Library Technicians
Library Technicians (SOC 25-4031) earn a median $44,580 a year ($21.43 an hour) in the United States, with 68,690 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Washington.
What library technicians do
Library technicians support librarians by guiding readers through catalogs, databases, and indexes to find books and other materials, and by handling questions that need only a quick look at standard reference works. They reserve, circulate, renew, and discharge materials, sort and shelve books and other media, remove or repair damaged items, register patrons, and enter and update patron records on computers. They also process and catalog print and non-print materials for the collection, deliver and retrieve items throughout the library by hand or with a pushcart, and refer harder reference questions to librarians. They help teachers and students locate materials and use audio-visual equipment, computers, and electronic resources. The category includes bookmobile drivers who help provide services in mobile libraries. Alternate titles include book shelver, book sorter, and cataloging library technical assistant. The work differs from that of librarians, who administer collections and services.
Typical entry: According to O*NET, the most commonly reported level of education for this occupation is a bachelor's degree.
Also called: Accessioner, Audio-Visual Aide, Bibliographer, Bindery Library Technical Assistant, Book Shelver.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $14.09 | $17.18 | $21.43 | $25.21 | $30.33 | $21.88 | 68,690 |
| Annual | $29,300 | $35,740 | $44,580 | $52,430 | $63,080 | $45,500 | ||
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 library technicians 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 | $24.19 | $27.33 | $30.08 | $36.43 | $36.95 | $31.03 | 1,850 | 0.52 | 1.18 |
| Annual | $50,310 | $56,850 | $62,570 | $75,780 | $76,860 | $64,550 | ||||
| District of Columbia | Hourly | $23.54 | $27.74 | $29.35 | $31.62 | $34.96 | $29.95 | 390 | 0.56 | 1.27 |
| Annual | $48,960 | $57,700 | $61,040 | $65,760 | $72,720 | $62,300 | ||||
| Connecticut | Hourly | $16.35 | $19.22 | $27.43 | $33.74 | $38.55 | $27.67 | 930 | 0.55 | 1.25 |
| Annual | $34,010 | $39,980 | $57,060 | $70,170 | $80,180 | $57,550 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $19.35 | $21.91 | $25.61 | $29.97 | $36.96 | $26.95 | 7,190 | 0.40 | 0.89 |
| Annual | $40,260 | $45,570 | $53,260 | $62,330 | $76,880 | $56,050 | ||||
| Minnesota | Hourly | $16.51 | $22.10 | $24.57 | $29.45 | $30.52 | $24.97 | 1,180 | 0.40 | 0.90 |
| Annual | $34,340 | $45,970 | $51,110 | $61,260 | $63,480 | $51,930 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $19.35 | $21.91 | $25.61 | $29.97 | $36.96 | $26.95 | 7,190 | 0.40 | 0.89 |
| Annual | $40,260 | $45,570 | $53,260 | $62,330 | $76,880 | $56,050 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $13.87 | $16.67 | $18.58 | $22.07 | $23.66 | $19.08 | 5,180 | 0.37 | 0.83 |
| Annual | $28,840 | $34,670 | $38,640 | $45,900 | $49,210 | $39,680 | ||||
| Ohio | Hourly | $13.51 | $15.70 | $18.23 | $22.20 | $27.92 | $19.28 | 4,020 | 0.72 | 1.64 |
| Annual | $28,090 | $32,650 | $37,920 | $46,170 | $58,060 | $40,100 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $16.46 | $20.69 | $24.07 | $30.08 | $36.57 | $26.23 | 3,390 | 0.35 | 0.79 |
| Annual | $34,240 | $43,030 | $50,060 | $62,570 | $76,060 | $54,550 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $16.66 | $18.26 | $19.75 | $23.19 | $27.69 | $21.07 | 3,070 | 0.31 | 0.70 |
| Annual | $34,660 | $37,970 | $41,080 | $48,230 | $57,580 | $43,830 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | Hourly | $24.67 | $28.75 | $31.58 | $36.44 | $36.95 | $32.17 | 1,290 | 0.62 | 1.39 |
| Annual | $51,310 | $59,790 | $65,690 | $75,790 | $76,860 | $66,910 | ||||
| Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | Hourly | $24.29 | $26.89 | $31.56 | $33.15 | $33.15 | $30.49 | 60 | 0.43 | 0.97 |
| Annual | $50,520 | $55,940 | $65,630 | $68,960 | $68,960 | $63,430 | ||||
| New Haven, CT | Hourly | $19.22 | $24.69 | $30.75 | $38.55 | $44.82 | $32.56 | 230 | 0.82 | 1.86 |
| Annual | $39,980 | $51,360 | $63,970 | $80,180 | $93,230 | $67,720 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $22.98 | $24.91 | $30.62 | $39.03 | $49.89 | $33.89 | 730 | 0.31 | 0.70 |
| Annual | $47,790 | $51,820 | $63,690 | $81,180 | $103,770 | $70,490 | ||||
| Yakima, WA | Hourly | $20.91 | $23.87 | $30.42 | $30.42 | $30.42 | $28.14 | 40 | 0.46 | 1.05 |
| Annual | $43,480 | $49,640 | $63,270 | $63,270 | $63,270 | $58,540 | ||||
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 | $16.87 | $22.38 | $25.02 | $30.11 | $36.70 | $26.91 | 2,850 | 0.30 | 0.68 |
| Annual | $35,100 | $46,550 | $52,040 | $62,630 | $76,340 | $55,960 | ||||
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | Hourly | $19.43 | $22.95 | $27.54 | $30.63 | $37.44 | $27.67 | 2,060 | 0.66 | 1.49 |
| Annual | $40,410 | $47,740 | $57,290 | $63,710 | $77,880 | $57,550 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $19.36 | $20.47 | $24.03 | $30.07 | $36.67 | $26.16 | 1,940 | 0.31 | 0.70 |
| Annual | $40,260 | $42,580 | $49,980 | $62,540 | $76,270 | $54,400 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $17.43 | $18.37 | $22.64 | $27.71 | $30.24 | $23.70 | 1,520 | 0.34 | 0.76 |
| Annual | $36,260 | $38,220 | $47,100 | $57,640 | $62,910 | $49,290 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $14.40 | $17.64 | $19.59 | $22.09 | $23.28 | $19.59 | 1,510 | 0.37 | 0.85 |
| Annual | $29,940 | $36,700 | $40,740 | $45,950 | $48,430 | $40,750 | ||||
Top industries employing library technicians
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) employ 58.6% of library technicians nationally (40,250 jobs) at a median $40,260 a year ($19.36 an hour), followed by Elementary and Secondary Schools (15.6%) and Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (13.7%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999300 | 40,250 | 58.6% | $40,260 | $19.36 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools NAICS 611100 | 10,730 | 15.6% | $45,590 | $21.92 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools NAICS 611300 | 9,440 | 13.7% | $48,320 | $23.23 |
| Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services NAICS 519200 | 3,790 | 5.5% | $46,340 | $22.28 |
| Junior Colleges NAICS 611200 | 2,230 | 3.2% | $44,630 | $21.46 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (68,690). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $36,970 for library technicians in May 2021 and $44,580 in May 2025, with employment of 73,000 and 68,690.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $36,970 | $17.78 | 73,000 |
| May 2022 | $37,600 | $18.08 | 73,330 |
| May 2023 | $39,310 | $18.90 | 76,670 |
| May 2024 | $39,970 | $19.22 | 73,770 |
| May 2025 | $44,580 | $21.43 | 68,690 |
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 | $30.08 | $62,570 | $50,310 | $76,860 | 1,850 | 0.52 | 1.18 |
| 2 | District of Columbia profile | $29.35 | $61,040 | $48,960 | $72,720 | 390 | 0.56 | 1.27 |
| 3 | Connecticut profile | $27.43 | $57,060 | $34,010 | $80,180 | 930 | 0.55 | 1.25 |
| 4 | California profile | $25.61 | $53,260 | $40,260 | $76,880 | 7,190 | 0.40 | 0.89 |
| 5 | Minnesota profile | $24.57 | $51,110 | $34,340 | $63,480 | 1,180 | 0.40 | 0.90 |
| 6 | Hawaii profile | $24.46 | $50,870 | $41,800 | $61,870 | 110 | 0.18 | 0.40 |
| 7 | Massachusetts profile | $24.24 | $50,430 | $38,450 | $64,980 | 1,910 | 0.52 | 1.19 |
| 8 | Vermont profile | $24.08 | $50,090 | $37,400 | $60,760 | 150 | 0.48 | 1.10 |
| 9 | New York profile | $24.07 | $50,060 | $34,240 | $76,060 | 3,390 | 0.35 | 0.79 |
