Library Workers: Facts & Figures Fact Sheet 2018

Library Workers: Facts & Figures Fact Sheet 2018

An Overview of Library Professionals and Libraries

• In 2017, there were 194,000 librarians, 40,000 library technicians, and 96,000 library assistants employed.[1] Generally, a “librarian” is a person who holds at least a master’s degree in library science or meets state teaching license standards for being a school librarian.[2] “Library technicians” assist librarians in the acquisition, preparation, and organization of materials “and assist users in locating the appropriate resources.”[3] “Library assistants” are similar to library technicians, but may have fewer responsibilities.
• From 2007 through 2017, cumulative employment among librarians, library technicians, and library assistants declined from 380,000 to 330,000.
• The mean annual earnings of librarians in 2017 were $60,760.[4]
• The mean hourly wage of library technicians was $17.07 in 2017. [5]