What is a Digital Librarian?

A digital librarian works in a library and oversees its digital collections. Libraries are no longer just buildings full of dusty books; many have online collections as well to meet their patrons' needs. Other organizations, such as museums, may have online libraries as well in order to share information as widely as possible. Digital librarians are in charge of obtaining new digital media for the collection and digitizing physical records. They are in charge of MARC cataloging, which is the way information is stored in online cataloging. In addition to knowing a lot about libraries, digital librarians need to have excellent computer skills in order to maintain digital collections, use software such as Sharepoint, and manage a library's digital presence on social media or their website.

Like regular librarians, digital librarians need a master's degree in library science if they want to work for a public or academic library. In other positions, they can probably get by with only a bachelor's degree.

They can gain practical experience with digital media through internships or by working as a library assistant. It takes some effort to become a digital librarian, but it pays off with an average salary of $55,453 a year.

What Does a Digital Librarian Do

There are certain skills that many digital librarians have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed initiative, interpersonal skills and problem-solving skills.

Learn more about what a Digital Librarian does

How To Become a Digital Librarian

If you're interested in becoming a digital librarian, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 56.6% of digital librarians have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 31.0% of digital librarians have master's degrees. Even though most digital librarians have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.

Learn More About How To Become a Digital Librarian

Top Digital Librarian Jobs Near You

Average Salary for a Digital Librarian

Digital Librarians in America make an average salary of $57,957 per year or $28 per hour. The top 10 percent makes over $82,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent under $40,000 per year.

Average Digital Librarian Salary

$57,957 Yearly

$27.86 hourly

$40,00010%

$57,000Median

$82,00090%

See More Salary Information

What Am I Worth?

Roles and Types of Digital Librarian

There are several types of digital librarian, including:

Librarian

Role:

A librarian is tasked with collecting, organizing, and issuing library resources such as books, films, and audio files. Librarians work in public libraries, schools, and museums. They collect and catalog library resources, including books, films, and publications. They help people locate references and leisure reading materials. Also, they perform regular audits of inventory on file and supervise the check-out process for books and other resource materials. Asides from that, they plan and host book sales, author signings, and other reading events.

Primarily, you can get a librarian job with a high school diploma or its equivalent. But for career advancement, you need at least a bachelor's degree in library science. You need a minimum of three years of experience in a similar role. Also, you must possess computer, organization, communication, and interpersonal skills. Librarians earn an average gross salary of $57,395. It ranges between $39,000 and $84,000.

Average Salary: $53,096
Degree: Bachelor's Degree

Library Technician

Role:

Library technicians might work in schools or government agencies, public or academic libraries operating databases and tools that make the organization of books and other items manageable.

As a library technician, you will work under the supervision of a librarian. Your job will be to keep library material in order, assist library visitors, and re-shelf books and other items when returned.

You will also be expected to perform clerical tasks, file documents, answer emails or inquiries over the phone. Working in a library is for people who enjoy calm and quiet working environments. You can typically count on days with low-stress levels, and even if you do get worked up, shouting will not be the way to let steam out.

Average Salary: $37,757
Degree: Bachelor's Degree

Reference Librarian

Role:

A Reference Librarian is responsible for providing reference, readers advisory, computer, and referral services to patrons in the library. This person also assists in terms of material selection for the library collection. As a reference librarian, expect your job to include things like assisting in accumulating information that can boost the company's performance. You will also evaluate the quality of information, organize the information, and replace or remove outdated books from the library. You will assist customers because it is part of your job to identify and attend to users' needs in the library.

To attain the position of reference librarian in a public library, you need at least a teacher's certificate. However, in many cases, employers want a master's degree in library science and information studies. Keep in mind that you need to be active, driven, and able to read, understand, and communicate well. Reference librarians make $50,395 per year, which is $24.23 hourly.

Average Salary: $50,409
Degree: Bachelor's Degree

States With The Most Digital Librarian Jobs

Mouse over a state to see the number of active digital librarian jobs in each state. The darker areas on the map show where digital librarians earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.

Average Salary: Job Openings:

