Librarians and Media Collections Specialists
Librarians and Media Collections Specialists (SOC 25-4022) earn a median $68,270 a year ($32.82 an hour) in the United States, with 133,790 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Washington.
What librarians and media collections specialists do
Librarians and media collections specialists run libraries and information collections that people use through reference services or borrowing, in public or private settings. They work in settings such as educational institutions, museums, and corporations, with materials such as books, periodicals, recordings, films, and databases. They review and evaluate materials using book reviews, catalogs, and recommendations, search standard reference sources to answer questions, analyze patrons' requests to find the information needed, and keep circulation and inventory records and catalogs up to date. They teach patrons basic computer skills such as searching databases, plan and teach classes on information literacy, and in some posts supervise library operations, budgeting, and personnel. The occupation also covers setting up and operating a library's media equipment, as in audio-visual specialist roles. Alternate titles include access services librarian, acquisitions librarian, and bibliographer. Library technicians, who help with routine tasks, are a separate occupation.
Typical entry: According to O*NET, the most commonly reported level of education for this occupation is a master's degree.
Also called: Access Services Librarian, Acquisitions Librarian, Audio Visual Aids Technician, Audio Visual Collections Coordinator, Audio Visual Commissioning Specialist.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $20.99 | $27.07 | $32.82 | $40.62 | $50.00 | $35.02 | 133,790 |
| Annual | $43,660 | $56,310 | $68,270 | $84,480 | $103,990 | $72,840 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where librarians and media collections specialists earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Washington | Hourly | $30.98 | $38.79 | $48.09 | $56.99 | $62.35 | $47.37 | 2,750 | 0.77 | 0.90 |
| Annual | $64,440 | $80,690 | $100,030 | $118,540 | $129,690 | $98,530 | ||||
| District of Columbia | Hourly | $30.55 | $37.00 | $46.42 | $52.30 | $60.90 | $46.42 | 960 | 1.36 | 1.59 |
| Annual | $63,540 | $76,960 | $96,550 | $108,780 | $126,660 | $96,550 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $24.40 | $31.99 | $43.17 | $52.31 | $63.88 | $44.38 | 10,180 | 0.56 | 0.65 |
| Annual | $50,750 | $66,540 | $89,790 | $108,800 | $132,870 | $92,300 | ||||
| Maryland | Hourly | $27.59 | $32.86 | $42.58 | $50.52 | $59.57 | $43.04 | 3,220 | 1.16 | 1.35 |
| Annual | $57,380 | $68,350 | $88,570 | $105,070 | $123,910 | $89,530 | ||||
| Nevada | Hourly | $27.07 | $32.05 | $40.64 | $45.75 | $49.49 | $39.22 | 610 | 0.39 | 0.45 |
| Annual | $56,310 | $66,670 | $84,540 | $95,150 | $102,940 | $81,580 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York | Hourly | $25.17 | $30.52 | $37.79 | $47.85 | $62.48 | $40.81 | 11,870 | 1.23 | 1.42 |
| Annual | $52,340 | $63,490 | $78,590 | $99,530 | $129,970 | $84,890 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $24.40 | $31.99 | $43.17 | $52.31 | $63.88 | $44.38 | 10,180 | 0.56 | 0.65 |
| Annual | $50,750 | $66,540 | $89,790 | $108,800 | $132,870 | $92,300 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $23.67 | $29.45 | $34.55 | $39.28 | $48.46 | $34.81 | 9,150 | 0.65 | 0.76 |
| Annual | $49,240 | $61,260 | $71,860 | $81,710 | $100,790 | $72,400 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $23.71 | $28.73 | $32.24 | $37.32 | $44.35 | $32.95 | 6,670 | 0.67 | 0.78 |
| Annual | $49,320 | $59,750 | $67,060 | $77,620 | $92,240 | $68,540 | ||||
| Illinois | Hourly | $18.58 | $23.91 | $30.14 | $38.80 | $49.78 | $33.38 | 5,390 | 0.88 | 1.03 |
| Annual | $38,650 | $49,720 | $62,700 | $80,690 | $103,540 | $69,420 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Naples-Marco Island, FL | Hourly | $29.66 | $33.33 | $51.23 | $59.96 | $59.96 | $46.21 | 90 | 0.51 | 0.59 |
