Administrative librarian vs library director

The differences between administrative librarians and library directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an administrative librarian and a library director. Additionally, an administrative librarian has an average salary of $53,527, which is higher than the $44,750 average annual salary of a library director.

The top three skills for an administrative librarian include PLM, library services and collection development. The most important skills for a library director are library services, collection development, and professional development.

Administrative librarian vs library director overview

	Administrative Librarian	Library Director
Yearly salary	$53,527	$44,750
Hourly rate	$25.73	$21.51
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	34,496	5,428
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	2	2

Administrative librarian vs library director salary

Administrative librarians and library directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Administrative Librarian	Library Director
Average salary	$53,527	$44,750
Salary range	Between $36,000 And $78,000	Between $28,000 And $69,000
Highest paying City	-	Hoboken, NJ
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	-	Education

Differences between administrative librarian and library director education

There are a few differences between an administrative librarian and a library director in terms of educational background:

	Administrative Librarian	Library Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Most common major	Library Science	Library Science
Most common college	New York University	New York University

Administrative librarian vs library director demographics

Here are the differences between administrative librarians' and library directors' demographics:

	Administrative Librarian	Library Director
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 30.0% Female, 70.0%	Male, 29.5% Female, 70.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.6% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.0% Asian, 5.0% White, 76.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 4.9% White, 77.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	16%	16%

Differences between administrative librarian and library director duties and responsibilities

Administrative librarian example 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.

Library director example responsibilities.

Manage records of circulation and materials, maintain inventory, and correct cataloging errors.
Hire & supervise 26 staff , 16 FTE.
Supervise one FTE and six part time employees.
Investigate and troubleshoot protocols, procedures and reagents.
Work with vendors to develop licensing and to troubleshoot electronic access.
Provide oversight of the acquisitions process at all stages, including final approval.

Administrative librarian vs library director skills

Common administrative librarian skills

PLM, 32%
Library Services, 21%
Collection Development, 15%
Professional Development, 13%
Library System, 8%
Library Operations, 6%

Common library director skills

Library Services, 16%
Collection Development, 7%
Professional Development, 6%
Library Operations, 6%
Academic Library, 6%
Library Resources, 5%

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Administrative Librarian vs Library Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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