Number Of Digital Librarian Jobs By State

Rank	State	Number of Jobs	Average Salary
1	California	1,142	$67,275
2	New York	687	$70,091
3	Texas	636	$48,493
4	Illinois	498	$58,118
5	Florida	387	$45,704
6	Massachusetts	381	$63,880
7	Pennsylvania	370	$70,842
8	Georgia	315	$53,645
9	North Carolina	300	$54,997
10	New Jersey	285	$71,178
11	Virginia	268	$65,385
12	Ohio	254	$55,911
13	Washington	246	$78,363
14	Minnesota	226	$64,795
15	Colorado	205	$51,005
16	Maryland	194	$64,233
17	Michigan	165	$65,666
18	Arizona	153	$46,417
19	Oregon	144	$74,262
20	Wisconsin	134	$52,887
21	Utah	128	$66,932
22	Tennessee	124	$49,577
23	Connecticut	113	$70,533
24	Missouri	100	$50,384
25	Indiana	83	$50,275
26	Kansas	74	$52,288
27	South Carolina	72	$50,818
28	Alabama	67	$50,736
29	Iowa	65	$52,274
30	Delaware	62	$61,638
31	Nevada	61	$60,717
32	Arkansas	61	$44,858
33	Nebraska	60	$61,200
34	Kentucky	57	$52,667
35	New Hampshire	52	$58,802
36	Idaho	51	$62,651
37	Louisiana	49	$47,210
38	Rhode Island	47	$60,486
39	Oklahoma	41	$48,744
40	New Mexico	35	$46,041
41	Maine	34	$51,047
42	Montana	32	$50,793
43	Vermont	31	$56,510
44	North Dakota	28	$63,081
45	Mississippi	28	$58,502
46	Hawaii	24	$53,741
47	South Dakota	21	$47,503
48	Alaska	20	$74,798
49	West Virginia	19	$55,112
50	Wyoming	19	$47,840

Digital Librarian Education

Digital Librarian Majors

Library Science And Administration

17.6 %

Library Science

13.9 %

English

9.3 %

Digital Librarian Degrees

Admissions

Most Popular Majors

Business

Psychology

Communication

English

History

Top Skills For a Digital Librarian

The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 16.7% of digital librarians listed metadata on their resume, but soft skills such as initiative and interpersonal skills are important as well.

Metadata, 16.7%

Digital Collections, 10.9%

Digital Assets, 10.4%

Digital Content, 10.3%

Technical Support, 9.3%

Other Skills, 42.4%

Choose From 10+ Customizable Digital Librarian Resume templates

Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Digital Librarian templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Digital Librarian resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.

Digital Librarian Demographics

Digital Librarian Gender Distribution

Female

56%

Male

44%

After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:

Among digital librarians, 55.6% of them are women, while 44.4% are men.

The most common race/ethnicity among digital librarians is White, which makes up 76.6% of all digital librarians.

The most common foreign language among digital librarians is Spanish at 35.3%.

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Job type you want

Full Time

Part Time

Internship

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Best States For a Digital Librarian

Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as a digital librarian. The best states for people in this position are Washington, Alaska, Oregon, and New Jersey. Digital librarians make the most in Washington with an average salary of $78,363. Whereas in Alaska and Oregon, they would average $74,798 and $74,262, respectively. While digital librarians would only make an average of $71,178 in New Jersey, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.

1. Washington

Total Digital Librarian Jobs: 246

Highest 10% Earn:

$122,000

Location Quotient:

1.1

$78,363

Avg. Salary

View 246 Digital Librarian Jobs In WA

2. Pennsylvania

Total Digital Librarian Jobs: 370

Highest 10% Earn:

$104,000

Location Quotient:

1.04

$70,842

Avg. Salary

View 370 Digital Librarian Jobs In PA

3. Oregon

Total Digital Librarian Jobs: 144

Highest 10% Earn:

$119,000

Location Quotient:

1.13

$74,262

Avg. Salary

View 144 Digital Librarian Jobs In OR

Full List Of Best States For Digital Librarians

How Do Digital Librarian Rate Their Jobs?

Top Digital Librarian Employers

Most Common Employers For Digital Librarian

Rank	Company	Average Salary	Hourly Rate	Job Openings
1	Dell	$88,375	$42.49	3
2	Fox News	$79,782	$38.36	4
3	Boston College	$78,381	$37.68	3
4	Mathematica	$71,037	$34.15	8
5	The University of Vermont Health Network	$66,288	$31.87	3
6	Conair	$65,417	$31.45	2
7	Washington Permanente Medical Group	$65,285	$31.39	3
8	University of Baltimore	$65,071	$31.28	3
9	Kaiser Permanente	$64,927	$31.21	3
10	Accenture	$64,288	$30.91	2

Updated February 6, 2023

What is a Digital Librarian?

What Does a Digital Librarian Do

How To Become a Digital Librarian

Average Salary for a Digital Librarian

Roles and Types of Digital Librarian

Librarian

Library Technician

Reference Librarian

States With The Most Digital Librarian Jobs

Number Of Digital Librarian Jobs By State

Digital Librarian Education

Digital Librarian Majors

Digital Librarian Degrees

Top Colleges for Digital Librarians

1. New York University

2. University of Maryland - College Park

3. University of Washington

4. SUNY at Buffalo

5. Syracuse University

6. Louisiana State University and A&M College

7. University of California - Los Angeles

8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

9. Drexel University

10. University of Texas at Austin

Top Skills For a Digital Librarian

Choose From 10+ Customizable Digital Librarian Resume templates

Digital Librarian Demographics

Digital Librarian Gender Distribution

Online Courses For Digital Librarian That You May Like

Best States For a Digital Librarian

How Do Digital Librarian Rate Their Jobs?

Top Digital Librarian Employers

Most Common Employers For Digital Librarian

Digital Librarian Related Careers

Digital Librarian Related Jobs

What Similar Roles Do

Resume For Related Jobs