| Annual | $61,690 | $69,330 | $106,550 | $124,710 | $124,710 | $96,130 | ||||
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | Hourly | $31.83 | $40.27 | $50.59 | $57.00 | $60.68 | $47.57 | 90 | 0.71 | 0.83 |
| Annual | $66,210 | $83,770 | $105,240 | $118,550 | $126,200 | $98,940 | ||||
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | Hourly | $27.52 | $40.35 | $49.64 | $59.49 | $71.03 | $49.83 | 700 | 0.62 | 0.72 |
| Annual | $57,250 | $83,930 | $103,240 | $123,740 | $147,740 | $103,650 | ||||
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | Hourly | $38.66 | $45.30 | $48.93 | $61.07 | $63.01 | $50.67 | 1,590 | 0.76 | 0.89 |
| Annual | $80,400 | $94,230 | $101,780 | $127,020 | $131,060 | $105,400 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $29.42 | $37.63 | $48.79 | $58.89 | $62.84 | $48.64 | 1,940 | 0.82 | 0.95 |
| Annual | $61,200 | $78,260 | $101,490 | $122,500 | $130,710 | $101,170 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $29.51 | $33.55 | $39.26 | $49.77 | $63.18 | $43.21 | 10,690 | 1.13 | 1.31 |
| Annual | $61,380 | $69,770 | $81,670 | $103,520 | $131,410 | $89,870 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $22.54 | $28.57 | $31.85 | $44.50 | $54.40 | $36.10 | 3,740 | 0.83 | 0.96 |
| Annual | $46,870 | $59,420 | $66,250 | $92,560 | $113,150 | $75,090 | ||||
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | Hourly | $25.04 | $30.78 | $38.20 | $47.59 | $54.73 | $39.41 | 3,660 | 1.35 | 1.57 |
| Annual | $52,080 | $64,010 | $79,450 | $98,990 | $113,830 | $81,970 | ||||
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | Hourly | $29.95 | $37.00 | $45.90 | $52.98 | $60.90 | $45.41 | 3,630 | 1.16 | 1.35 |
| Annual | $62,290 | $76,960 | $95,480 | $110,200 | $126,660 | $94,460 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $26.25 | $36.41 | $46.88 | $49.48 | $64.47 | $45.52 | 3,270 | 0.52 | 0.61 |
| Annual | $54,600 | $75,730 | $97,510 | $102,910 | $134,100 | $94,680 | ||||
Top industries employing librarians and media collections specialists
Elementary and Secondary Schools employ 37.0% of librarians and media collections specialists nationally (49,440 jobs) at a median $74,130 a year ($35.64 an hour), followed by Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) (33.5%) and Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (14.3%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary and Secondary Schools NAICS 611100 | 49,440 | 37.0% | $74,130 | $35.64 |
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999300 | 44,820 | 33.5% | $62,860 | $30.22 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools NAICS 611300 | 19,130 | 14.3% | $74,500 | $35.82 |
| Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services NAICS 519200 | 6,950 | 5.2% | $60,360 | $29.02 |
| Junior Colleges NAICS 611200 | 4,290 | 3.2% | $74,520 | $35.83 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (133,790). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $61,190 for librarians and media collections specialists in May 2021 and $68,270 in May 2025, with employment of 127,790 and 133,790.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $61,190 | $29.42 | 127,790 |
| May 2022 | $61,660 | $29.65 | 131,680 |
| May 2023 | $64,370 | $30.95 | 133,760 |
| May 2024 | $64,320 | $30.92 | 131,830 |
| May 2025 | $68,270 | $32.82 | 133,790 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
51 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington profile | $48.09 | $100,030 | $64,440 | $129,690 | 2,750 | 0.77 | 0.90 |
| 2 | District of Columbia profile | $46.42 | $96,550 | $63,540 | $126,660 | 960 | 1.36 | 1.59 |
| 3 | California profile | $43.17 | $89,790 | $50,750 | $132,870 | 10,180 | 0.56 | 0.65 |
| 4 | Maryland profile | $42.58 | $88,570 | $57,380 | $123,910 | 3,220 | 1.16 | 1.35 |
| 5 | Nevada profile | $40.64 | $84,540 | $56,310 | $102,940 | 610 | 0.39 | 0.45 |
| 6 | Connecticut profile | $38.08 | $79,210 | $50,340 | $116,720 | 2,550 | 1.50 | 1.75 |
| 7 | Alaska profile | $37.89 | $78,810 | $48,760 | $98,530 | 350 | 1.09 | 1.27 |
| 8 | New York profile | $37.79 | $78,590 | $52,340 | $129,970 | 11,870 | 1.23 | 1.42 |
