Library supervisor vs research librarian

The differences between library supervisors and research librarians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a library supervisor and a research librarian. Additionally, a library supervisor has an average salary of $53,615, which is higher than the $51,263 average annual salary of a research librarian.

The top three skills for a library supervisor include library materials, library patrons and library services. The most important skills for a research librarian are research support, library services, and collection development.

Library supervisor vs research librarian overview

	Library Supervisor	Research Librarian
Yearly salary	$53,615	$51,263
Hourly rate	$25.78	$24.65
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	1,781	45,828
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 69%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	2	2

Library supervisor vs research librarian salary

Library supervisors and research librarians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Library Supervisor	Research Librarian
Average salary	$53,615	$51,263
Salary range	Between $37,000 And $77,000	Between $35,000 And $74,000
Highest paying City	-	Philadelphia, PA
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	Harvard University
Best paying industry	-	Professional

Differences between library supervisor and research librarian education

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

	Library Supervisor	Research Librarian
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 69%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Most common major	Business	Library Science
Most common college	New York University	New York University

Library supervisor vs research librarian demographics

Here are the differences between library supervisors' and research librarians' demographics:

	Library Supervisor	Research Librarian
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 41.6% Female, 58.4%	Male, 35.7% Female, 64.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.6% Asian, 4.8% White, 77.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 4.8% White, 77.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	16%	16%

Differences between library supervisor and research librarian duties and responsibilities

Library supervisor example responsibilities.

Provide safety and security oversight of the library, training and updating evacuation/plot plans and extinguishment methods.
Trouble shoot and replace lap tops, rent out dvds.
Learned to repair library material such as books, DVDs and CDs.
Record retention.SecurityDuties include enforcing the rules and regulations of TDCJ.

Research librarian example responsibilities.

Manage integrated library system including OPAC, serials control, cataloging and acquisitions.
Order materials and perform literature searches using OCLC.
Utilize Microsoft SharePoint to create and maintain the library intranet portal.
Advise clients using factual data in the Lexis Nexis computer system.
Train staff for ILS use.
Provide web content via LibGuides.

Library supervisor vs research librarian skills

Common library supervisor skills

Library Materials, 13%
Library Patrons, 10%
Library Services, 9%
Library Operations, 9%
Library Policies, 7%
Student Assistants, 6%

Common research librarian skills

Research Support, 13%
Library Services, 9%
Collection Development, 8%
Research Services, 6%
Library Resources, 6%
Research Projects, 6%

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Library Supervisor vs Research Librarian

Updated January 8, 2025

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