As of January 01, 2026, the average annual salary for Academic Librarian in the US is $72,982, equivalent to $35 per hour, $1,404 weekly, or $6,082 monthly. These figures, sourced from Salary.com’s real-time job posting scans, highlight competitive earning potential for Academic Librarian in cities like Santa Clara, San Jose, and Fremont.

Annually Salaries for Academic Librarian in the US vary widely, spanning from $56,830 to $87,450. Most professionals fall between the 25th percentile ($64,528) and 75th percentile ($80,555), while top earners (90th percentile) make $87,450 per year. This $16,027 pay gap underscores opportunities for salary growth through certifications, specialized skills like Customer Service or Information Sciences, or targeting high-paying regions like District of Columbia or California.

Location and experience significantly influence earnings. For example, District of Columbia Academic Librarian often earn 10.7% above national averages due to demand from Fortune 71 companies and industry startups. Professionals are advised to focus on high-growth sectors like to offset market challenges.

Based on HR-reported data: a national average with a geographic differential
Academic Librarian Salaries by Percentile
Percentile Salary Location Last Updated
10th Percentile Academic Librarian Salary $56,830 US January 01, 2026
25th Percentile Academic Librarian Salary $64,528 US January 01, 2026
50th Percentile Academic Librarian Salary $72,982 US January 01, 2026
75th Percentile Academic Librarian Salary $80,555 US January 01, 2026
90th Percentile Academic Librarian Salary $87,450 US January 01, 2026
25% $64,528 10% $56,830 90% $87,450 75% $80,555 $72,982 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click
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What is an Academic Librarian ?

A librarian is a person who works professionally in a library, providing access to information and sometimes social or technical programming to users. In addition, librarians provide instruction on information literacy....

Source: Wikipedia (as of 04/18/2019). Read more from Wikipedia

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Job Openings for Academic Librarian

Career Path for this job

  1. This Job:

    Academic Librarian

    2 - 4 years experience
    Master's Degree or MBA

  2. Up a level:

    Senior Librarian

    4 - 7 years experience
    Master's Degree or MBA

Understand the total compensation opportunity for an Academic Librarian, base salary plus other pay elements

Average Base Salary

Core compensation

 
 
 
64528
80555
72982

Average Total Cash Compensation

Includes base and annual incentives

 
 
 
69467
92547
80109
These charts show the average base salary (core compensation), as well as the average total cash compensation for the job of Academic Librarian in the United States. The base salary for Academic Librarian ranges from $64,528 to $80,555 with the average base salary of $72,982. The total cash compensation, which includes base, and annual incentives, can vary anywhere from $69,467 to $92,547 with the average total cash compensation of $80,109.
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64528
80555

 

Jobs with a similar salary range to Academic Librarian : Children Librarian, Elementary Librarian, Online Researcher