Senior library assistant vs reference assistant

The differences between senior library assistants and reference assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a senior library assistant has an average salary of $34,518, which is higher than the $27,874 average annual salary of a reference assistant.

The top three skills for a senior library assistant include library materials, library patrons and library policies. The most important skills for a reference assistant are library materials, library patrons, and interlibrary loan.

Senior library assistant vs reference assistant overview

	Senior Library Assistant	Reference Assistant
Yearly salary	$34,518	$27,874
Hourly rate	$16.60	$13.40
Growth rate	-4%	-4%
Number of jobs	1,099	658
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	-	-

Senior library assistant vs reference assistant salary

Senior library assistants and reference assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Senior Library Assistant	Reference Assistant
Average salary	$34,518	$27,874
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $44,000	Between $21,000 And $36,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between senior library assistant and reference assistant education

There are a few differences between a senior library assistant and a reference assistant in terms of educational background:

	Senior Library Assistant	Reference Assistant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Most common major	English	English
Most common college	New York University	New York University

Senior library assistant vs reference assistant demographics

Here are the differences between senior library assistants' and reference assistants' demographics:

	Senior Library Assistant	Reference Assistant
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 31.6% Female, 68.4%	Male, 32.3% Female, 67.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 6.3% White, 62.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 6.4% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between senior library assistant and reference assistant duties and responsibilities

Senior library assistant example responsibilities.

Collect data, compile bibliographies, manage current contents and perform copy cataloging functions.
Train patrons on Westlaw, Lexis and general reference computer system.
Direct and train library staff in receiving, shelving, researching, cataloging, and equipment use.
Collect data, compile bibliographies, manage current contents and perform copy cataloging functions.
Assess and discard non-fiction collections as assigned.

Reference assistant example responsibilities.

Construct and manage subject LibGuides.
Manage yearly budget for DVDs.
Search for and retrieve cases from online databases such as Westlaw and Lexis-Nexis.
Prepare library libguides and bibliographies on various areas of law.
Train fellow staff members in inter-library loan procedures and online database, OCLC.
Process requests for journal articles and books from RapidILL, OCLC, and DOCLINE.

Senior library assistant vs reference assistant skills

Common senior library assistant skills

Library Materials, 12%
Library Patrons, 11%
Library Policies, 9%
Library Operations, 6%
Student Assistants, 6%
Library System, 6%

Common reference assistant skills

Library Materials, 8%
Library Patrons, 7%
Interlibrary Loan, 6%
Reference Desk, 6%
Reference Services, 6%
Library Resources, 5%

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Senior Library Assistant
Senior Library Assistant vs Reference Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

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