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Public Librarian Salary in the United States

How much does a Public Librarian make in the United States? The salary range for a Public Librarian job is from $54,942 to $70,874 per year in the United States. Click on the filter to check out Public Librarian job salaries by hourly, weekly, biweekly, semimonthly, monthly, and yearly.

Average base salary
updated at March 01, 2025
$62,914
Per Year
The average salary for a Public Librarian is $62,914
per Year in the United States.
Individually reported data submitted by users of our website

HOW SHOULD YOU USE THIS DATA?

Employees: Use this as a guide for salary expectations, but be aware that responsibilities can change across companies for the same job title, so there may be differences between this data, other free site and our subscription products bought by employers.

Employers: This data could be used as reference point in your market pricing, but not the only source, due to differences across jobs locations, and sizes of companies.Consider additional sources like our Employer reported data.

Base Salary
$54,942
$62,914
Medium
$70,874

Highest Paying Cities for Public Librarian in the United States

Public Librarian salaries in the United States will pay differently by cities. Below following are the eight cities with the highest income for Public Librarian jobs in the United States. The city with the highest salary is San Jose. Click on the Public Librarian salary in cities you are interested in to view detailed job salary information.

States with Higher Salaries for Public Librarian

The five states where Public Librarian jobs get higher salaries in the United States are: District of Columbia, California, New Jersey, Alaska, and Massachusetts. Compared with the average salary of a Public Librarian in the United States, the state of District of Columbia with the highest job income for this job. The second and third states are California and New Jersey respectively. The high or low salary paid to Public Librarian by the US has a greater relationship with the demand for jobs and the cost of living.

How Much Do Similar Professions Get Paid in the United States?

There are some different titles for Public Librarian jobs, and the job title of Public Librarian will vary in different companies. The job title has a lot to do with the department and responsibilities, and the same job title will vary in different departments. The following list is the salary of jobs similar to Public Librarian, start to view Public Librarian-related jobs you are interested in.
Public Services Librarian
Average salary
United States
$74,063
per Year
Adult Services Librarian - Public Library
Average salary
United States
$58,888
per Year
Librarian II
Average salary
United States
$87,700
per Year
Head Librarian
Average salary
United States
$151,100
per Year
Research Librarian
Average salary
United States
$67,781
per Year
Law Librarian
Average salary
United States
$69,752
per Year

How Much Should You Be Earning?

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What Does a Public Librarian Do?

Technology expert, information detective, manager, literacy expert, trainer, community programming coordinator, reader’s advisor, children’s storyteller, material reviewer, and buyer are just a few of the hats a public librarian wears.

December 05, 2021

As a public librarian you'll acquire, organise and provide access to a range of information and reading resources to meet the diverse needs of a community.

November 23, 2021

Most public librarian positions require a Master of Library Science (MLS) or a Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) degree, preferably from a school accredited by the American Library Association (ALA).

November 10, 2021

Most public librarian positions require a Master of Library Science (MLS) or a Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) degree, preferably from a school accredited by the American Library Association (ALA).  Undergraduate degrees in almost any subject area are appropriate.

November 01, 2021

Most Common Benefits for Public Librarian

Social Security
Healthcare
401(k)
Pension
Disability
Time Off (days)

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about salaries for a Public Librarian
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Technology expert, information detective, manager, literacy expert, trainer, community programming coordinator, reader’s advisor, children’s storyteller, material reviewer, and buyer are just a few of the hats a public librarian wears.
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The highest Public Librarian salary is $70,874, while the lowest is $54,942 in the United States.
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