	0	Bachelor's degree
Registered nurses	5	14	6	Bachelor's degree
Library assistants, clerical	4	9	-6	High school diploma or equivalent
Managers, all other	4	22	5	Bachelor's degree
Home health and personal care aides	3	4	18	High school diploma or equivalent
Office and administrative support workers, all other	3	13	-7	High school diploma or equivalent
Transportation, storage, and distribution managers	3	9	6	High school diploma or equivalent
Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary	2	57	0	Master's degree
Health specialties teachers, postsecondary	2	75	18	Doctoral or professional degree
Note: Occupational profiles may comprise multiple SOC occupations, which may have differing education categories. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and U.S. Census Bureau.

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 October 29, 2026).

Last modified date: October 29, 2026