Salaries of librarians with an ALA certified education are nearly $5,000 more than librarians without certified degrees.

There are more than 200,000 librarians employed in the USA and approximately 80% of them are women. Roughly two thirds of them work at a public library and the rest work at private institutions or non-profit organizations.

Surveys consistently show that librarians report lower stress levels from work than many other professions. No job is stress-free, but librarians do have a more pleasant work environment than many other jobs.

Become a Librarian

If you're looking for a job that is highly skilled, in demand and involves giving back to your community, then becoming a librarian just might be the ticket. If you take a look at public records you will find information on librarian positions that is taken from Census data. It shows that the average librarian salary is approximately $58,000 and that the number of librarian positions peaked at over 300,000 in the 1990s. There are now just over 200,000 librarian positions nationwide. Roughly 70% are employed in a public setting and the remaining 30% work at either a private library or at a non-profit. Records show that librarians with a master's degree have substantially higher salaries than those with an undergraduate degree.

While the path to becoming a librarian isn't an easy one, it can be rewarding and diverse. Like many other jobs today, the key is education. Getting your bachelor's degree from an accredited institution is the first step towards most careers and it is not any different for librarians.

Your focus as an undergrad is your choice though. Whether your interests are in arts, science, psychology or marketing, the experience you gain will be of value towards your career as a librarian. But, as we said earlier, that is just the first step. It is strongly suggested that potential candidates acquire a master's degree in Library and Information Studies from a reputable institution. Some suggest avoiding library science as an undergraduate major if you're going to major in the library field.

Many of your future employers will be required to only choose from those who have earned their degree from a program approved by the American Library Association. Many positions which are governed by state, county or city boards have very strict standards for education which not all institutions are able to fulfill. In addition, many kindergarten through grade 12 schools will stress including a specialty in school librarianship or teaching, from an approved college or university.

For these reasons, if you are seriously considering pursuing a career as a librarian, it is highly recommended that you attend one of the ALA approved colleges and university programs that meet the association's high standards.

Do you have a real interest in working with the community, improving the education of our future generations and being part of an institution that maintains the history, stories and experiences of our past? If so, then a career as a librarian might be right for you. This resource is designed to provide information on librarian careers, educational requirements, and job specializations to help you decide if becoming a librarian is something you want to pursue.

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