Library technicians and assistants
Salary, job outlook, AI risk & career information
Library technicians and assistants in the United States earn a median salary of $44,580 per year — about $21 per hour, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Roughly 163K people work in this occupation nationwide, with projected employment growth of -7%.
AI & Automation Risk
A significant portion of this role involves routine information processing, cataloging, and answering reference questions, all of which are highly susceptible to AI automation. While physical tasks like reshelving books and interpersonal community programming provide some protection, the core digital and clerical functions are increasingly being handled by automated systems and AI-driven search tools.
Salary by City — What You Actually Take Home
Real purchasing power = salary adjusted for cost of living. Higher = more money in your pocket.
| City | Local Salary | Cost of Living | Real Purchasing Power |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binghamton, NYBEST VALUE | $61,720 | Below avg (92.1) | $67,021 |
| Iowa City, IA | $61,300 | Below avg (91.9) | $66,709 |
| Rochester, MN | $61,750 | Below avg (93.0) | $66,428 |
| Yakima, WA | $63,270 | Average (97.9) | $64,626 |
| Mankato, MN | $56,310 | Below avg (87.6) | $64,246 |
| Ithaca, NY | $62,960 | Average (99.5) | $63,259 |
| Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | $65,630 | Above avg (106.4) | $61,706 |
| Fairbanks-College, AK | $61,960 | Average (101.2) | $61,226 |
| Syracuse, NY | $58,520 | Below avg (95.7) | $61,139 |
| New Haven, CT | $63,970 | Above avg (105.4) | $60,717 |
| Albuquerque, NM | $56,140 | Below avg (93.6) | $59,961 |
| Champaign-Urbana, IL | $53,680 | Below avg (90.7) | $59,182 |
| Decatur, IL | $50,650 | Below avg (86.7) | $58,446 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $65,690 | Above avg (112.7) | $58,271 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $54,360 | Below avg (94.9) | $57,269 |