| 10 | Oregon profile | $24.02 | $49,970 | $38,070 | $62,520 | 1,810 | 0.92 | 2.09 |
| 11 | Maryland profile | $23.52 | $48,920 | $36,170 | $75,460 | 1,980 | 0.72 | 1.62 |
| 12 | New Jersey profile | $23.48 | $48,840 | $32,220 | $69,730 | 1,060 | 0.25 | 0.56 |
| 13 | Rhode Island profile | $23.43 | $48,740 | $31,200 | $64,120 | 160 | 0.33 | 0.74 |
| 14 | New Hampshire profile | $23.39 | $48,650 | $31,200 | $62,440 | 280 | 0.42 | 0.94 |
| 15 | Delaware profile | $22.88 | $47,580 | $34,830 | $60,560 | 210 | 0.42 | 0.96 |
| 16 | Illinois profile | $22.66 | $47,120 | $33,780 | $63,170 | 2,140 | 0.35 | 0.79 |
| 17 | Alaska profile | $22.57 | $46,940 | $35,810 | $62,590 | 220 | 0.68 | 1.53 |
| 18 | Colorado profile | $22.44 | $46,680 | $36,230 | $58,740 | 2,250 | 0.78 | 1.77 |
| 19 | North Carolina profile | $22.37 | $46,520 | $30,670 | $58,490 | 2,350 | 0.48 | 1.08 |
| 20 | Pennsylvania profile | $22.16 | $46,100 | $29,430 | $63,530 | 1,560 | 0.26 | 0.58 |
| 21 | Nevada profile | $21.95 | $45,650 | $30,290 | $62,030 | 410 | 0.26 | 0.59 |
| 22 | Virginia profile | $21.90 | $45,560 | $31,030 | $62,300 | 2,580 | 0.63 | 1.42 |
| 23 | Maine profile | $21.41 | $44,520 | $33,780 | $58,430 | 320 | 0.50 | 1.13 |
| 24 | Kansas profile | $20.17 | $41,960 | $31,480 | $57,190 | 480 | 0.33 | 0.76 |
| 25 | Florida profile | $19.75 | $41,080 | $34,660 | $57,580 | 3,070 | 0.31 | 0.70 |
| 26 | Arizona profile | $19.48 | $40,510 | $30,590 | $58,090 | 820 | 0.25 | 0.57 |
| 27 | Utah profile | $19.31 | $40,160 | $23,670 | $53,460 | 310 | 0.18 | 0.40 |
| 28 | North Dakota profile | $18.87 | $39,240 | $34,910 | $50,090 | 370 | 0.87 | 1.97 |
| 29 | Louisiana profile | $18.84 | $39,180 | $27,740 | $57,980 | 1,410 | 0.73 | 1.64 |
| 30 | Missouri profile | $18.83 | $39,160 | $29,580 | $48,120 | 1,360 | 0.46 | 1.05 |
| 31 | New Mexico profile | $18.67 | $38,830 | $29,160 | $56,140 | 540 | 0.62 | 1.41 |
| 32 | Texas profile | $18.58 | $38,640 | $28,840 | $49,210 | 5,180 | 0.37 | 0.83 |
| 33 | Iowa profile | $18.55 | $38,590 | $28,230 | $61,570 | 1,510 | 0.97 | 2.19 |
| 34 | Montana profile | $18.37 | $38,220 | $28,690 | $56,080 | 370 | 0.73 | 1.66 |
| 35 | Ohio profile | $18.23 | $37,920 | $28,090 | $58,060 | 4,020 | 0.72 | 1.64 |
| 36 | Georgia profile | $17.94 | $37,320 | $27,420 | $48,010 | 2,130 | 0.44 | 0.99 |
| 37 | Alabama profile | $17.86 | $37,150 | $29,190 | $48,380 | 390 | 0.18 | 0.42 |
| 38 | Nebraska profile | $17.75 | $36,920 | $28,730 | $51,060 | 710 | 0.69 | 1.56 |
| 39 | Tennessee profile | $17.50 | $36,400 | $20,980 | $51,120 | 390 | 0.12 | 0.27 |
| 40 | South Carolina profile | $17.34 | $36,070 | $23,690 | $49,800 | 650 | 0.28 | 0.64 |
| 41 | Kentucky profile | $17.16 | $35,700 | $28,550 | $49,460 | 670 | 0.34 | 0.76 |
| 42 | Indiana profile | $17.10 | $35,560 | $25,110 | $47,090 | 1,470 | 0.46 | 1.04 |
| 43 | Wisconsin profile | $16.83 | $35,000 | $23,080 | $51,230 | 2,890 | 0.98 | 2.22 |
| 44 | Michigan profile | $16.67 | $34,680 | $25,960 | $51,990 | 2,180 | 0.50 | 1.12 |
| 45 | Idaho profile | $16.59 | $34,510 | $24,960 | $46,100 | 520 | 0.60 | 1.37 |
| 46 | West Virginia profile | $14.57 | $30,300 | $27,010 | $47,560 | 280 | 0.40 | 0.91 |
| 47 | South Dakota profile | $14.23 | $29,590 | $26,060 | $47,600 | 650 | 1.41 | 3.20 |
| 48 | Oklahoma profile | $14.15 | $29,440 | $22,520 | $48,290 | 830 | 0.48 | 1.10 |
| 49 | Arkansas profile | $13.73 | $28,570 | $25,800 | $39,010 | 390 | 0.30 | 0.67 |
| 50 | Mississippi profile | $13.02 | $27,080 | $22,420 | $45,050 | 270 | 0.24 | 0.53 |
| 51 | Wyoming profile | $12.91 | $26,850 | $25,930 | $49,120 | 400 | 1.41 | 3.19 |
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 25-4031 Library Technicians.
- 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 25-4031, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 25-4031.00, 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.