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What is an administrative librarian and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
2 min read
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being an administrative librarian. For example, did you know that they make an average of $25.73 an hour? That's $53,527 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 6% and produce 8,500 job opportunities across the U.S.
ScoreAdministrative LibrarianUS Average
Salary
4.2

Avg. Salary $53,527

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
5.6

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
2.5
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.34%

Asian 5.00%

Black or African American 6.63%

Hispanic or Latino 7.97%

Unknown 3.60%

White 76.46%

Gender

female 70.00%

male 30.00%

Age - 48
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 48
Stress level
5.6

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level
5.6

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance
9.5

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an administrative librarian

  1. Explore administrative librarian education requirements

    Most common administrative librarian degrees

    Bachelor's

    56.0 %

    Master's

    24.0 %

    Associate

    12.0 %
  2. Start to develop specific administrative librarian skills

    SkillsPercentages
    PLM31.94%
    Library Services20.83%
    Collection Development14.59%
    Professional Development13.47%
    Library System8.50%
  3. Complete relevant administrative librarian training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New administrative librarians learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an administrative librarian based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real administrative librarian resumes.
  4. Research administrative librarian duties and responsibilities

    • Manage document delivery via Docline and consortia memberships.
    • Maintain accurate records of circulation and materials, inventory, and correct cataloging errors.
    • Provide opportunities for students to use the library for class-relate research, individual investigation, independent reading, and personal inquiry.
    • Evaluate and select integrated library system for OPAC and serials management.
  5. Prepare your administrative librarian resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your administrative librarian resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an administrative librarian resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable administrative librarian resume templates

    Build a professional administrative librarian resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your administrative librarian resume.
    Administrative Librarian Resume
    Administrative Librarian Resume
    Administrative Librarian Resume
    Administrative Librarian Resume
    Administrative Librarian Resume
    Administrative Librarian Resume
    Administrative Librarian Resume
    Administrative Librarian Resume
    Administrative Librarian Resume
  6. Apply for administrative librarian jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for an administrative librarian job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first administrative librarian job

Zippi

Are you an administrative librarian?

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Average administrative librarian salary

The average administrative librarian salary in the United States is $53,527 per year or $26 per hour. Administrative librarian salaries range between $36,000 and $78,000 per year.

Average administrative librarian salary
$53,527 Yearly
$25.73 hourly

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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