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Librarians – although you might not expect it – actually do make a fairly nice living.
In fact, as of 2006, the average salary of a working librarian was a little over $49,000/year which is quite a bit higher than earnings for the average profession.
Average Librarian Salaries
Most librarians working in the field earned between $40,000/year and $60,000/year, although those with advanced degrees or in administrative positions earned as much as $75,000/year. Even the lowest-paid group of librarians still made close to $30,000/year or more – not bad for a starting salary.
| However, the field of library science in general looks to have a slower than normal rate of growth. New jobs simply aren’t opening up in the library field, partly because of the increase in technology. |
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Today, former library users can find all the information they need on any topic using the internet from their own homes. As more and more internet data sources become available, people spend less time visiting the library for research purposes, limiting the need for new reference librarians.
However, while new jobs may not be opening up in the field of library science, there are still a number of job opportunities available. Many librarians retire each year, leaving their positions open to new applicants. In fact, a recent survey shows that close to two-thirds of all librarians are over the age of 45, so it's safe to assume that many of these workers will be retiring within the next 10-20 years. In addition, library positions that don't require an MLS degree open up fairly often – including the part-time page jobs or associate librarian positions.
Standard librarian jobs are expected to grow the slowest over the next ten years as customers learn to do more and more research on their own. However, support staff positions, especially those part-time technology assistant positions, are expected to grow faster. Most libraries have at least one person in the library at all times whose main job is to assist people with computers and internet searches. In many cases, these are part-time jobs, often staffed by college students due to the flexible scheduling.
Librarians jobs outside of standard libraries are also expected to grow fairly quickly over the next decade. These positions include working for nonprofits, private corporations, or consulting firms as information brokers and researchers. Librarians are also sometimes hired to manage computer databases, intranet sites, and other information storehouses. Because librarians are usually very organized and can evaluation information quickly, corporations often hire them to evaluate and organize large amounts of data. Librarians who are interested in these type of positions may find that classes or additional degrees in specific fields – like biotechnology or engineering – will give them an edge in securing these jobs.
In general, while there may not be a large number of new positions created in public libraries, there will be some job openings available as older librarians retire. Also, for those who are looking to work outside of the traditional library setting, many new positions will open up as corporations and other employers hire librarians to handle information and databases.
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