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The national median salary for Library Assistants, Clerical is $36,899 per year ($17.74/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $31,824 and $45,614 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $55,307 per year. There are approximately 85,520 library assistants, clerical employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Compile records, and sort, shelve, issue, and receive library materials such as books, electronic media, pictures, cards, slides and microfilm. Locate library materials for loan and replace material in shelving area, stacks, or files according to identification number and title. Register patrons to permit them to borrow books, periodicals, and other library materials.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
-6.7%
Much slower than average
Annual openings
13K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
85K
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
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
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
55K
$36,600
Elementary and Secondary Schools
NAICS 611100
12K
$39,140
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools
NAICS 611300
8K
$37,920
Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services
NAICS 519200
8K
$34,590
Junior Colleges
NAICS 611200
2K
$35,340
Wage range across top 5 industries: $34,590 to $39,140 (13% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$13.33
$27,726
P25
$15.30
$31,824
P50MEDIAN
$17.74
$36,899
P75
$21.93
$45,614
P90
$26.59
$55,307
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · other sector
Active
Openings Rate
3.4%
Quits Rate
2.0%
The labor market rebounded in March: hires jumped to 5.6M (+655K) and separations rose to 5.4M (+356K), both more than offsetting February's drop. Job openings held at 6.9M. Quits ticked to 2.0%.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average library assistants, clerical salary?
The national median salary for Library Assistants, Clerical is $36,899 per year ($17.74/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $31,824 and $45,614 annually.
How much do top-earning library assistants, clerical make?
The 90th percentile salary for Library Assistants, Clerical is $55,307 per year ($26.59/hr). The 75th percentile is $45,614 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for library assistants, clerical?
Entry-level Library Assistants, Clerical (10th percentile) earn approximately $27,726 per year ($13.33/hr). The 25th percentile is $31,824 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 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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