| 9 | Massachusetts profile | $37.76 | $78,540 | $50,260 | $109,060 | 4,980 | 1.37 | 1.59 |
| 10 | New Jersey profile | $37.69 | $78,380 | $56,320 | $107,050 | 4,100 | 0.96 | 1.11 |
| 11 | Oregon profile | $37.53 | $78,070 | $43,740 | $116,250 | 1,690 | 0.86 | 1.00 |
| 12 | Delaware profile | $37.35 | $77,700 | $56,940 | $102,160 | 370 | 0.77 | 0.89 |
| 13 | Minnesota profile | $37.33 | $77,650 | $48,040 | $99,990 | 2,220 | 0.75 | 0.88 |
| 14 | Virginia profile | $37.23 | $77,430 | $48,510 | $107,600 | 4,590 | 1.12 | 1.30 |
| 15 | Georgia profile | $36.90 | $76,750 | $48,500 | $101,730 | 3,330 | 0.68 | 0.79 |
| 16 | Colorado profile | $36.77 | $76,480 | $51,200 | $101,280 | 1,990 | 0.69 | 0.80 |
| 17 | Rhode Island profile | $36.47 | $75,860 | $50,040 | $100,990 | 780 | 1.55 | 1.80 |
| 18 | Texas profile | $34.55 | $71,860 | $49,240 | $100,790 | 9,150 | 0.65 | 0.76 |
| 19 | Hawaii profile | $32.82 | $68,270 | $51,280 | $97,760 | 300 | 0.48 | 0.56 |
| 20 | Florida profile | $32.24 | $67,060 | $49,320 | $92,240 | 6,670 | 0.67 | 0.78 |
| 21 | Wisconsin profile | $32.15 | $66,870 | $46,350 | $85,970 | 2,450 | 0.83 | 0.97 |
| 22 | Kentucky profile | $31.35 | $65,200 | $45,950 | $85,190 | 1,980 | 0.99 | 1.15 |
| 23 | Alabama profile | $31.08 | $64,650 | $37,890 | $78,310 | 2,750 | 1.30 | 1.51 |
| 24 | Nebraska profile | $30.80 | $64,060 | $33,820 | $92,860 | 1,200 | 1.17 | 1.36 |
| 25 | Montana profile | $30.71 | $63,870 | $40,750 | $84,440 | 640 | 1.24 | 1.45 |
| 26 | New Hampshire profile | $30.57 | $63,580 | $40,560 | $94,300 | 1,150 | 1.68 | 1.95 |
| 27 | Pennsylvania profile | $30.23 | $62,880 | $37,240 | $98,490 | 5,050 | 0.83 | 0.97 |
| 28 | North Dakota profile | $30.21 | $62,830 | $36,400 | $98,000 | 570 | 1.32 | 1.53 |
| 29 | Illinois profile | $30.14 | $62,700 | $38,650 | $103,540 | 5,390 | 0.88 | 1.03 |
| 30 | South Carolina profile | $30.12 | $62,640 | $36,490 | $92,890 | 2,130 | 0.92 | 1.07 |
| 31 | New Mexico profile | $30.06 | $62,530 | $41,600 | $97,490 | 580 | 0.67 | 0.78 |
| 32 | Vermont profile | $29.98 | $62,360 | $36,390 | $86,070 | 600 | 1.97 | 2.29 |
| 33 | Tennessee profile | $29.85 | $62,090 | $36,860 | $80,140 | 2,540 | 0.78 | 0.90 |
| 34 | Kansas profile | $29.76 | $61,900 | $34,780 | $80,570 | 1,620 | 1.13 | 1.31 |
| 35 | North Carolina profile | $29.53 | $61,420 | $44,600 | $83,650 | 4,010 | 0.81 | 0.94 |
| 36 | Louisiana profile | $29.16 | $60,650 | $46,800 | $78,240 | 2,130 | 1.10 | 1.28 |
| 37 | Ohio profile | $29.15 | $60,630 | $39,710 | $92,900 | 4,820 | 0.87 | 1.01 |
| 38 | Arizona profile | $29.09 | $60,500 | $35,730 | $96,490 | 1,990 | 0.61 | 0.71 |
| 39 | Michigan profile | $28.85 | $60,010 | $39,450 | $89,750 | 3,940 | 0.89 | 1.04 |
| 40 | Maine profile | $28.62 | $59,540 | $36,580 | $83,640 | 780 | 1.22 | 1.42 |
| 41 | Missouri profile | $28.22 | $58,700 | $34,510 | $86,850 | 2,970 | 1.01 | 1.17 |
| 42 | Iowa profile | $28.09 | $58,440 | $31,620 | $86,600 | 1,770 | 1.14 | 1.32 |
| 43 | Oklahoma profile | $27.97 | $58,180 | $32,350 | $82,650 | 1,820 | 1.06 | 1.24 |
| 44 | Mississippi profile | $27.39 | $56,970 | $29,340 | $68,970 | 1,060 | 0.91 | 1.06 |
| 45 | Arkansas profile | $27.31 | $56,800 | $31,640 | $73,210 | 1,490 | 1.15 | 1.33 |
| 46 | Idaho profile | $26.03 | $54,130 | $35,940 | $90,950 | 650 | 0.76 | 0.88 |
| 47 | Utah profile | $25.83 | $53,730 | $35,810 | $99,890 | 1,630 | 0.94 | 1.09 |
| 48 | Indiana profile | $25.72 | $53,500 | $32,520 | $79,300 | 1,920 | 0.60 | 0.70 |
| 49 | South Dakota profile | $24.62 | $51,210 | $37,760 | $77,500 | 490 | 1.08 | 1.25 |
| 50 | Wyoming profile | $22.37 | $46,530 | $27,990 | $74,290 | 440 | 1.57 | 1.82 |
| 51 | West Virginia profile | $20.66 | $42,980 | $29,910 | $63,130 | 610 | 0.87 | 1.01 |
Part of Educational Instruction and Library Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 25-4022 Librarians and Media Collections Specialists.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 25-4022, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 25-4022.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.