School librarian demographics and statistics in the US
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School librarian demographics by:
School librarian gender statistics
83.7% of school librarians are women and 16.3% of school librarians are men.
- Female, 83.7%
- Male, 16.3%
School librarian gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 83.7% |
| Male | 16.3% |
School librarian gender pay gap
Women earn 92¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$52,352
Female income
$48,062
School librarian gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in school librarian positions over time. Currently, 83.7% of school librarians are female.
School librarian gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 12.24% | 87.76% |
| 2011 | 12.19% | 87.81% |
| 2012 | 13.93% | 86.07% |
| 2013 | 13.65% | 86.35% |
| 2014 | 12.77% | 87.23% |
| 2015 | 14.20% | 85.80% |
| 2016 | 14.13% | 85.87% |
| 2017 | 16.12% | 83.88% |
| 2018 | 14.61% | 85.39% |
| 2019 | 13.61% | 86.39% |
| 2020 | 15.02% | 84.98% |
| 2021 | 16.33% | 83.67% |
School librarian related jobs gender ratio
We compared school librarians with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, technician's helper and exhibit technician have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Elementary Librarian | 8% | 92% |
| Children's Librarian | 11% | 89% |
| High School Librarian | 15% | 85% |
| School Librarian | 16% | 84% |
| Art Preparator | 78% | 22% |
| Exhibit Technician | 80% | 20% |
| Technician's Helper | 88% | 12% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
School librarian demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among school librarians is White, which makes up 77.3% of all school librarians. Comparatively, 7.7% of school librarians are Hispanic or Latino and 6.3% of school librarians are Black or African American.
- White, 77.3%
- Hispanic or Latino, 7.7%
- Black or African American, 6.3%
- Asian, 4.8%
- Unknown, 3.6%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
School librarian race
| School librarian race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 77.3% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 7.7% |
| Black or African American | 6.3% |
| Asian | 4.8% |
| Unknown | 3.6% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.3% |
School librarian race and ethnicity over time
See how school librarian racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
School librarian race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 81.29% | 6.26% | 4.79% | 5.31% |
| 2011 | 81.23% | 6.95% | 4.89% | 5.24% |
| 2012 | 80.21% | 6.35% | 5.31% | 6.08% |
| 2013 | 80.91% | 7.06% | 4.11% | 5.81% |
| 2014 | 80.45% | 6.65% | 4.60% | 6.19% |
| 2015 | 78.82% | 7.21% | 5.00% | 6.53% |
| 2016 | 79.24% | 6.79% | 5.23% | 6.64% |
| 2017 | 79.20% | 7.10% | 4.92% | 6.33% |
| 2018 | 79.82% | 6.49% | 4.07% | 7.74% |
| 2019 | 81.56% | 5.92% | 3.69% | 6.69% |
| 2020 | 78.31% | 6.37% | 4.22% | 7.16% |
| 2021 | 77.31% | 6.29% | 4.82% | 7.67% |
School librarian wage gap by race
According to our data, asian school librarians have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Unknown school librarians have the lowest average salary at $49,892.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $49,892 |
| White | $51,546 |
| Black or African American | $52,699 |
| Asian | $54,733 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $53,012 |
Average school librarian age
See how the average age of school librarians varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
School librarian age by race and gender
| 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 |
School librarian age breakdown
The average age of school librarians is 40+ years years old, representing 75% of the school librarian population.
School librarian age breakdown
| School Librarian Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 75% |
| 30-40 years | 22% |
| 20-30 years | 4% |
School librarian educational attainment
The most common degree for school librarians is bachelor's degree, with 58% of school librarians earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 27% and master's degree degree at 7%.
- Bachelor's, 58%
- Master's, 27%
- Associate, 7%
- High School Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 4%
School librarians by degree level
| School librarian degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 58% |
| Master's | 27% |
| Associate | 7% |
| High School Diploma | 4% |
| Other Degrees | 4% |
School librarian jobs you might like
School librarian wage gap by degree level
According to the data, school librarians with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $66,992 annually. With a Master's degree, school librarians earn a median annual income of $61,209 compared to $49,541 for school librarians with an Bachelor's degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $61,209 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $49,541 |
| Doctorate Degree | $66,992 |
School librarian employment statistics
Most school librarians work for a education in the education industry.
Company size where school librarians work
Below, you can see the size of companies where school librarians work.
School librarian jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 10% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 27% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 41% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 6% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 14% |
| > 10,000 employees | 3% |
School librarian jobs by company type
Employees with the school librarian job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most school librarians prefer to work at education companies over government companies.
School librarian jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 85% |
| Public | 2% |
| Private | 5% |
| Government | 7% |
School librarian jobs by industry
The most common industries for school librarians are education, government and non profits.
School librarian industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 80% |
| Government | 7% |
| Non Profits | 5% |
| Manufacturing | 1% |
| Health Care | 1% |
| Fortune 500 | 1% |
| Professional | 1% |
| Retail | 1% |
School librarian turnover and employment statistics
School librarian unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for school librarians between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
School librarian unemployment rate by year
| Year | School 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% |
Average school librarian tenure
The average school librarian stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 742 school librarians resumes in Zippia's database.
School librarian tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 17% |
| 1-2 years | 31% |
| 3-4 years | 14% |
| 5-7 years | 15% |
| 8-10 years | 7% |
| 11+ years | 16% |
School librarian LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of school librarians that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Assistant Daycare Teacher | 6.04% | 80,847 |
| Correspondence School Instructor | 9.52% | 67,548 |
| Mathematics Instructor | 12.94% | 39,866 |
| Sculpture Conservator | 13.30% | 28 |
| Cataloging Technician | 13.69% | 5,310 |
| School Librarian | 16.19% | - |
| Instructional Technology Specialist | 16.25% | 61,365 |
Similar school librarian jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Assistant Daycare Teacher | 6.04% | 80,847 |
| Correspondence School Instructor | 9.52% | 67,548 |
| Mathematics Instructor | 12.94% | 39,866 |
| Sculpture Conservator | 13.30% | 28 |
| Cataloging Technician | 13.69% | 5,310 |
| Instructional Technology Specialist | 16.25% | 61,365 |
Foreign languages spoken by school librarians
The most common foreign language among school librarians is Spanish at 32.6%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 15.2% and Mandarin is the third-most popular at 10.9%.
- Spanish, 32.6%
- French, 15.2%
- Mandarin, 10.9%
- Arabic, 8.7%
- Chinese, 6.5%
- Other, 26.1%
School librarian languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 32.6% |
| French | 15.2% |
| Mandarin | 10.9% |
| Arabic | 8.7% |
| Chinese | 6.5% |
| Other | 26.1% |
