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What Can You Do With a Library Science Degree? Jobs (2026)
Key takeaway: Library science is a master's-entry profession for librarian-classified work. An ALA-accredited MLIS, MLS, or MSIS is the expected credential in most public, academic, and many special libraries. A bachelor's -- in library science or in anything else -- supports technician and assistant roles, not those professional jobs. Median annual wages are $68,270 for librarians and media collections specialists, $44,580 for library technicians, $64,550 for archivists, and $80,340 for postsecondary library science teachers (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS national medians). The technician occupation is the one that does not need the MLIS, and it is also the one BLS projects to decline 6.8 percent from 2024 to 2034.
Jobs you can get with a library science degree
Four occupations sit in this field, and they are separated by credential more sharply than the shared word “library” suggests.
View the data behind this chart
| Occupation | Avg. annual openings |
|---|---|
| Librarian and Media Collections Specialist | 13,500/yr |
| Library Technician | 13,000/yr |
| Archivist | 1,100/yr |
| Library Science Teacher, Postsecondary | 400/yr |
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment | 10th pct. | 25th pct. | 75th pct. | 90th pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Librarian and Media Collections Specialist | $68,270 | 133,790 | $43,660 | $56,310 | $84,480 | $103,990 |
| Library Technician | $44,580 | 68,690 | $29,300 | $35,740 | $52,430 | $63,080 |
| Archivist | $64,550 | 7,970 | $39,970 | $50,680 | $83,020 | $110,550 |
| Library Science Teacher, Postsecondary | $80,340 | 3,630 | $57,200 | $64,080 | $100,910 | $129,120 |
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS national figures. A median means half of workers in the occupation earned more and half earned less; individual pay varies by setting, employer, geography, and experience.
Librarian and media collections specialist. This is the professional role the MLIS is built for. The daily work is a mix of collection decisions, reference and research help, instruction, programming, systems and discovery tools, and – with experience – branch or department management. Settings split the job more than the title does. A public librarian might run story times, manage a circulating collection, and staff a busy desk. An academic librarian might teach information-literacy sessions, run research consultations, and handle scholarly-communication or subject-liaison work. A school librarian (often titled school library media specialist) works inside K-12 and typically needs state teaching or school library media certification in addition to the MLIS. A special librarian works inside a law firm, hospital, agency, museum, or company and usually combines the degree with knowledge of that domain. BLS projects 1.7 percent employment growth from 2024 to 2034 and 13,500 openings per year (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34) – replacement demand in a large occupation, not a boom.
Library technician. Technicians support circulation, shelving, processing, public computers, and routine patron help under a librarian’s direction. They do not need the MLIS. Some hold an associate degree or a bachelor’s, including a bachelor’s in library science where it exists; others are trained on the job. BLS projects a 6.8 percent decline from 2024 to 2034, with 13,000 openings per year even as employment shrinks (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34). Openings and growth are not the same thing. Do not plan a professional librarian career on technician experience alone in systems that require the ALA-accredited master’s.
Archivist. Archivists appraise, arrange, describe, preserve, and provide access to unique records – paper, digital, or both. The degree path is an MLIS with an archives concentration or a separate archives or public-history master’s. The Academy of Certified Archivists offers optional certification; it is not a government license and it is not a universal hiring requirement. BLS projects 3.8 percent employment growth and 1,100 openings per year (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34). It is a small occupation. Treat those figures as a small field with some growth, not as a wide safety net if librarian hiring is tight.
Library science teacher, postsecondary. Faculty who teach future librarians typically hold a doctorate in library and information science or a related field. The MLIS is the professional degree, not the usual faculty credential. BLS projects 3.0 percent growth and 400 openings per year (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34). Do not enroll in an MLIS expecting this occupation as the default next step.
What the degree level changes
Bachelor’s level. There is no bachelor’s degree that lets you practice as a professional librarian in ALA-standard public, academic, and many special-library settings. A bachelor’s in this field, where it exists, is technician preparation or MLIS prep. A bachelor’s in any other field is the usual undergraduate step. On its own it supports technician and assistant work – not librarian classification.
Master’s level. The online MLIS is the credential the profession is built on, and the accreditation attached to it is the part that matters. Your program should appear in the ALA directory of accredited programs. A program without that listing can leave you unable to clear librarian hiring screens. Many programs include a practicum, which is completed at a library or archive even when the coursework is online.
School library add-on. Graduation with the MLIS does not finish the K-12 path. School librarians typically also need state teaching certification or school library media certification through the state department of education. If classroom teaching is the broader interest, read how to become a teacher as well.
Doctoral level. A PhD leads to faculty and research positions. It is not required to work as a librarian.
Common questions
What jobs can you get with a library science degree?
With an ALA-accredited master’s, you work as a librarian in public, academic, school (with state certification), or special libraries, or as an archivist if you concentrated that way. At the undergraduate level, the realistic roles are library technician and assistant positions.
How much do library science majors make?
Median annual wages are $68,270 for librarians and media collections specialists, $44,580 for library technicians, $64,550 for archivists, and $80,340 for postsecondary library science teachers (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS national medians). These are midpoints across everyone in each occupation, not starting salaries.
Do you need a master’s to be a librarian?
For professional librarian roles in most public, academic, and many special libraries, yes – an ALA-accredited MLIS, MLS, or MSIS is the expected credential. Technician roles do not require it. There is no bachelor’s-level route into those professional jobs in ALA-standard settings.
Can you complete the master’s online?
Yes, in large part. Online MLIS coursework is well-established. A practicum or fieldwork placement is still common and is usually completed at a local library or archive. Verify ALA accreditation for the online or hybrid delivery mode, not only for a campus version.
Is a library technician the same as a librarian?
No. Technicians support library operations without the MLIS. Librarians hold the professional role, the higher median wage, and – in ALA-standard settings – the master’s hiring standard. Technician employment is also the occupation BLS projects to decline 6.8 percent from 2024 to 2034.
Is a library science degree worth it?
The wages above are attached to a specific hiring standard – an ALA-accredited master’s, plus state certification for school libraries – so the question is whether you are committed to that path and to a field with 1.7 percent projected growth. Weigh the cost and the time on the is an MLIS degree worth it page.
Keep exploring
- Start at the online MLIS programs hub, then compare the bachelor’s pathway and the master’s.
- Look at pacing and cost with accelerated MLIS programs and affordable MLIS programs.
- Compare related fields: education, communications, and how to become a teacher if the school library is the goal.
Data verified: September 1, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.