Librarians: average salary and pay in the UK
Full-time librarians in the UK earned a median £38,068 in the year to 5 April 2025, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE): £971 below the all-jobs median of £39,039.
What the figures show
That puts it 154th of 382, in the middle third of occupations.
The mean, £44,525, is 17% above the median, a sign of a few very high earners.
Median full-time pay: women £19.86 an hour, men £20.67 an hour.
About 62% of the roughly 13,000 employee jobs are full-time.
Since 2021 the median has risen 37.9% (from £27,608), faster than the 25.0% for all jobs.
The Annual Population Survey counts 30,700 people in this line of work across the UK.
Pay distribution, 2025 provisional
| Gross pay | Full-time, annual | Full-time, weekly | Full-time, hourly | All, weekly | All, hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20th percentile | – | £588.70* | £16.54 | £351.40* | £14.70 |
| 25th percentile | £32,191* | £599.40* | £16.93 | £388.30* | £15.49 |
| 30th percentile | £32,774* | £671.60 | £18.28 | £414.70* | £16.12 |
| 40th percentile | £35,601* | £718.70 | £19.76 | £469.70* | £16.99 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £38,068* | £762.10* | £20.39* | £583.60* | £19.18 |
| 60th percentile | – | £817.90* | £22.60* | £684.30* | £20.16 |
| 70th percentile | – | – | – | £759.60* | £22.14* |
| Mean | £44,525 | £856.20 | £23.70 | £651.90 | £21.91 |
Pay since 2021
| ASHE year | Full-time, annual median | Full-time, weekly median | Full-time, hourly median | All, annual median | All, weekly median | Jobs (thousands, indicative) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 revised | £27,608* | £554.80* | £15.46* | £22,459* | £429.10* | 16* |
| 2022 revised | £34,814* | £596.10* | £16.74* | – | £431.30* | 14* |
| 2023 revised | £31,167* | £609.40 | £16.62* | £23,735* | £486.20* | 15* |
| 2024 revised | £34,833* | £711.70 | £19.33 | £28,300* | £536.70* | 16* |
| 2025 provisional | £38,068* | £762.10* | £20.39* | – | £583.60* | 13* |
Librarians by region
UK: 30,700 (± 6,800), April 2025 to March 2026.
Annual Population Survey (Nomis)
What librarians do
Librarians appraise, obtain, index, collate and make available library acquisitions and organise and control other library services. (ONS SOC 2020, 2471)
Also covers: chartered librarian, librarian, technical librarian, university librarian, branch librarian, film librarian, hospital librarian, information scientist, magazine librarian, media librarian, newspaper librarian, picture librarian, audio visual librarian, computer tape librarian, learning resource manager and magnetic tape librarian.
- Selects and arranges for the acquisition of books, periodicals, audio-visual and other material
- Collects, classifies and catalogues information, books and other material
- Prepares and circulates abstracts, bibliographies, book lists, etc.
- Identifies the information needs of clients, seeks out and evaluates information sources
- Establishes information storage systems to deal with queries and to maintain up to date records
- Manages library borrowing and inter-library loan facilities
Entry will normally require an accredited degree or postgraduate qualification. Most postgraduate courses require applicants to have had prior relevant work experience. Professional and relevant vocational qualifications at levels 2 and 3.
Related
Librarians and related professionals (median £36,879) · Archivists, conservators and curators · Welfare professionals n.e.c. · salary percentile · UK average weekly earnings growth · Mean
ASHE Table 14: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · coding index · notes · 15 October 2026