Librarians and Media Collections Specialists Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for librarians and media collections specialistss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- Washington$98,530
- District of Columbia$96,550
- California$92,300
- Maryland$89,530
- New York$84,890
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- West Virginia$46,340
- Wyoming$49,500
- South Dakota$53,840
- Arkansas$54,130
- Mississippi$54,220
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $98,530 | $100,030 | $47 | +35.3% | 2,750 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $96,550 | $96,550 | $46 | +32.6% | 960 |
| 3 | California | $92,300 | $89,790 | $44 | +26.7% | 10,180 |
| 4 | Maryland | $89,530 | $88,570 | $43 | +22.9% | 3,220 |
| 5 | New York | $84,890 | $78,590 | $41 | +16.5% | 11,870 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $82,290 | $79,210 | $40 | +13% | 2,550 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $82,240 | $78,380 | $40 | +12.9% | 4,100 |
| 8 | Nevada | $81,580 | $84,540 | $39 | +12% | 610 |
| 9 | Delaware | $80,970 | $77,700 | $39 | +11.2% | 370 |
| 10 | Massachusetts | $80,220 | $78,540 | $39 | +10.1% | 4,980 |
| 11 | Oregon | $78,580 | $78,070 | $38 | +7.9% | 1,690 |
| 12 | Virginia | $77,240 | $77,430 | $37 | +6% | 4,590 |
| 13 | Rhode Island | $76,960 | $75,860 | $37 | +5.7% | 780 |
| 14 | Alaska | $76,430 | $78,810 | $37 | +4.9% | 350 |
| 15 | Minnesota | $75,800 | $77,650 | $36 | +4.1% | 2,220 |
| 16 | Georgia | $75,300 | $76,750 | $36 | +3.4% | 3,330 |
| 17 | Colorado | $75,070 | $76,480 | $36 | +3.1% | 1,990 |
| 18 | Hawaii | $72,460 | $68,270 | $35 | -0.5% | 300 |
| 19 | Texas | $72,400 | $71,860 | $35 | -0.6% | 9,150 |
| 20 | Illinois | $69,420 | $62,700 | $33 | -4.7% | 5,390 |
| 21 | Florida | $68,540 | $67,060 | $33 | -5.9% | 6,670 |
| 22 | Wisconsin | $68,360 | $66,870 | $33 | -6.2% | 2,450 |
| 23 | New Hampshire | $67,000 | $63,580 | $32 | -8% | 1,150 |
| 24 | Pennsylvania | $66,530 | $62,880 | $32 | -8.7% | 5,050 |
| 25 | Kentucky | $65,970 | $65,200 | $32 | -9.4% | 1,980 |
| 26 | New Mexico | $65,900 | $62,530 | $32 | -9.5% | 580 |
| 27 | Montana | $64,940 | $63,870 | $31 | -10.8% | 640 |
| 28 | North Dakota | $64,550 | $62,830 | $31 | -11.4% | 570 |
| 29 | South Carolina | $64,320 | $62,640 | $31 | -11.7% | 2,130 |
| 30 | North Carolina | $64,140 | $61,420 | $31 | -11.9% | 4,010 |
| 31 | Vermont | $63,660 | $62,360 | $31 | -12.6% | 600 |
| 32 | Ohio | $63,350 | $60,630 | $30 | -13% | 4,820 |
| 33 | Nebraska | $63,200 | $64,060 | $30 | -13.2% | 1,200 |
| 34 | Alabama | $63,100 | $64,650 | $30 | -13.4% | 2,750 |
| 35 | Michigan | $63,020 | $60,010 | $30 | -13.5% | 3,940 |
| 36 | Kansas | $61,760 | $61,900 | $30 | -15.2% | 1,620 |
| 37 | Arizona | $61,670 | $60,500 | $30 | -15.3% | 1,990 |
| 38 | Tennessee | $61,560 | $62,090 | $30 | -15.5% | 2,540 |
| 39 | Utah | $61,500 | $53,730 | $30 | -15.6% | 1,630 |
| 40 | Louisiana | $61,410 | $60,650 | $30 | -15.7% | 2,130 |
| 41 | Maine | $60,770 | $59,540 | $29 | -16.6% | 780 |
| 42 | Missouri | $59,470 | $58,700 | $29 | -18.4% | 2,970 |
| 43 | Iowa | $58,520 | $58,440 | $28 | -19.7% | 1,770 |
| 44 | Idaho | $57,950 | $54,130 | $28 | -20.4% | 650 |
| 45 | Oklahoma | $57,740 | $58,180 | $28 | -20.7% | 1,820 |
| 46 | Indiana | $55,660 | $53,500 | $27 | -23.6% | 1,920 |
| 47 | Mississippi | $54,220 | $56,970 | $26 | -25.6% | 1,060 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $54,130 | $56,800 | $26 | -25.7% | 1,490 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $53,840 | $51,210 | $26 | -26.1% | 490 |
| 50 | Wyoming | $49,500 | $46,530 | $24 | -32% | 440 |
| 51 | West Virginia | $46,340 | $42,980 | $22 | -36.4% | 610 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 487 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Naples-Marco Island, FL | $106,550 | $96,130 | 90 |
| 2 | Kennewick-Richland, WA | $105,240 | $98,940 | 90 |
| 3 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $103,240 | $103,650 | 700 |
| 4 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $101,780 | $105,400 | 1,590 |
| 5 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $101,490 | $101,170 | 1,940 |
| 6 | Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $100,240 | $100,200 | 110 |
| 7 | Merced, CA | $98,630 | $102,870 | 50 |
| 8 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $97,510 | $94,680 | 3,270 |
| 9 | Yakima, WA | $96,250 | $93,560 | 80 |
| 10 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $95,480 | $94,460 | 3,630 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing librarians and media collections specialistss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) | $108,160 | $110,100 | 1,100 |
| 2 | Federal Government, including the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $108,160 | $110,100 | 1,100 |
| 3 | Elementary and Secondary Schools, State Government Owned | $104,050 | $97,780 | 220 |
| 4 | Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools, Local Government Owned | $102,130 | $102,970 | 410 |
| 5 | Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences | $95,550 | $95,890 | 170 |
| 6 | Scientific Research and Development Services | $93,800 | $93,310 | 230 |
| 7 | Legal Services | $92,410 | $94,220 | 670 |
| 8 | Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, & Other Media Networks & Content Providers | $88,180 | $88,900 | 70 |
| 9 | Publishing Industries | $84,260 | $75,400 | 150 |
| 10 | Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers | $84,260 | $75,400 | 150 |
| 11 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $83,760 | $88,650 | 1,280 |
| 12 | Sector 54 - Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $83,760 | $88,650 | 1,280 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do librarians and media collections specialists make in the U.S.?
The median librarians and media collections specialists salary in the United States is $68,270 per year (mean $72,840), and about 80% earn between $43,660 and $103,990.
How much do librarians and media collections specialists make per hour?
Roughly $35 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $72,840 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays librarians and media collections specialists the most?
Washington has the highest average pay for librarians and media collections specialists at $98,530 per year (median $100,030).
What is the job outlook for librarians and media collections specialists?
Employment is projected to change +1.7% from 2024 to 2034 (Slower than average), with about 13,500 openings per year.
What People Search
Common U.S. search queries related to this occupation.