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The national median salary for Library Technicians is $39,978 per year ($19.22/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024. The middle 50% of earners make between $33,509 and $49,733 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $60,965 per year. There are approximately 73,770 library technicians employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Assist librarians by helping readers in the use of library catalogs, databases, and indexes to locate books and other materials; and by answering questions that require only brief consultation of standard reference. Compile records; sort and shelve books or other media; remove or repair damaged books or other media; register patrons; and check materials in and out of the circulation process. Replace materials in shelving area (stacks) or files. Includes bookmobile drivers who assist with providing services in mobile libraries.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
-6.8%
Much slower than average
Annual openings
13K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
79K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
0% from new growth100% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Postsecondary nondegree award
Experience
None
On-the-job training
None
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999300
43K
$37,950
Elementary and Secondary Schools
NAICS 611100
12K
$45,050
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools
NAICS 611300
10K
$47,090
Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services
NAICS 519200
4K
$39,470
Junior Colleges
NAICS 611200
2K
$43,730
Wage range across top 5 industries: $37,950 to $47,090 (24% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$13.41
$27,893
P25
$16.11
$33,509
P50MEDIAN
$19.22
$39,978
P75
$23.91
$49,733
P90
$29.31
$60,965
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · professional sector
Cooling
Openings Rate
4.2%
Quits Rate
2.0%
Professional & Business Services openings tumbled 318K in March -- the largest single-sector drop in this release. Openings rate fell from 5.5% to 4.2%. Layoffs jumped to 527K (+99K). White-collar demand has cooled abruptly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average library technicians salary?
The national median salary for Library Technicians is $39,978 per year ($19.22/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2024 data. The middle 50% earn between $33,509 and $49,733 annually.
How much do top-earning library technicians make?
The 90th percentile salary for Library Technicians is $60,965 per year ($29.31/hr). The 75th percentile is $49,733 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for library technicians?
Entry-level Library Technicians (10th percentile) earn approximately $27,893 per year ($13.41/hr). The 25th percentile is $33,509 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
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