Administrative librarian vs research librarian

The differences between administrative librarians and research librarians 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 research librarian. Additionally, an administrative librarian has an average salary of $53,527, which is higher than the $51,263 average annual salary of a research librarian.

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

Administrative librarian vs research librarian overview

	Administrative Librarian	Research Librarian
Yearly salary	$53,527	$51,263
Hourly rate	$25.73	$24.65
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	34,496	45,828
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	2	2

Administrative librarian vs research librarian salary

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

	Administrative Librarian	Research Librarian
Average salary	$53,527	$51,263
Salary range	Between $36,000 And $78,000	Between $35,000 And $74,000
Highest paying City	-	Philadelphia, PA
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	Harvard University
Best paying industry	-	Professional

Differences between administrative librarian and research librarian education

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

	Administrative Librarian	Research Librarian
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Most common major	Library Science	Library Science
Most common college	New York University	New York University

Administrative librarian vs research librarian demographics

Here are the differences between administrative librarians' and research librarians' demographics:

	Administrative Librarian	Research Librarian
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 30.0% Female, 70.0%	Male, 35.7% Female, 64.3%
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, 6.3% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 4.8% White, 77.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	16%	16%

Differences between administrative librarian and research librarian 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.

Research librarian example responsibilities.

Manage integrated library system including OPAC, serials control, cataloging and acquisitions.
Order materials and perform literature searches using OCLC.
Utilize Microsoft SharePoint to create and maintain the library intranet portal.
Advise clients using factual data in the Lexis Nexis computer system.
Train staff for ILS use.
Provide web content via LibGuides.

Administrative librarian vs research librarian skills

Common administrative librarian skills

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

Common research librarian skills

Research Support, 13%
Library Services, 9%
Collection Development, 8%
Research Services, 6%
Library Resources, 6%
Research Projects, 6%

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Administrative Librarian vs Research Librarian

Updated January 8, 2025

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