Best degree programs for Librarians and Media Collections Specialists, ranked by enrollment
5 college programs and 346 schools train Librarians and Media Collections Specialists. Compare graduates per year, cost and pay, $68,270 median wage, 133,790 U.S. jobs. Federal data.
5 college programs at 346 schools train librarians and media collections specialists, graduating 16,398 people a year (IPEDS completions). The largest is Educational/Instructional Technology. The job pays a median of $68,270 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About librarians and media collections specialists
Administer and maintain libraries or collections of information, for public or private access through reference or borrowing. Work in a variety of settings, such as educational institutions, museums, and corporations, and with various types of informational materials, such as books, periodicals, recordings, films, and databases. Tasks may include acquiring, cataloging, and circulating library materials, and user services such as locating and organizing information, providing instruction on how to access information, and setting up and operating a library's media equipment.
Fields of study that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.
5 degree programs that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 13.0501 | 9,475 | 57.8% | 298 | $40,786 | $33,629 |
| 2 | Library and Information Sciencemain feeder CIP 25.0101 | 6,306 | 38.5% | 71 | $29,163 | $30,154 |
| 3 | CIP 13.1334 | 578 | 3.5% | 34 | $43,033 | $26,044 |
| 4 | Children and Youth Library Servicesmain feeder CIP 25.0102 | 38 | 0.2% | 5 | $29,163 | $30,154 |
| 5 | Library Science and Administration, Othermain feeder CIP 25.0199 | 1 | 0.0% | 1 | $29,163 | $30,154 |
Top 50 schools by graduates into this job
Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.
What librarians and media collections specialists earn
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
Top-paying states
Top-paying metro areas
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Where the jobs are, state by state
Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.
| State | Median pay | Jobs | Concentration | Schools | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Utahmoderate | $53,730 | 1,630 | 1.09× | 3 | 2,371 |
| Georgia | $76,750 | 3,330 | 0.79× | 9 | 1,380 |
| California | $89,790 | 10,180 | 0.65× | 25 | 1,276 |
| Texas | $71,860 | 9,150 | 0.76× | 21 | 1,269 |
| New York | $78,590 | 11,870 | 1.42× | 21 | 1,052 |
| Indiana | $53,500 | 1,920 | 0.70× | 6 | 790 |
| Pennsylvania | $62,880 | 5,050 | 0.97× | 20 | 661 |
| North Carolina | $61,420 | 4,010 | 0.94× | 11 | 612 |
| Arizona | $60,500 | 1,990 | 0.71× | 8 | 487 |
| Massachusetts | $78,540 | 4,980 | 1.59× | 13 | 475 |
| Florida | $67,060 | 6,670 | 0.78× | 14 | 471 |
| South Carolina | $62,640 | 2,130 | 1.07× | 7 | 329 |
| Alabama | $64,650 | 2,750 | 1.51× | 10 | 323 |
| Illinois | $62,700 | 5,390 | 1.03× | 11 | 312 |
| Louisiana | $60,650 | 2,130 | 1.28× | 5 | 287 |
| Wisconsin | $66,870 | 2,450 | 0.97× | 5 | 283 |
| Ohio | $60,630 | 4,820 | 1.01× | 11 | 282 |
| Missouri | $58,700 | 2,970 | 1.17× | 10 | 280 |
| Michigan | $60,010 | 3,940 | 1.04× | 8 | 272 |
| Kentucky | $65,200 | 1,980 | 1.15× | 6 | 252 |
| Virginia | $77,430 | 4,590 | 1.30× | 9 | 246 |
| Kansas | $61,900 | 1,620 | 1.31× | 8 | 241 |
| New Jersey | $78,380 | 4,100 | 1.11× | 9 | 232 |
| Maryland | $88,570 | 3,220 | 1.35× | 7 | 230 |
| Mississippilimited | $56,970 | 1,060 | 1.06× | 2 | 229 |
| Connecticut | $79,210 | 2,550 | 1.75× | 9 | 180 |
| Tennessee | $62,090 | 2,540 | 0.90× | 8 | 177 |
| Minnesota | $77,650 | 2,220 | 0.88× | 9 | 176 |
| Oklahoma | $58,180 | 1,820 | 1.24× | 5 | 170 |
| Washington | $100,030 | 2,750 | 0.90× | 5 | 169 |
| Colorado | $76,480 | 1,990 | 0.80× | 5 | 145 |
| Arkansas | $56,800 | 1,490 | 1.33× | 6 | 118 |
| Iowa | $58,440 | 1,770 | 1.32× | 5 | 107 |
| Rhode Islandlimited | $75,860 | 780 | 1.80× | 1 | 74 |
| Mainelimited | $59,540 | 780 | 1.42× | 2 | 69 |
| Delawaremoderate | $77,700 | 370 | 0.89× | 4 | 68 |
| Idaholimited | $54,130 | 650 | 0.88× | 2 | 52 |
| Hawaiilimited | $68,270 | 300 | 0.56× | 1 | 47 |
| District of Columbiamoderate | $96,550 | 960 | 1.59× | 4 | 41 |
| Nebraskamoderate | $64,060 | 1,200 | 1.36× | 4 | 39 |
| Montanalimited | $63,870 | 640 | 1.45× | 1 | 26 |
| South Dakotalimited | $51,210 | 490 | 1.25× | 2 | 23 |
| West Virginialimited | $42,980 | 610 | 1.01× | 2 | 17 |
| New Hampshirelimited | $63,580 | 1,150 | 1.95× | 1 | 11 |
| New Mexicolimited | $62,530 | 580 | 0.78× | 1 | 10 |
| North Dakotalimited | $62,830 | 570 | 1.53× | 2 | 6 |
| Vermontlimited | $62,360 | 600 | 2.29× | 1 | 1 |
Skills and tools
From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.
What they do day to day
- Check books in and out of the library.
- Teach library patrons basic computer skills, such as searching computerized databases.
- Review and evaluate materials, using book reviews, catalogs, faculty recommendations, and current holdings to select and order print, audio-visual, and electronic resources.
- Search standard reference materials, including online sources and the Internet, to answer patrons' reference questions.
- Keep up-to-date records of circulation and materials, maintain inventory, and correct cataloging errors.
- Analyze patrons' requests to determine needed information and assist in furnishing or locating that information.
- Supervise daily library operations, budgeting, planning, and personnel activities, such as hiring, training, scheduling, and performance evaluations.
- Plan and teach classes on topics such as information literacy, library instruction, and technology use.
Skills
- Reading Comprehension3.9
- Active Listening3.9
- Speaking3.9
- Critical Thinking3.6
- Writing3.6
- Monitoring3.4
- Active Learning3.3
- Learning Strategies2.9
Knowledge areas
- Customer and Personal Service4.6
- English Language4.4
- Computers and Electronics4.0
- Education and Training4.0
- Administrative3.8
- Communications and Media3.3
Abilities
- Oral Expression4.3
- Written Comprehension4.1
- Oral Comprehension4.1
- Written Expression3.8
- Near Vision3.6
- Information Ordering3.6
Core activities
- Working with Computers4.7
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships4.4
- Getting Information4.4
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge4.2
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates4.2
- Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others3.9
Tools and technology
hotmarks an O*NET hot technologyHow to get in
How to become a Librarian
Job zone 5 of 5 · SVP 8.0 and above- Typical entry education
- Master's degree
Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 5 majors mapped to Librarians and Media Collections Specialists5 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 13.0501Educational/Instructional Technology
- 13.1334School Librarian/School Library Media Specialist
- 25.0101Library and Information Science
- 25.0102Children and Youth Library Services
- 25.0199Library Science and Administration, Other
Related careers
Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.
Common questions
What degree do you need to become a Librarian?+
Master's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Educational/Instructional Technology, which awarded 9,475 degrees in 2024-25, 57.8% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Librarian?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 5 programs to this occupation. The largest are Educational/Instructional Media Design, Library Science and Administration, Teacher Education and Professional Development. Together they graduate about 16,398 people a year.
How much do librarians and media collections specialists earn?+
The median is $68,270 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $43,660 at the 10th percentile to $103,990 at the 90th. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for librarians and media collections specialists growing?+
BLS projects a +1.7% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, little or no change, with roughly 13,500 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career?+
346 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 5 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do librarians and media collections specialists work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Librarian, Media Specialist, Reference Librarian, Library Media Specialist among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 25-4022.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024-25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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