Library Science

Types of Degrees Library Science Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many library science graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Master’s Degree	5,485
Graduate Certificate	432
Doctor’s Degree	12

What Library Science Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to library science were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

Knowledge Areas for Library Science Majors

Library Science majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Skills for Library Science Majors

The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to library science:

• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Abilities for Library Science Majors

A major in library science will prepare for your careers in which the following abilities are important:

• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

What Can You Do With a Library Science Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with library science:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Archivists	14.7%	$52,240
Compliance Managers	8.0%	$107,480
Librarians	9.0%	$59,050
Library Science Professors	8.3%	$71,560
Library Technicians	9.1%	$34,040
Loss Prevention Managers	8.0%	$107,480
Regulatory Affairs Managers	8.0%	$107,480
Security Managers	8.0%	$107,480

Who Is Getting a Master’s Degree in Library Science?

The major attracts more women than men. About 83% of the recent graduates in this field are female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of library science majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	173
Black or African American	259
Hispanic or Latino	554
White	4,051
International Students	53
Other Races/Ethnicities	395

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in Library Science, too. About 1.0% of those with this major are international students.

How Much Do Library Science Majors Make?

Master’s Degree Starting Salary

Data from the U.S. Department of Education shows that library science students who graduated in 2017-2019 with a master’s degree made a median starting salary of $42,784 per year. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $40,759 (25th percentile) and $46,109 (75th percentile).

It’s important to note that just because the people reporting these salaries have a degree in library science, it does not mean that they are working in a job related to their degree.

Salaries According to BLS

Library Science majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $56,400 to $75,450 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Library Science

Some careers associated with library science require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

Find out what the typical degree level is for library science careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	4.4%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	4.4%
Some College Courses	3.4%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	8.0%
Bachelor’s Degree	35.9%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	1.9%
Master’s Degree	32.3%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	2.6%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.	0.5%
Doctoral Degree	6.2%
Post-Doctoral Training	0.8%

Online Library Science Programs

In 2020-2021, 129 schools offered a library science program of some type. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	15	2
Certificate (2-4 Years)	1	0
Associate’s Degree	40	12
Bachelor’s Degree	35	5
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	78	32
Post-Master’s	34	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	13	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Library Science Worth It?

The median salary for a library science grad is $61,530 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 54% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $432,600 after 20 years!

Majors Related to Library Science

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to library science.

Major	Number of Grads
Education	199,724
Psychology	42,013
Social Sciences	22,292
Communication & Journalism	12,242
History	4,391
Family, Consumer & Human Sciences	3,692
Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies	2,911

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By John Cummings under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.