Best degree programs for Library Technicians, ranked by enrollment
1 college programs and 26 schools train Library Technicians. Compare graduates per year, cost and pay, $44,580 median wage, 68,690 U.S. jobs. Federal data.
1 college programs at 26 schools train library technicians, graduating 540 people a year (IPEDS completions). The largest is Library and Archives Assisting. The job pays a median of $44,580 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About library technicians
Assist librarians by helping readers in the use of library catalogs, databases, and indexes to locate books and other materials; and by answering questions that require only brief consultation of standard reference. Compile records; sort and shelve books or other media; remove or repair damaged books or other media; register patrons; and check materials in and out of the circulation process. Replace materials in shelving area (stacks) or files. Includes bookmobile drivers who assist with providing services in mobile libraries.
A library technician or library assistant is a library and information professional in charge of the day-to-day functions of a library, working alongside or under the supervision of librarians, and assisting libraries in the acquisition, preparation, and organization of information. They also assist patrons in finding information. The widespread use of computerized information storage and retrieval systems has resulted in library technicians assisting in the handling of technical services. Especially in small libraries, a library technician may be the only person staffing the library. In larger libraries, they may help run certain departments and supervise library clerks, aides, and volunteers. Because libraries are increasingly using new technologies, the role of the library technician is expanding and evolving accordingly.
Read more on Wikipedia →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.
1 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 | Library and Archives Assistingmain feeder CIP 25.0301 | 540 | 100.0% | 26 | $31,514 | — |
Top 26 schools by graduates into this job
Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.
What library technicians 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $53,260 | 7,190 | 0.89× | 11 | 371 |
| Illinoismoderate | $47,120 | 2,140 | 0.79× | 3 | 38 |
| North Carolinalimited | $46,520 | 2,350 | 1.08× | 1 | 26 |
| Pennsylvanialimited | $46,100 | 1,560 | 0.58× | 1 | 26 |
| Washingtonlimited | $62,570 | 1,850 | 1.18× | 1 | 17 |
| Connecticutlimited | $57,060 | 930 | 1.25× | 1 | 12 |
| Michiganlimited | $34,680 | 2,180 | 1.12× | 1 | 10 |
| Texaslimited | $38,640 | 5,180 | 0.83× | 1 | 10 |
| Mainelimited | $44,520 | 320 | 1.13× | 1 | 9 |
| Minnesotalimited | $51,110 | 1,180 | 0.90× | 1 | 6 |
| Coloradolimited | $46,680 | 2,250 | 1.77× | 1 | 5 |
| Oklahomalimited | $29,440 | 830 | 1.10× | 1 | 5 |
| New Hampshirelimited | $48,650 | 280 | 0.94× | 1 | 3 |
| Nebraskalimited | $36,920 | 710 | 1.56× | 1 | 2 |
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
- Reserve, circulate, renew, and discharge books and other materials.
- Answer routine telephone or in-person reference inquiries, referring patrons to librarians for further assistance, when necessary.
- Help patrons find and use library resources, such as reference materials, audio-visual equipment, computers, and other electronic resources and provide technical assistance when needed.
- Deliver and retrieve items throughout the library by hand or using pushcart.
- Process print and non-print library materials to prepare them for inclusion in library collections.
- Catalogue and sort books and other print and non-print materials according to procedure and return them to shelves, files, or other designated storage areas.
- Enter and update patrons' records on computers.
- Provide assistance to teachers and students by locating materials and helping to complete special projects.
Skills
- Reading Comprehension3.4
- Active Listening3.3
- Speaking3.3
- Critical Thinking3.0
- Learning Strategies3.0
- Writing2.9
- Monitoring2.9
- Active Learning2.9
Knowledge areas
- Customer and Personal Service4.1
- English Language3.8
- Administrative3.4
- Computers and Electronics3.3
- Education and Training3.2
- Communications and Media2.8
Abilities
- Oral Comprehension3.4
- Oral Expression3.4
- Speech Recognition3.3
- Near Vision3.3
- Speech Clarity3.3
- Written Comprehension3.3
Core activities
- Working with Computers4.3
- Getting Information4.0
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates4.0
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships3.8
- Documenting/Recording Information3.6
- Handling and Moving Objects3.5
Tools and technology
hotmarks an O*NET hot technologyHow to get in
How to become a Library Technician
Job zone 3 of 5 · SVP 6.0 to < 7.0- Typical entry education
- Postsecondary nondegree award
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 1 majors mapped to Library Technicians1 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 25.0301Library and Archives Assisting
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 Library Technician?+
Postsecondary nondegree award is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Library and Archives Assisting, which awarded 540 degrees in 2024-25, 100.0% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Library Technician?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 1 programs to this occupation. The largest are Library and Archives Assisting. Together they graduate about 540 people a year.
How much do library technicians earn?+
The median is $44,580 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $29,300 at the 10th percentile to $63,080 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 library technicians growing?+
BLS projects a -6.8% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, decline, with roughly 13,000 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career?+
26 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 1 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 library technicians work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Library Assistant, Library Associate, Library Technician, Library Technical Assistant (LTA) among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 25-4031.
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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