Librarians and Media Collections Specialists Job Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of librarians and media collections specialists to grow 2.6% from 2025 to 2035 (about 3,600 more jobs), with about 12,600 openings a year, and the May 2025 median pay of $68,270 a year ranks 327th of 825 occupations.
- Projected change
- +2.6%
- Openings a year
- 12,600
- Median pay
- $68,270
- Pay rank
- 327th of 825
Is employment of librarians and media collections specialists growing or shrinking?
Growing: BLS projects employment of librarians and media collections specialists to rise 2.6% (about 3,600 more jobs) from 2025 to 2035, slower than the 3.5% projected across all occupations. That is faster than the +1.4% summed from BLS's employment levels across the 64 educational instruction and library occupations with a projection. That change ranks 427th of 830 projected occupations.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Employment, 2025 | 142,300 |
| Employment, 2035 | 145,900 |
| Projected change | +2.6% |
| Openings a year | 12,600 |
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035. A projection is a BLS estimate, not a count. The 142,300 jobs here differ from the 133,790 on the salary page because Employment Projections also counts the self-employed and a wider set of workers, while OEWS counts wage and salary jobs in May 2025. BLS published these projections on August 27, 2026; checked November 10, 2026. Confirm any figure in the BLS Employment Projections tables.
BLS's reasons for this projection are at the Occupational Outlook Handbook. State projections are at Projections Central; projections by industry are left to BLS. Education, licensing and work context at O*NET.
How many job openings are there each year?
About 12,600 openings a year, from job growth and from workers leaving the occupation, the 230th most of 830 occupations. About 97% of them replace workers who change occupations or leave the labor force; the rest come from the 360 jobs added in an average year.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
How does pay for librarians and media collections specialists rank?
The median of $68,270 a year ranks 327th of 825 occupations with a published median. It sits in the upper half of occupations on both pay and openings.
Source: BLS OEWS national file, May 2025. Wage and salary jobs only; the self-employed are not counted. OEWS pay excludes overtime, shift differentials and non-production bonuses. Ranks count only the occupations with that published figure: 830 for projected change, 830 for openings, 825 for median pay, which is why the totals differ.
What does it take to start?
- Typical entry-level education: master's degree.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, education and training assignments.
How do related jobs compare on outlook?
| Occupation | Change | Openings a year | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Library Technicians | -6.4% | 10,800 | $44,580 |
| Archivists | +3.4% | 1,100 | $64,550 |
| Library Science Teachers, Postsecondary | +2.7% | 300 | $80,340 |
| Instructional Coordinators | +1.6% | 23,100 | $77,440 |
| Computer Science Teachers, Postsecondary | +4.9% | 3,200 | $96,980 |
| Curators | +4.9% | 1,600 | $63,420 |
| Education Teachers, Postsecondary | +2.5% | 5,300 | $75,350 |
| Library Assistants, Clerical | -6.4% | 12,300 | $36,910 |
Related occupations from O*NET; projections from BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035; pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.