Some people are only just finding out how much librarians earn, and although some thought the figure was quite high, others argued that they are ‘severely underpaid’ considering what they do
It’s well known that many professions in the UK have vastly different salaries, with some earning more than others. However, Brits have been left surprised recently after finding out how much librarians get paid per year.
The job of a librarian is to manage and organise library resources, provide information and research assistance to users, and run programmes which support learning and community engagement. They also often manage technology, decide on new materials, and handle administrative tasks like budgeting and staff management. To become a qualified librarian, you’ll need a bachelor’s degree, typically followed ip by a Master’s degree in library or information science, or an equivalent professional qualification recognised by CILIP in the UK.
Librarians also usually have skills in areas such as IT, research, and customer service.
A typical starting salary for a librarian is around £25,000, however experienced librarians can potentially earn £40,000 or more.
A library assistant can expect to earn around £22,000-£38,000, while senior or academic/research roles can reach higher figures. Senior librarians can earn an average of around £40,767, however they can earn up to £81,000 and roles like head of library services can earn an average of £66,000, but they can earn up to £100,000.
It seems one person came across one librarian earning £55,000 a year, as they tweeted about the matter.
They simple wrote on X: “A librarian makes 55k???????”
It seems a lot of people had no idea librarians could earn so much as the post went viral and racked up 34.7million views.
However, despite many clearly being shocked, others claimed £55,000 was “underpaid” for what they do.
One person wrote: “Do you know the requirements to be a librarian? £55k is nothing.”
While another added: “You need a masters in library science to be a librarian. The guys shelving books do not make £55k, none of you know what librarians do. Source: I worked in a library.”
A third chimed in: “Why are we pretending £55k is a lot of money? A fast food manager makes at least that.”
While a fourth added: “Yeah, they’re seriously underpaid. You could get a bachelor’s in any field of engineering and make £20k more than that right out of college.”
Despite this being the overall theme of the reaction, some still thought the figure was quite high, as one person said: “I thought they were just chilling with books, turns out they’re quietly securing the bag!”