How much does a librarian make?
a year · about $33 an hour
A typical librarian in the United States makes $68,270 a year, about $33 an hour, about the same as a typical US worker (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
What do they do?
A librarian might help a student find sources or show a visitor how to search a computer catalog. They also choose and organize books and digital materials, plan programs such as storytime, and teach people how to find information.
Did you know? Surprise: U.S. librarians spend over a third of an average workday standing—not just sitting at a desk!
Is that a lot?
Compared with jobs you knowIf 100 people had this job
Most earn between $43,660 and $103,990How do you become one?
Most U.S. librarians earn a bachelor’s degree, then a master’s in library science. School librarians may need teacher training, a state certificate, and sometimes an exam; law or medical librarians may need extra subject expertise.
School needed: Graduate degree or long training
Good for people who like keeping things organized and helping and teaching
Why does pay differ?
In the U.S., librarians’ pay can differ with experience and qualifications, the library’s type and size, and its location; academic libraries and big-city jobs often pay more than public and rural ones. Specialist roles, such as law or medical librarians, may need extra expertise, and full-time versus part-time hours affect total earnings.
Where does it pay most?
Highest in Washington ($100,030), lowest in West Virginia ($42,980).
See every state
Top 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.
Jobs like this
Data table and sources
| Lower earner (10th from bottom) | Typical person (median) | Higher earner (10th from top) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|---|
| $43,660 | $68,270 | $103,990 | about 134,000 |
| State | Typical person (median) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | $100,030 | about 3,000 |
| District of Columbia | $96,550 | about 960 |
| California | $89,790 | about 10,000 |
| Maryland | $88,570 | about 3,000 |
| Nevada | $84,540 | about 610 |
Official definition: 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. Tasks may include acquiring, cataloging, and circulating library materials, and user services such as locating and organizing information, providing instruction on how to access information, and setting up and operating a library’s media equipment.
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine
Pages used for the text
- www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/librarians.htm
- www.onetonline.org/link/summary/25-4022.00
- www.bls.gov/ors/factsheet/librarians-and-media-collections-specialists.htm
- www.ala.org/educationcareers/employment/salaries
- www.ala.org/educationcareers/libcareers/become
Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY