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The differences between special collections librarians 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 special collections librarian and a research librarian. Additionally, a special collections librarian has an average salary of $53,149, which is higher than the $51,263 average annual salary of a research librarian.
The top three skills for a special collections librarian include customer accounts, collection development and outbound calls. The most important skills for a research librarian are research support, library services, and collection development.
| Special Collections Librarian | Research Librarian | |
| Yearly salary | $53,149 | $51,263 |
| Hourly rate | $25.55 | $24.65 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 14,416 | 45,828 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Special collections librarians and research librarians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Special Collections Librarian | Research Librarian | |
| Average salary | $53,149 | $51,263 |
| Salary range | Between $36,000 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 |
There are a few differences between a special collections librarian and a research librarian in terms of educational background:
| Special Collections Librarian | Research Librarian | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Business | Library Science |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | New York University |
Here are the differences between special collections librarians' and research librarians' demographics:
| Special Collections Librarian | Research Librarian | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 42.0% Female, 58.0% | Male, 35.7% Female, 64.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.6% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 5.0% White, 76.5% 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% |