Builds, cares for and teaches with collections of rare books, manuscripts, maps and other historical materials at a library. BLS does not publish separate figures for librarians and media collections specialists; it counts them within librarian (SOC 25-4022), whose median pay is $68,270 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Master's degree.
- SOC 25-4022
- Educational Instruction and Library
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Special Collections Librarian in four numbers
- Median pay
- $68,270a year, or $32.82/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $44KTop 10% $104K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +2.6%About as fast as averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+2.6%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +2.6% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 12,600142,300 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 2025142.3K
- Projected 2035145.9K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 142.3K Projected 2035 145.9K - Typical education
- Master'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
Also advertised as: Rare Book Librarian, Rare Books Curator, Curator of Special Collections, Special Collections Curator, Rare Books and Manuscripts Librarian.
Pay
How much do Librarians and Media Collections Specialists make?
Every special collections librarian in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$68,270
Middle half earn $56,310 to $84,480
- 10th
- $43,660
- 25th
- $56,310
- 75th
- $84,480
- 90th
- $103,990
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $43,660 |
| 25th | $56,310 |
| Median | $68,270 |
| 75th | $84,480 |
| 90th | $103,990 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $68,270
- Median hourly wage
- $32.82/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $72,840
- People employed
- 133,790
Versus all US occupations
At $68,270, Librarians and Media Collections Specialists earn 34% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $17,290 a year.
Versus educational instruction and library occupations
The median is typical for the Educational Instruction and Library group, where the middle occupation pays $68,270.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $103,990 or more while the bottom 10% earn $43,660, a gap of 2.4×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 43% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Washington pays the most at $100,030, and still leads at $93,475 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Librarians and Media Collections Specialists the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Washington | $100,030 | $93,475 | 2,750 |
| 2District of Columbia | $96,550 | $87,852 | 960 |
| 3California | $89,790 | $81,096 | 10,180 |
| 4Maryland | $88,570 | $84,385 | 3,220 |
| 5Nevada | $84,540 | $84,558 | 610 |
| 6Connecticut | $79,210 | $76,450 | 2,550 |
| 7Alaska | $78,810 | $76,994 | 350 |
| 8New York | $78,590 | $72,822 | 11,870 |
| 9Massachusetts | $78,540 | $74,265 | 4,980 |
| 10New Jersey | $78,380 | $72,037 | 4,100 |
Job outlook
Is Special Collections Librarian a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
About as fast as average. +2.6% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Librarians and Media Collections Specialists | +2.6% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
About as fast as average
BLS projects employment of Librarians and Media Collections Specialists to change 2.6% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 3,600 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 12,600 openings are projected each year, 8.9% of the 142,300 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Special Collections Librarian
The standard credential is a master's degree in library and information science from a program accredited by the American Library Association. Many special collections librarians also hold a second master's or a PhD in history, literature or art history, especially at major research libraries.
Rare Book School at the University of Virginia offers intensive courses in bibliography, the history of the book and rare book cataloging that are widely respected in the field. The Rare Books and Manuscripts Section (RBMS) of the Association of College and Research Libraries publishes professional standards and runs an annual conference. Student jobs, internships and fellowships in a special collections reading room are the usual way in.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Master's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Considerable preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
The work
What does a Special Collections Librarian do?
Special collections librarians manage the rare and unique materials in a research library: early printed books, medieval manuscripts, letters, maps, artists' books, zines and the papers of writers and public figures. They decide what to acquire, often bidding at auctions or buying from antiquarian booksellers, and they catalog items in detail so researchers can find them.
A growing part of the job is teaching. Special collections librarians bring classes into the reading room to handle primary sources, help scholars and students with research, curate exhibitions, and work with digitization teams to put collections online. They also oversee security, safe handling rules and conservation needs, since these items cannot be replaced.
Day-to-day tasks
- Select and acquire rare books, manuscripts and archives
- Catalog rare materials using descriptive bibliography standards
- Teach classes using primary sources in the reading room
- Assist researchers with finding and interpreting materials
- Curate physical and online exhibitions
- Coordinate digitization and conservation of fragile items
- Enforce security and safe handling procedures
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Special collections librarians work at university libraries, independent research libraries, historical societies and some large public libraries. The setting is a reading room and climate-controlled stacks, with regular weekday hours. Some travel is involved for book fairs and auctions. The job includes careful handling of fragile materials and occasional lifting of heavy volumes and boxes.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayIndoors, in a climate-controlled space, every day.
Outdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayAlmost never works outdoors.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeSeated for more than half the working day.
Standing
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely importantDealing with customers or the public is very important.
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely seriousMistakes are not usually serious.
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Reading Comprehension4.1
- Active Listening4.0
- Speaking4.0
- Writing3.6
- Critical Thinking3.6
- Monitoring3.3
- Active Learning3.1
- Learning Strategies3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 4.1 |
| Active Listening | 4.0 |
| Speaking | 4.0 |
| Writing | 3.6 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.6 |
| Monitoring | 3.3 |
| Active Learning | 3.1 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Service Orientation3.4
- Social Perceptiveness3.3
- Judgment and Decision Making3.3
- Instructing3.1
- Coordination3.0
- Complex Problem Solving3.0
- Time Management3.0
- Management of Personnel Resources2.9
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Service Orientation | 3.4 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.3 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.3 |
| Instructing | 3.1 |
| Coordination | 3.0 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.0 |
| Time Management | 3.0 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | 2.9 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Computer aided design CAD software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Desktop publishing software · in demand
- Document management software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Enterprise application integration software · in demand
- Graphics or photo imaging software · in demand
- Object or component oriented development software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Operating system software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Process mapping and design software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Special Collections Librarian?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code ICA) built on O*NET's Librarian profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Special Collections Librarian |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 2 |
| Investigative | 4 |
| Artistic | 3 |
| Social | 4 |
| Enterprising | 3 |
| Conventional | 6 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around organising, following procedures and working precisely with data, combined with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data.
- Conventional5.8
- Investigative4.3
- Social4.0
- Artistic3.3
- Enterprising2.8
- Realistic2.3
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Special Collections Librarian
O*NET related occupations
- Educational Instruction and Library
- Educational Instruction and Library
- Office and Administrative Support
- Educational Instruction and Library
- Educational Instruction and Library
- Educational Instruction and Library
More educational instruction and library careers
Median annual pay, with librarians and media collections specialists highlighted
- Nursing Instructor and Teacher, Postsecondary$80,250
- Special Education Teacher, Secondary School$74,260
- Librarian$68,270
- Special Collections Librarian$68,270
- Career/Technical Education Teacher, Secondary School$66,270
- Kindergarten Teacher$62,680
- Library Technician$44,580
- Tutor$43,350
- Preschool Teacher, Except Special Education$38,140
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Nursing Instructor and Teacher, Postsecondary | $80,250 |
| Special Education Teacher, Secondary School | $74,260 |
| Librarian | $68,270 |
| Special Collections Librarian | $68,270 |
| Career/Technical Education Teacher, Secondary School | $66,270 |
| Kindergarten Teacher | $62,680 |
| Library Technician | $44,580 |
| Tutor | $43,350 |
| Preschool Teacher, Except Special Education | $38,140 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Special Collections Librarian appears on
Questions
Special Collections Librarian: frequently asked questions
How much do Librarians and Media Collections Specialists make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for librarians and media collections specialists. It counts them within librarian, whose median pay is $68,270 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $56,310 and $84,480, and the top 10% earn $103,990 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Special Collections Librarian?
Yes. BLS reports a master's degree as the typical entry-level education for Librarians and Media Collections Specialists, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as considerable preparation.
Is Special Collections Librarian a growing career?
It is stable rather than fast-growing: employment is projected to change 2.6% over 2025–2035, about the same as the 3.5% projected across all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 12,600 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Special Collections Librarian do?
Special collections librarians manage the rare and unique materials in a research library: early printed books, medieval manuscripts, letters, maps, artists' books, zines and the papers of writers and public figures. A typical task: select and acquire rare books, manuscripts and archives. Employers most often ask for Computer aided design CAD software, Data base user interface and query software, Desktop publishing software.
Which states pay Librarians and Media Collections Specialists the most?
The highest state medians for Librarians and Media Collections Specialists are Washington ($100,030), District of Columbia ($96,550), California ($89,790) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Special Collections Librarian?
O*NET scores Librarians and Media Collections Specialists highest on the Conventional, Investigative and Social interest areas, so the work mixes organising, following procedures and working precisely with data with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ISFJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.