Librarians and Media Collections Specialists Salary
Educational Instruction and Library Occupations · 134K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$68,270
Median hourly
$33
Average annual
$72,840
Typical range
$43,660–$103,990
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Librarians and Media Collections Specialists is $68,270 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $33 an hour at a full-time schedule.
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.
Most earn between $43,660 and $103,990 a year. There are roughly 134K people employed as librarians and media collections specialists in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Librarians and Media Collections Specialists.
- Hourly
- $32.82
- Daily
- $263
- Weekly
- $1,313
- Bi-weekly
- $2,626
- Monthly
- $5,689
- Annual
- $68,270
$68,270 a year is around the 50th percentile for Librarians and Media Collections Specialistss. The median is $68,270.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1Washington$100,030
- 2District of Columbia$96,550
- 3California$89,790
- 4Maryland$88,570
- 5Nevada$84,540
- 6Connecticut$79,210
- 7Alaska$78,810
- 8New York$78,590
- 9Massachusetts$78,540
- 10New Jersey$78,380
- 11Oregon$78,070
- 12Delaware$77,700
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1Naples-Marco Island, FL$106,550
- 2Kennewick-Richland, WA$105,240
- 3San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$103,240
- 4Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$101,780
- 5San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$101,490
- 6Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA$100,240
- 7Merced, CA$98,630
- 8Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$97,510
- 9Yakima, WA$96,250
- 10Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$95,480
- 11Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$94,380
- 12Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA$92,610
Related job titles
Employers advertise Librarians and Media Collections Specialists roles under these titles.
- Access Services Librarian
- Acquisitions Librarian
- Audio Visual Coordinator (AV Coordinator)
- Audio Visual Specialist (AV Specialist)
- Bibliographer
- Bookmobile Librarian
- Catalog Librarian
- Cataloger
- Catalogue Librarian
- Chemical Librarian
- Children's Librarian
- Circulation Manager
- Collection Development Librarian
- Digital Librarian
- Electronic Resources Librarian
- Elementary Librarian
Related occupations
What a Librarians and Media Collections Specialists does
- Check books in and out of the library.
- Teach library patrons basic computer skills, such as searching computerized databases.
- Review and evaluate materials, using book reviews, catalogs, faculty recommendations, and current holdings to select and order print, audio-visual, and electronic resources.
- Search standard reference materials, including online sources and the Internet, to answer patrons' reference questions.
- Plan and teach classes on topics such as information literacy, library instruction, and technology use.
- Confer with colleagues, faculty, and community members and organizations to conduct informational programs, make collection decisions, and determine library services to offer.
- Respond to customer complaints, taking action as necessary.
- Plan and deliver client-centered programs and services, such as special services for corporate clients, storytelling for children, newsletters, or programs for special groups.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Librarians and Media Collections Specialists make?
- The median annual wage for Librarians and Media Collections Specialists is $68,270 ($33 per hour). Pay ranges from about $43,660 at the 10th percentile to $103,990 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Librarians and Media Collections Specialists?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $72,840, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Librarians and Media Collections Specialistss the most?
- Washington has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $100,030.
- Is Librarians and Media Collections Specialists a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 134K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Librarians and Media Collections Specialists do?
- Check books in and out of the library.; Teach library patrons basic computer skills, such as searching computerized databases.; Review and evaluate materials, using book reviews, catalogs, faculty recommendations, and current holdings to select and order print, audio-visual, and electronic resources..