Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Job outlook for government documents librarians in the United States
Are government documents librarian jobs in demand?
Government documents librarian job and salary trends over time
Government documents librarian jobs over time
Government documents librarian job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 303 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 320 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 321 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 298 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 300 | 0.00% |
Average government documents librarian salary over time
Government documents librarian salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $52,928 | $25.45 | +3.7% |
| 2025 | $51,024 | $24.53 | +2.1% |
| 2024 | $49,973 | $24.03 | +0.9% |
| 2023 | $49,524 | $23.81 | +1.5% |
| 2022 | $48,813 | $23.47 | +1.4% |
Government documents librarian jobs by state
Most common states for government documents librarians
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 51 | 7% |
| 2 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 8 | 1% |
| 3 | California | 39,536,653 | 105 | 0% |
| 4 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 51 | 0% |
| 5 | New York | 19,849,399 | 41 | 0% |
| 6 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 38 | 0% |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 28 | 0% |
| 8 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 26 | 0% |
| 9 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 26 | 0% |
| 10 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 22 | 0% |
| 11 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 18 | 0% |
| 12 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 18 | 0% |
| 13 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 16 | 0% |
| 14 | Nevada | 2,998,039 | 10 | 0% |
| 15 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 9 | 0% |
| 16 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 6 | 0% |
| 17 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 6 | 0% |
| 18 | Alaska | 739,795 | 2 | 0% |
| 19 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 2 | 0% |
| 20 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 0 | 0% |
Government Documents Librarian job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of government documents librarian experts
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Stephen Ahearne-Kroll Ph.D.
Chair, Associate Professor and Sundet Family Chair of New Testament and Christian StudiesUniversity of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Department of Classical and Near Eastern Religions and Cultures
What skills stand out on Government Documents Librarian resumes?
Stephen Ahearne-Kroll Ph.D.: The skills I think are most important (in no particular order) are (1) creative imagination; (2) good knowledge of the social and political history of the biblical works one is studying; (3) a strong sense of how theological perspectives can affect one's reading of the Bible; (4) a strong sense of how the field is being pushed towards a more inclusive demographic; (5) a deep understanding of how gender, race, social status, and ethnicity have to be included in any analysis of biblical texts; (6) a desire to break out of old patterns of scholarship and teaching that have certain scholars an unfair advantage over others; (7) an interesting research plan; (8) strong language skills; (9) good teaching ability/potential.
What skills will help Government Documents Librarians earn the most?
Stephen Ahearne-Kroll Ph.D.: The highest paying institutions are Research 1 colleges and universities, but they often don't compare the kinds of skill sets they require. Mainline divinity schools and seminaries associated with R1 universities (Yale, Harvard, Duke, Emory, Brite [TCU], U Chicago) don't always compare with each other very well; some are denominationally affiliated (Duke, Emory, TCU), and others are not (Yale, Harvard, Chicago), and so each would have their own priorities in terms of the kind of scholar they would want to hire. For example, a denominationally affiliated divinity school might require an MDiv or ministerial experience, whereas a non-denominational divinity school might not. And yet, the pay would be comparable. Every school wants good language skills, a strong sense of history, imaginative scholars, interesting research agendas, good teaching skills/potential, but these skills do not automatically translate into high-paying jobs or even jobs at all.