Library & Information Science

Types of Degrees Library & Information Science Majors Are Getting

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

Education Level	Number of Grads
Master’s Degree	5,378
Graduate Certificate	419
Doctor’s Degree	12

What Library & Information Science Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to library science and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Library Science Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in library science should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

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.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• 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

As you progress with your library science degree, there are several abilities you should pick up that will help you in whatever related career you choose. These abilities include:

• 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.
• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

What Can You Do With a Library & Information 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
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 & Information Science?

Library and Information Science runs middle of the road when it comes to popularity, ranking #38 out of all the graduate majors we track. In 2021, about 5,378 graduates completed their master’s degree in this field. 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	170
Black or African American	257
Hispanic or Latino	537
White	3,977
International Students	51
Other Races/Ethnicities	386

Geographic Diversity

Library Science appeals to people across the globe. About 0.9% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

• China
• South Korea
• Canada
• Saudi Arabia
• Taiwan

How Much Do Library & Information Science Majors Make?

Master’s Degree Starting Salary

The median early-career salary of library and information science students with a master’s degree is $42,593 a year according to 2019-2020 data from the U.S. Department of Education. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $40,606 (25th percentile) and $45,702 (75th percentile).

We don’t know for sure if all of these people took jobs related to library science so take that into consideration.

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $56,400 to $75,450 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to library science. This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

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 & Information 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)	2.8%
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)	2.5%
Some College Courses	2.6%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	5.0%
Bachelor’s Degree	36.8%
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.	2.2%
Master’s Degree	37.0%
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.	3.0%
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.	0.6%
Doctoral Degree	7.1%
Post-Doctoral Training	0.9%

Online Library & Information Science Programs

In the 2020-2021 academic year, 87 schools offered some type of library and information science program. 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)	3	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	1	0
Associate’s Degree	6	3
Bachelor’s Degree	29	5
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	69	31
Post-Master’s	32	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	11	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Library & Information 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 & Information Science

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

Major	Number of Grads
Other Library & Archives Assisting	120
Library & Archives Assisting	0

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 Diliff under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.