Librarian vs library director

The differences between librarians and library directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a librarian and a library director. Additionally, a librarian has an average salary of $53,096, which is higher than the $44,750 average annual salary of a library director.

The top three skills for a librarian include library services, customer service and library materials. The most important skills for a library director are library services, collection development, and professional development.

Librarian vs library director overview

	Librarian	Library Director
Yearly salary	$53,096	$44,750
Hourly rate	$25.53	$21.51
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	1,264	5,428
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	2	2

Librarian vs library director salary

Librarians and library directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Librarian	Library Director
Average salary	$53,096	$44,750
Salary range	Between $38,000 And $73,000	Between $28,000 And $69,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Hoboken, NJ
Highest paying state	Alaska	Alaska
Best paying company	Meta	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	Education	Education

Differences between librarian and library director education

There are a few differences between a librarian and a library director in terms of educational background:

	Librarian	Library Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Most common major	Library Science	Library Science
Most common college	New York University	New York University

Librarian vs library director demographics

Here are the differences between librarians' and library directors' demographics:

	Librarian	Library Director
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 31.3% Female, 68.7%	Male, 29.5% Female, 70.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 4.9% White, 77.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 4.9% White, 77.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	16%	16%

Differences between librarian and library director duties and responsibilities

Librarian example responsibilities.

Plan and manage weekly toddler programs and activities.
Recruit, train, and manage volunteers, teen ambassadors, book buddies, elderly volunteers, and teen tech assistants.
Manage adult non-fiction materials and coordinate staff.
Manage and maintain inventory of NAVAIR technical documentation.
Manage integrated library system including OPAC, serials control, cataloging and acquisitions.
Achieve proficiency cataloging electronic materials (audio records, video recordings, and streaming video) and continuing resources/serials.

Library director example responsibilities.

Manage records of circulation and materials, maintain inventory, and correct cataloging errors.
Hire & supervise 26 staff , 16 FTE.
Supervise one FTE and six part time employees.
Investigate and troubleshoot protocols, procedures and reagents.
Work with vendors to develop licensing and to troubleshoot electronic access.
Provide oversight of the acquisitions process at all stages, including final approval.

Librarian vs library director skills

Common librarian skills

Library Services, 11%
Customer Service, 10%
Library Materials, 8%
Collection Development, 7%
Library Resources, 6%
Reference Services, 5%

Common library director skills

Library Services, 16%
Collection Development, 7%
Professional Development, 6%
Library Operations, 6%
Academic Library, 6%
Library Resources, 5%

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Librarian vs Library Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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