Educational Instruction and Library Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Peer-group outlier SOC 25-4022

Librarians and Media Collections Specialists

Median pay sits 31% below the mid peer in Educational Instruction and Library Occupations (neighbors include Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary, Computer Science Teachers, Postsecondary, Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary, Forestry and Conservation Science Teachers, Postsecondary).

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Librarians and Media Collections Specialists: Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary ($109K) , Computer Science Teachers, Postsecondary ($97K) , Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary ($98K) , Forestry and Conservation Science Teachers, Postsecondary ($101K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Librarians and Media Collections Specialists publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 25-4022 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Check books in and out of the library
  2. 2. Teach library patrons basic computer skills, such as searching computerized databases
  3. 3. Review and evaluate materials, using book reviews, catalogs, faculty recommendations, and current holdings to select and order print, aud…
  4. 4. Search standard reference materials, including online sources and the Internet, to answer patrons' reference questions
  5. 5. Keep up-to-date records of circulation and materials, maintain inventory, and correct cataloging errors
  6. 6. Analyze patrons' requests to determine needed information and assist in furnishing or locating that information
  7. 7. Supervise daily library operations, budgeting, planning, and personnel activities, such as hiring, training, scheduling, and performance…
  8. 8. Plan and teach classes on topics such as information literacy, library instruction, and technology use
  9. 9. Confer with colleagues, faculty, and community members and organizations to conduct informational programs, make collection decisions, an…
  10. 10. Code, classify, and catalog books, publications, films, audio-visual aids, and other library materials, based on subject matter or standa…
  11. 11. Respond to customer complaints, taking action as necessary
  12. 12. Plan and deliver client-centered programs and services, such as special services for corporate clients, storytelling for children, newsle…

Librarians and Media Collections Specialists: O*NET ranks Reading Comprehension first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 25-4022 - lead skill Reading Comprehension at 3.9 ; lead knowledge Customer and Personal Service. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Reading Comprehension 3.9
  2. 2. Active Listening 3.9
  3. 3. Speaking 3.9
  4. 4. Writing 3.6
  5. 5. Critical Thinking 3.6
  6. 6. Monitoring 3.4
  7. 7. Service Orientation 3.4
  8. 8. Active Learning 3.3

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Customer and Personal Service 4.6
  2. 2. English Language 4.4
  3. 3. Computers and Electronics 4.0
  4. 4. Education and Training 4.0
  5. 5. Administrative 3.8
  6. 6. Communications and Media 3.3
Pay vs Educational Instruction and Library Occupations peers
-31%
vs mid peer median $99,650
This role $68,270/yr
$68K
National median
↑ +2%
Growth 2024-2034
13,500
Annual openings
133,790
Estimated US jobs
Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary
Highest-pay peer · $109K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education Master's degree

Top Paying States for Librarians and Media Collections Specialists

1. Massachusetts $78,540
2. Alaska $78,810
3. New Jersey $78,380
4. Washington $100,030
5. Nevada $84,540
6. Connecticut $79,210
7. New York $78,590
8. California $89,790
9. District of Columbia $96,550
10. Maryland $88,570

Other Educational Instruction and Library Occupations titles

  1. 1. Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary $98,070
  2. 2. Computer Science Teachers, Postsecondary $96,980
  3. 3. Forestry and Conservation Science Teachers, Postsecondary $101,420
  4. 4. Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary $107,310
  5. 5. Anthropology and Archeology Teachers, Postsecondary $99,650
  6. 6. Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary $109,270

Among Educational Instruction and Library Occupations peers on this card, Librarians and Media Collections Specialists sits 31% below the mid peer median ($99,650). Its own median is $68,270.

Employment Projections expect +2% change between 2024 and 2034 (about as fast as average vs baseline 3.1%). About 13,500 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns Master's degree as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Massachusetts at $78,540. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary at $109,270. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Librarians and Media Collections Specialists pay-rank #41 in Educational Instruction and Library Occupations

Librarians and Media Collections Specialists sits at pay-rank #41 of 64 detailed Educational Instruction and Library Occupations, the middle third of the major-group median table. ROW_NUMBER on median; title breaks ties.

Other mid-table titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

SOC 25-4022 · national median $68,270 · middle third of Educational Instruction and Library Occupations (#41/64). Open the full OEWS map or a named state before treating the card median as a local ask.

Librarians and Media Collections Specialists salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 25-4022

Massachusetts · top state for Librarians and Media Collections Specialists

$79K published median

Alaska · #2 state pay

$79K · behind Massachusetts

Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary

Highest-pay peer vs Librarians and Media Collections Specialists · $109K

Computer Science Teachers, Postsecondary

Lower-pay peer beside Librarians and Media Collections Specialists · $97K

Compare Librarians and Media Collections Specialists

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Librarians and Media Collections Specialists with another occupation →

Peer-comparison next reads

Compare Librarians and Media Collections Specialists

Against another occupation

Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary card

Top peer in this major group

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Librarians and Media Collections Specialists mid-table among Educational Instruction and Library Occupations? ▼
Yes: pay-rank #41 of 64 detailed Educational Instruction and Library Occupations, the middle third. Mid-table neighbors: Special Education Teachers, Middle School ($67K), Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School ($66K), Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education ($72K), Social Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary, All Other ($73K). ROW_NUMBER on median; title breaks ties.
What do librarians and media collections specialists do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Librarians and Media Collections Specialists. Leading ones include: 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, aud…; Search standard reference materials, including online sources and the Internet, to answer patrons' reference questions. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for librarians and media collections specialists? ▼
For SOC 25-4022, O*NET importance scores lead with Reading Comprehension (3.9), Active Listening (3.9), Speaking (3.9), Writing (3.6). Knowledge areas emphasize Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Computers and Electronics. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Librarians and Media Collections Specialists? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $68,270 as the national median for Librarians and Media Collections Specialists. The published 10th-90th range is $43,660 to $103,990. Beside Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary ($109,270), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Librarians and Media Collections Specialists? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Librarians and Media Collections Specialists is +2%. Projected annual openings: about 13,500. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: about as fast as average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Librarians and Media Collections Specialists? ▼
BLS assigns Master's degree as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Librarians and Media Collections Specialists. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Librarians and Media Collections Specialists? ▼
Massachusetts ($78,540), Alaska ($78,810), New Jersey ($78,380) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Librarians and Media Collections Specialists card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 25-4022. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Librarians and Media Collections Specialists. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics