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The differences between reference librarians and technical services 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 reference librarian and a technical services librarian. Additionally, a technical services librarian has an average salary of $50,657, which is higher than the $50,409 average annual salary of a reference librarian.
The top three skills for a reference librarian include reference services, library patrons and collection development. The most important skills for a technical services librarian are library services, collection development, and library resources.
| Reference Librarian | Technical Services Librarian | |
| Yearly salary | $50,409 | $50,657 |
| Hourly rate | $24.24 | $24.35 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 1,058 | 118,696 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Being a reference librarian requires good people skills, knowledge in their respective fields, and good teaching ability to handle the varied responsibilities. Job duties include the interpretation, recommendation, evaluation, and use of information resources in order to assist library patrons with their respective information requirements. These are tasks that will just as often be conducted through phone chat and email as in person.
A technical services librarian is responsible for overseeing the technical and circulation services at a library. Typical duties for this role include supervising the technical and circulation staff, working closely with other library services, and directing the activities on library automation. In addition, you will make technical decisions involving the use and management of bibliographic records based on accepted standards. As a technical services librarian, it is also your responsibility to assist in the preparation of the library's annual budget and contribute to collection and acquisition development initiatives.
Reference librarians and technical services librarians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Reference Librarian | Technical Services Librarian | |
| Average salary | $50,409 | $50,657 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $70,000 | Between $36,000 And $69,000 |
| Highest paying City | Anchorage, AK | Charlottesville, VA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Yale University | Yale University |
| Best paying industry | Education | Professional |
There are a few differences between a reference librarian and a technical services librarian in terms of educational background:
| Reference Librarian | Technical Services Librarian | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Most common major | Library Science | Library Science |
| Most common college | New York University | New York University |
Here are the differences between reference librarians' and technical services librarians' demographics:
| Reference Librarian | Technical Services Librarian | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 33.3% Female, 66.7% | Male, 32.3% Female, 67.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.5% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 4.9% White, 76.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 6.6% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 5.0% White, 76.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 16% |