Library Assistants, Clerical Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for library assistants, clericals 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
- District of Columbia$59,220
- California$51,570
- Washington$48,440
- Alaska$46,590
- Nevada$46,040
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Mississippi$27,550
- Indiana$29,010
- Alabama$29,570
- Oklahoma$30,320
- Nebraska$30,620
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $59,220 | $59,390 | $28 | +50.4% | 100 |
| 2 | California | $51,570 | $47,860 | $25 | +31% | 11,170 |
| 3 | Washington | $48,440 | $47,540 | $23 | +23% | 2,810 |
| 4 | Alaska | $46,590 | $44,800 | $22 | +18.3% | 180 |
| 5 | Nevada | $46,040 | $46,620 | $22 | +16.9% | 660 |
| 6 | Maryland | $45,150 | $45,910 | $22 | +14.7% | 730 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $44,860 | $42,520 | $22 | +13.9% | 2,840 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $43,470 | $39,100 | $21 | +10.4% | 1,810 |
| 9 | New Jersey | $42,780 | $39,780 | $21 | +8.7% | 3,120 |
| 10 | Oregon | $42,660 | $42,270 | $21 | +8.4% | 1,090 |
| 11 | Wisconsin | $41,170 | $39,610 | $20 | +4.6% | 1,570 |
| 12 | Minnesota | $41,010 | $39,970 | $20 | +4.2% | 1,770 |
| 13 | New York | $40,780 | $35,990 | $20 | +3.6% | 8,010 |
| 14 | Virginia | $40,250 | $38,020 | $19 | +2.2% | 2,170 |
| 15 | Arizona | $40,120 | $38,110 | $19 | +1.9% | 1,560 |
| 16 | Maine | $39,620 | $37,890 | $19 | +0.6% | 540 |
| 17 | Rhode Island | $39,210 | $36,610 | $19 | -0.4% | 510 |
| 18 | Florida | $38,570 | $37,880 | $19 | -2% | 3,630 |
| 19 | New Hampshire | $38,190 | $37,400 | $18 | -3% | 990 |
| 20 | Montana | $38,010 | $39,070 | $18 | -3.5% | 160 |
| 21 | Tennessee | $37,990 | $37,410 | $18 | -3.5% | 1,110 |
| 22 | Colorado | $37,810 | $36,130 | $18 | -4% | 470 |
| 23 | Wyoming | $37,810 | $38,040 | $18 | -4% | — |
| 24 | Hawaii | $37,390 | $37,110 | $18 | -5% | 370 |
| 25 | Vermont | $37,160 | $36,430 | $18 | -5.6% | 350 |
| 26 | Georgia | $36,760 | $36,410 | $18 | -6.6% | 610 |
| 27 | Delaware | $36,410 | $37,090 | $18 | -7.5% | 270 |
| 28 | Illinois | $36,190 | $34,680 | $17 | -8.1% | 6,620 |
| 29 | New Mexico | $35,760 | $35,250 | $17 | -9.2% | 150 |
| 30 | North Dakota | $35,690 | $34,530 | $17 | -9.3% | 60 |
| 31 | North Carolina | $34,930 | $34,550 | $17 | -11.3% | 1,330 |
| 32 | Michigan | $34,580 | $34,510 | $17 | -12.2% | 3,470 |
| 33 | Missouri | $34,220 | $33,760 | $16 | -13.1% | 1,610 |
| 34 | Utah | $33,970 | $32,690 | $16 | -13.7% | 820 |
| 35 | South Carolina | $33,740 | $33,980 | $16 | -14.3% | 960 |
| 36 | Pennsylvania | $33,610 | $30,690 | $16 | -14.6% | 3,930 |
| 37 | Ohio | $33,560 | $33,480 | $16 | -14.8% | 5,240 |
| 38 | Kentucky | $33,280 | $33,690 | $16 | -15.5% | 1,050 |
| 39 | Idaho | $32,960 | $33,960 | $16 | -16.3% | 920 |
| 40 | Iowa | $31,700 | $29,480 | $15 | -19.5% | 1,700 |
| 41 | Kansas | $31,460 | $31,550 | $15 | -20.1% | 1,380 |
| 42 | Texas | $31,370 | $31,200 | $15 | -20.3% | 1,600 |
| 43 | West Virginia | $31,150 | $30,800 | $15 | -20.9% | 450 |
| 44 | Louisiana | $31,130 | $29,620 | $15 | -20.9% | 720 |
| 45 | Arkansas | $30,830 | $31,100 | $15 | -21.7% | 390 |
| 46 | Nebraska | $30,620 | $28,080 | $15 | -22.2% | 310 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $30,320 | $29,640 | $15 | -23% | 800 |
| 48 | Alabama | $29,570 | $27,530 | $14 | -24.9% | 900 |
| 49 | Indiana | $29,010 | $28,900 | $14 | -26.3% | 1,830 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $27,550 | $28,110 | $13 | -30% | 440 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 374 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $63,000 | $61,280 | 1,720 |
| 2 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $62,780 | $60,340 | 840 |
| 3 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $54,590 | $49,180 | 100 |
| 4 | Kennewick-Richland, WA | $51,460 | $48,370 | 140 |
| 5 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $51,410 | $52,670 | 70 |
| 6 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $50,940 | $50,630 | 820 |
| 7 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $50,560 | $51,710 | 1,050 |
| 8 | Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | $50,180 | $47,290 | 40 |
| 9 | Anchorage, AK | $50,000 | $48,690 | 30 |
| 10 | Hanford-Corcoran, CA | $49,000 | $45,150 | 40 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing library assistants, clericals (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Legal Services | $53,390 | $52,640 | 40 |
| 2 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $50,160 | $51,540 | 70 |
| 3 | Sector 54 - Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $50,160 | $51,540 | 70 |
| 4 | Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions | $47,290 | $43,240 | 60 |
| 5 | Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions | $47,290 | $43,240 | 60 |
| 6 | Hospitals | $46,570 | $51,470 | 80 |
| 7 | General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | $46,570 | $51,460 | 80 |
| 8 | Hospitals, Privately Owned | $46,370 | $48,090 | 60 |
| 9 | General Medical and Surgical Hospitals, Privately Owned | $46,370 | $47,950 | 50 |
| 10 | Sector 71 - Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | $46,010 | $42,860 | 70 |
| 11 | State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $41,600 | $44,390 | 390 |
| 12 | Elementary and Secondary Schools, State Government Owned | $39,830 | $42,380 | 50 |
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
Top Skills
Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do library assistants, clerical make in the U.S.?
The median library assistants, clerical salary in the United States is $36,910 per year (mean $39,370), and about 80% earn between $27,730 and $55,310.
How much do library assistants, clerical make per hour?
Roughly $19 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $39,370 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays library assistants, clerical the most?
District of Columbia has the highest average pay for library assistants, clerical at $59,220 per year (median $59,390).
What is the job outlook for library assistants, clerical?
Employment is projected to change -6.7% from 2024 to 2034 (Decline), with about 12,800 openings per year.