The average salary for a librarian in the United States is around $55,000 per year.
Avg Salary
Librarians earn an average yearly salary of $55,000.
Wages typically start from $9,000 and go up to $85,000.
23% below national average Updated in 2023
Librarian earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level librarian earnings begin at:
$40.87 per hour
$85,000 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level librarian earnings begin at:
$32.69 per hour
$68,000 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level librarian earnings begin at:
$26.44 per hour
$55,000 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level librarian earnings begin at:
$13.46 per hour
$28,000 per year
10th percentile
Starting level librarian earnings begin at:
$4.33 per hour
$9,000 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Librarian salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $81,770 |
| California | $78,620 |
| Washington | $72,690 |
| Delaware | $71,810 |
| Alaska | $70,560 |
| Maryland | $69,900 |
| Nevada | $69,350 |
| Massachusetts | $68,310 |
| Rhode Island | $68,290 |
| Connecticut | $67,490 |
| New York | $64,620 |
| New Jersey | $64,320 |
| Minnesota | $63,680 |
| Virginia | $63,310 |
| Hawaii | $63,297 |
| Oregon | $62,680 |
| Georgia | $61,260 |
| Colorado | $60,370 |
| Texas | $59,730 |
| South Carolina | $56,790 |
| Wisconsin | $55,940 |
| Wyoming | $55,510 |
| Guam | $55,500 |
| Florida | $55,060 |
| North Dakota | $55,020 |
| New Hampshire | $54,550 |
| Kentucky | $54,146 |
| Tennessee | $53,920 |
| North Carolina | $53,650 |
| Nebraska | $53,380 |
| Ohio | $53,100 |
| Louisiana | $52,660 |
| Michigan | $50,430 |
| Alabama | $50,230 |
| Montana | $50,160 |
| Pennsylvania | $50,070 |
| Maine | $49,920 |
| Missouri | $48,760 |
| Illinois | $48,689 |
| Virgin Islands, U.S. | $48,500 |
| New Mexico | $48,450 |
| Mississippi | $46,580 |
| Iowa | $46,029 |
| Utah | $45,970 |
| Arizona | $45,397 |
| Kansas | $45,227 |
| Oklahoma | $43,610 |
| Arkansas | $42,820 |
| Idaho | $42,707 |
| Vermont | $42,090 |
| West Virginia | $41,250 |
| Indiana | $39,353 |
| South Dakota | $38,650 |
| Puerto Rico | $36,870 |
How do librarian salaries compare to similar careers?
Librarians earn about the same as related careers in the United States. On average, they make less than private detectives but more than social workers.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Private detective salary | $58K |
| Professor salary | $52K |
| Arbitrator salary | $49K |
| Special education teacher salary | $54K |
| Precious metal worker salary | $50K |
| Librarian salary | $55K |
| Career counselor salary | $48K |
| High school teacher salary | $47K |
| Meter reader salary | $44K |
| Social worker salary | $43K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)