The average salary for a librarian in the United States is around $68,270 per year.
Avg Salary
Librarians earn an average yearly salary of $68,270.
Wages typically start from $43,660 and go up to $103,990.
6% above national average Updated in 2025
Librarian earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level librarian earnings begin at:
$50.00 per hour
$103,990 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level librarian earnings begin at:
$40.62 per hour
$84,480 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level librarian earnings begin at:
$32.82 per hour
$68,270 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level librarian earnings begin at:
$27.07 per hour
$56,310 per year
10th percentile
Starting level librarian earnings begin at:
$20.99 per hour
$43,660 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Librarian salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $96,550 |
| California | $89,790 |
| Maryland | $88,570 |
| Nevada | $84,540 |
| Connecticut | $79,210 |
| Alaska | $78,810 |
| New York | $78,590 |
| Massachusetts | $78,540 |
| New Jersey | $78,380 |
| Oregon | $78,070 |
| Delaware | $77,700 |
| Minnesota | $77,650 |
| Virginia | $77,430 |
| Georgia | $76,750 |
| Colorado | $76,480 |
| Rhode Island | $75,860 |
| Texas | $71,860 |
| Hawaii | $68,270 |
| Florida | $67,060 |
| Wisconsin | $66,870 |
| Kentucky | $65,200 |
| Alabama | $64,650 |
| Nebraska | $64,060 |
| Montana | $63,870 |
| New Hampshire | $63,580 |
| Pennsylvania | $62,880 |
| North Dakota | $62,830 |
| Illinois | $62,700 |
| South Carolina | $62,640 |
| New Mexico | $62,530 |
| Vermont | $62,360 |
| Tennessee | $62,090 |
| Kansas | $61,900 |
| North Carolina | $61,420 |
| Louisiana | $60,650 |
| Ohio | $60,630 |
| Arizona | $60,500 |
| Michigan | $60,010 |
| Maine | $59,540 |
| Missouri | $58,700 |
| Iowa | $58,440 |
| Oklahoma | $58,180 |
| Mississippi | $56,970 |
| Arkansas | $56,800 |
| Guam | $55,500 |
| Idaho | $54,130 |
| Utah | $53,730 |
| Indiana | $53,500 |
| South Dakota | $51,210 |
| Virgin Islands, U.S. | $48,500 |
| Wyoming | $46,530 |
| West Virginia | $42,980 |
| Puerto Rico | $36,870 |
| Washington | $100,030 |
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 police officers but more than teachers.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Police officer salary | $76K |
| Fire inspector salary | $76K |
| High school teacher salary | $72K |
| Social worker salary | $72K |
| Probation officer salary | $66K |
| Librarian salary | $68K |
| Elementary school teacher salary | $64K |
| School counselor salary | $64K |
| Kindergarten teacher salary | $63K |
| Teacher salary | $61K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)