Research Summary. Using a database of 30 million profiles, Zippia estimates demographics and statistics for librarians in the United States. Our estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
- 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 age of an employed librarian 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 2021, women 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.
Librarian Statistics By Gender
68.7% of librarians are women and 31.3% of librarians are men.
- Female, 68.7%
- Male, 31.3%
Librarians By Gender
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 68.7% |
| Male | 31.3% |
Gender Pay Gap For Librarian
Women Earn 93¢ For Every $1 Earned By Men
Librarian Gender Over Time
This data shows how men and women predominate in the librarian position over time.
Librarian Gender 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 Male to Female Ratio
We compared this job title with other job titles to see how gender percentages varied. As you can see, technician's helper and exhibit technician have the biggest difference in gender.
| 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% |
Librarian Statistics By Race
The most common ethnicity among librarians is White, which makes up 77.1% of all librarians. Comparatively, there are 7.7% of the Hispanic or Latino ethnicity and 6.4% of the Black or African American ethnicity.
- 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
Using the Census Bureau data, we found out how the percentage of each ethnic category trended between 2010-2019 among librarians.
- White
- Asian
- Hispanic or Latino
- Black or African American
Librarian Race 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
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $51,930 |
| White | $53,401 |
| Black or African American | $54,422 |
| Asian | $56,216 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $54,699 |
Average Age of a Librarian
We determined the average age of librarians based on ethnicity and gender.
Librarian Age By Race
| 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
This chart breaks down the ages of librarian employees. Interestingly enough, the average age of librarians is 40+ years old, which represents 75% of the population.
Librarian Age
| Librarian Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 75% |
| 30-40 years | 22% |
| 20-30 years | 4% |
Types of Librarian Degree Levels
The most common degree for librarians is bachelor's degree 56% of librarians earn that degree. A close second is master's degree with 20% and rounding it off is associate degree with 12%.
- Bachelors, 56%
- Masters, 20%
- Associate, 12%
- High School Diploma, 8%
- Other Degrees, 4%
Librarians By Education
| Librarian Degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelors | 56% |
| Masters | 20% |
| Associate | 12% |
| High School Diploma | 8% |
| Other Degrees | 4% |
Librarian Jobs You Might Like
Librarian Wage Gap By Education
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $61,866 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $51,617 |
| Doctorate Degree | $66,840 |
Librarian Employment Statistics
This section highlights information about where librarians work. We found most librarians work for a education company. In addition, the industry that employs the most librarians is the education industry.
Company Size
We created this chart to show you the average size of companies that typically hire librarians.
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% |
The Types Of Companies Librarian Work In
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% |
Top Industries Hiring Librarians
Just based on the number of employees within each industry, we were able to determine the most common industries that employ librarians. Those industries include 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 Bureau of Labor Statistics came in clutch when it came down to figuring out how the unemployment rate has changed over time. Between 2008 and 2018, this is how the number of librarians changed.
- Unemployment rate
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% |
The Average Number of Years That Librarian Stay in a Job
By looking over 12,410 librarians resumes, we figured out that the average librarian enjoys staying at their job for 1-2 years for a percentage of 36%.
Librarian Tenure
| Number or 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% |
Comparing The LGBT Ratio of Librarians with Other Job Titles
After finding the gender ratio, we wondered if the percentages of LGBT persons were different as well. Using the data below, you can see how other job titles compare to librarians.
| 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 |
Librarian 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% |
