Librarian demographics and statistics in the US
Librarian demographics research summary. Zippia estimates librarian demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our librarian estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about librarians after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 80,817 librarians currently employed in the United States.
- 68.7% of all librarians are women, while 31.3% are men.
- The average librarian age is 47 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of librarians is White (77.1%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (7.7%), Black or African American (6.4%) and Asian (4.9%).
- Librarians are most in-demand in Baltimore, MD.
- San Francisco, CA pays an annual average wage of $72,257, the highest in the US.
- In 2022, women librarians earned 93% of what men earned.
- Oregon is the best state for librarians to live.
- Librarians are 61% more likely to work at education companies in comparison to government companies.
On this page
Librarian demographics by:
Librarian gender statistics
68.7% of librarians are women and 31.3% of librarians are men.
- Female, 68.7%
- Male, 31.3%
Librarian gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 68.7% |
| Male | 31.3% |
Librarian gender pay gap
Women earn 93¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$54,115
Female income
$50,294
Librarian gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in librarian positions over time. Currently, 68.7% of librarians are female.
Librarian gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 24.57% | 75.43% |
| 2011 | 24.49% | 75.51% |
| 2012 | 27.44% | 72.56% |
| 2013 | 26.97% | 73.03% |
| 2014 | 25.49% | 74.51% |
| 2015 | 27.89% | 72.11% |
| 2016 | 27.77% | 72.23% |
| 2017 | 30.98% | 69.02% |
| 2018 | 28.57% | 71.43% |
| 2019 | 26.90% | 73.10% |
| 2020 | 29.23% | 70.77% |
| 2021 | 31.32% | 68.68% |
Librarian related jobs gender ratio
We compared librarians with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, technician's helper and exhibit technician have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Elementary Librarian | 8% | 92% |
| Children's Librarian | 11% | 89% |
| High School Librarian | 15% | 85% |
| Librarian | 31% | 69% |
| Art Preparator | 78% | 22% |
| Exhibit Technician | 80% | 20% |
| Technician's Helper | 88% | 12% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Librarian demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among librarians is White, which makes up 77.1% of all librarians. Comparatively, 7.7% of librarians are Hispanic or Latino and 6.4% of librarians are Black or African American.
- White, 77.1%
- Hispanic or Latino, 7.7%
- Black or African American, 6.4%
- Asian, 4.9%
- Unknown, 3.6%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
Librarian race
| Librarian race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 77.1% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 7.7% |
| Black or African American | 6.4% |
| Asian | 4.9% |
| Unknown | 3.6% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.3% |
Librarian race and ethnicity over time
See how librarian racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Librarian race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 81.11% | 6.34% | 4.83% | 5.37% |
| 2011 | 81.05% | 7.02% | 4.92% | 5.30% |
| 2012 | 80.03% | 6.42% | 5.35% | 6.14% |
| 2013 | 80.73% | 7.13% | 4.15% | 5.87% |
| 2014 | 80.27% | 6.72% | 4.64% | 6.26% |
| 2015 | 78.64% | 7.28% | 5.03% | 6.60% |
| 2016 | 79.06% | 6.86% | 5.27% | 6.70% |
| 2017 | 79.02% | 7.17% | 4.96% | 6.40% |
| 2018 | 79.64% | 6.57% | 4.11% | 7.81% |
| 2019 | 81.38% | 6.00% | 3.73% | 6.75% |
| 2020 | 78.14% | 6.44% | 4.26% | 7.22% |
| 2021 | 77.13% | 6.36% | 4.86% | 7.73% |
Librarian wage gap by race
According to our data, asian librarians have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Unknown librarians have the lowest average salary at $51,930.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $51,930 |
| White | $53,401 |
| Black or African American | $54,422 |
| Asian | $56,216 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $54,699 |
Average librarian age
See how the average age of librarians varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Librarian age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 43.5 | 51.5 |
| White | 47 | 48 |
| Black or African American | 50.5 | 48 |
| Asian | 51 | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 41 | 48 |
Librarian age breakdown
The average age of librarians is 40+ years years old, representing 75% of the librarian population.
