Careers / Librarians and Media Collections Specialists

Librarians and Media Collections Specialists — Career Decision Dashboard

United States

Opens your browser print dialog — choose “Save as PDF”.

Median annual wage

$68,270

United States, 2025

Employment

133,790

United States, 2025

Typical education

Not recorded

Job Zone 5

Skills identified

35

10 related careers

Career overview

Administer and maintain libraries or collections of information, for public or private access through reference or borrowing. Work in a variety of settings, such as educational institutions, museums, and corporations, and with various types of informational materials, such as books, periodicals, recordings, films, and databases. Tasks may include acquiring, cataloging, and circulating library materials, and user services such as locating and organizing information, providing instruction on how to access information, and setting up and operating a library's media equipment.

O*NET code
25-4022.00
Job zone
5
Experience required
Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years

Typical tasks

  • 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.
  • Confer with colleagues, faculty, and community members and organizations to conduct informational programs, make collection decisions, and determine library services to offer.
  • Review and evaluate materials, using book reviews, catalogs, faculty recommendations, and current holdings to select and order print, audio-visual, and electronic resources.
  • Evaluate vendor products and performance, negotiate contracts, and place orders.

Choose a location

Salary analysis — United States

$43,660
10th
$56,310
25th
$68,270
Median
$84,480
75th
$103,990
90th

10th percentile

$43,660

25th percentile

$56,310

75th percentile

$84,480

90th percentile

$103,990

Most important skills

  • Reading Comprehension4.1
  • Active Listening4.0
  • Speaking4.0
  • Critical Thinking3.6
  • Writing3.6
  • Service Orientation3.4
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.3
  • Social Perceptiveness3.3
  • Monitoring3.3
  • Instructing3.1
  • Active Learning3.1
  • Coordination3.0

What skills do you need?

Select the skills you already have

Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.

Skill coverage

0%

0 of 15 identified skills

Matched

0

Missing

15

Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.

Skills to develop

SkillImportanceRequired levelYour levelGap
Reading Comprehension4.14.1Not selected4.1
Speaking4.04.1Not selected4.1
Active Listening4.04.0Not selected4.0
Writing3.64.0Not selected4.0
Critical Thinking3.63.9Not selected3.9
Service Orientation3.43.4Not selected3.4
Monitoring3.33.4Not selected3.4
Active Learning3.13.4Not selected3.4
Judgment and Decision Making3.33.1Not selected3.1
Social Perceptiveness3.33.1Not selected3.1
Instructing3.13.1Not selected3.1
Time Management3.03.1Not selected3.1
Coordination3.03.0Not selected3.0
Learning Strategies3.03.0Not selected3.0
Complex Problem Solving3.02.9Not selected2.9

Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.

Related careers

How salary varies by location

LocationMedianEmploymentYear
Naples, FL$106,550902025
Kennewick, WA$105,240902025
San Jose, CA$103,2407002025
Seattle, WA$101,7801,5902025
San Francisco, CA$101,4901,9402025
Bremerton, WA$100,2401102025
WA$100,0302,7502025
Merced, CA$98,630502025
Los Angeles, CA$97,5103,2702025
DC$96,5509602025
Yakima, WA$96,250802025
Washington, DC$95,4803,6302025
Santa Maria, CA$94,3801302025
Olympia, WA$92,6101302025
San Luis Obispo, CA$92,1401102025
Santa Cruz, CA$91,090402025
CA$89,79010,1802025
MD$88,5703,2202025
Bakersfield, CA$87,4901002025
Mount Vernon, WA$85,730402025
All locations with published data

Career transition paths

Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Librarians and Media Collections Specialists to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.

Build a transition comparison

Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0.

Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).

Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.