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What is a library acquisitions technician and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a library acquisitions technician. For example, did you know that they make an average of $18.91 an hour? That's $39,329 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow -4% and produce -6,400 job opportunities across the U.S.
ScoreLibrary Acquisitions TechnicianUS Average
Salary
3.1

Avg. Salary $39,329

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
6.1

Growth rate -4%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
4.2
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.87%

Asian 5.24%

Black or African American 6.28%

Hispanic or Latino 10.99%

Unknown 5.06%

White 71.55%

Gender

female 69.23%

male 30.77%

Age - 54
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 54
Stress level
6.1

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level
5.5

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance
8.9

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a library acquisitions technician

  1. Explore library acquisitions technician education requirements

    Most common library acquisitions technician degrees

    Bachelor's

    57.1 %

    Associate

    28.6 %

    Master's

    14.3 %
  2. Complete relevant library acquisitions technician training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New library acquisitions technicians learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a library acquisitions technician based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real library acquisitions technician resumes.
  3. Research library acquisitions technician duties and responsibilities

    • Provide cataloging services, including indexing, assigning metadata, classification and subject heading application using the standard thesaurus of terms.
    • Search for items that need weeding, relabeling or OPAC record updates.
  4. Prepare your library acquisitions technician resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your library acquisitions technician resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a library acquisitions technician resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable library acquisitions technician resume templates

    Build a professional library acquisitions technician resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your library acquisitions technician resume.
    Library Acquisitions Technician Resume
    Library Acquisitions Technician Resume
    Library Acquisitions Technician Resume
    Library Acquisitions Technician Resume
    Library Acquisitions Technician Resume
    Library Acquisitions Technician Resume
    Library Acquisitions Technician Resume
    Library Acquisitions Technician Resume
    Library Acquisitions Technician Resume
  5. Apply for library acquisitions technician jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a library acquisitions technician job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first library acquisitions technician job

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Average library acquisitions technician salary

The average library acquisitions technician salary in the United States is $39,329 per year or $19 per hour. Library acquisitions technician salaries range between $25,000 and $61,000 per year.

Average library acquisitions technician salary
$39,329 Yearly
$18.91 hourly

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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