Librarian age breakdown
| Librarian Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 75% |
| 30-40 years | 22% |
| 20-30 years | 4% |
Librarian educational attainment
The most common degree for librarians is bachelor's degree, with 56% of librarians earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 20% and master's degree degree at 12%.
- Bachelor's, 56%
- Master's, 20%
- Associate, 12%
- High School Diploma, 8%
- Other Degrees, 4%
Librarians by degree level
| Librarian degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 56% |
| Master's | 20% |
| Associate | 12% |
| High School Diploma | 8% |
| Other Degrees | 4% |
Librarian jobs you might like
Librarian wage gap by degree level
According to the data, librarians with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $66,840 annually. With a Master's degree, librarians earn a median annual income of $61,866 compared to $51,617 for librarians with an Bachelor's degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $61,866 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $51,617 |
| Doctorate Degree | $66,840 |
Librarian employment statistics
Most librarians work for a education in the education industry.
Company size where librarians work
Below, you can see the size of companies where librarians work.
Librarian jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 5% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 18% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 32% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 8% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 25% |
| > 10,000 employees | 12% |
Librarian jobs by company type
Employees with the librarian job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most librarians prefer to work at education companies over government companies.
Librarian jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 61% |
| Public | 3% |
| Private | 10% |
| Government | 26% |
Librarian jobs by industry
The most common industries for librarians are education, government and non profits.
Librarian industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 58% |
| Government | 24% |
| Non Profits | 3% |
| Professional | 3% |
| Fortune 500 | 2% |
| Technology | 2% |
| Manufacturing | 1% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Media | 1% |
| Utilities | 1% |
| Health Care | 1% |
| Hospitality | 1% |
Librarian turnover and employment statistics
Librarian unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for librarians between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Librarian unemployment rate by year
| Year | Librarian unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 3.14% |
| 2011 | 2.36% |
| 2012 | 2.44% |
| 2013 | 2.38% |
| 2014 | 2.56% |
| 2015 | 2.47% |
| 2016 | 1.99% |
| 2017 | 1.38% |
| 2018 | 1.39% |
| 2019 | 1.46% |
| 2020 | 1.74% |
| 2021 | 1.46% |
Average librarian tenure
The average librarian stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 12,410 librarians resumes in Zippia's database.
Librarian tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 26% |
| 1-2 years | 36% |
| 3-4 years | 13% |
| 5-7 years | 12% |
| 8-10 years | 5% |
| 11+ years | 8% |
Librarian LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of librarians that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Course Assistant | 6.04% | 7,769 |
| Music Teacher | 9.52% | 54,429 |
| English Language Teacher | 12.94% | 74,779 |
| Digital Archivist | 13.30% | 16,449 |
| Page Technician | 13.69% | 24,052 |
| Librarian | 16.19% | - |
| Instructional Designer And Trainer | 16.25% | 70,222 |
Similar librarian jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Course Assistant | 6.04% | 7,769 |
| Music Teacher | 9.52% | 54,429 |
| English Language Teacher | 12.94% | 74,779 |
| Digital Archivist | 13.30% | 16,449 |
| Page Technician | 13.69% | 24,052 |
| Instructional Designer And Trainer | 16.25% | 70,222 |
Foreign languages spoken by librarians
The most common foreign language among librarians is Spanish at 38.7%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 14.2% and Chinese is the third-most popular at 7.2%.
- Spanish, 38.7%
- French, 14.2%
- Chinese, 7.2%
- Mandarin, 6.7%
- German, 5.8%
- Other, 27.4%
Librarian languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 38.7% |
| French | 14.2% |
| Chinese | 7.2% |
| Mandarin | 6.7% |
| German | 5.8% |
| Other | 27.4% |
