Career
Librarians and media collections specialists
Help people find information and ideas.
$68,270
Median pay
+2.6%
Job growth, 2025–35
12,600
Openings a year
Master's degree
Typical education
6 years
Typical time after high school
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- Search standard reference materials, including online sources and the Internet, to answer patrons' reference questions.
- Analyze patrons' requests to determine needed information and assist in furnishing or locating that information.
- Supervise daily library operations, budgeting, planning, and personnel activities, such as hiring, training, scheduling, and performance evaluations.
- Plan and teach classes on topics such as information literacy, library instruction, and technology use.
- Code, classify, and catalog books, publications, films, audio-visual aids, and other library materials, based on subject matter or standard library classification systems.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on information & systems, then people & care?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Search standard reference materials, including online sources and the Internet, to answer patrons' reference questions.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Speaking, Writing.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
6 years of education after high school (master's degree), for a median of $68,270 a year and 12,600 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Teaching (by Subject)See the degree →
- Educational/Instructional TechnologyCIP 13.0501
- School Librarian/School Library Media SpecialistCIP 13.1334
- Library and Information ScienceCIP 25.0101
- Children and Youth Library ServicesCIP 25.0102
- Library Science and Administration, OtherCIP 25.0199
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Library Technicians$44,580 · -6.4%
- Library Assistants, Clerical$36,910 · -6.4%
- Archivists$64,550 · +3.4%
- Library Science Teachers, Postsecondary$80,340 · +2.7%
- Instructional Coordinators$77,440 · +1.6%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.