Reference Librarian
Reference Librarian Salary
$26K - $33K
4% of jobs
$33K - $40K
3% of jobs
$40K - $47K
9% of jobs
$49.9K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$47K - $54K
22% of jobs
The median wage is $58K / yr.
$54K - $61K
21% of jobs
$61K - $68K
13% of jobs
$70.6K is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$68K - $75K
8% of jobs
$75K - $82K
8% of jobs
$82K - $89K
5% of jobs
$89K - $96K
4% of jobs
$96K - $103K
4% of jobs
$26K
$58K
$101K
$62,056
/year
$29.83
/hour
Reference Librarian Salary Comparison by Location
Nationwide
United States
$62,056
Columbus
Ohio
$59,940
Do you get a good deal as a Reference Librarian?
Take The Breakroom Quiz to find out if your job offers fair pay and conditions. The 3-minute quiz lets you compare your pay, hours, benefits, and more.
Take The Breakroom Quiz
How much does a Reference Librarian make?
As of Aug 28, 2026, the average annual pay for a Reference Librarian in the United States is $62,056 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $29.83 an hour. This is the equivalent of $1,193/week or $5,171/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $101,000 and as low as $26,000, the majority of Reference Librarian salaries currently range between $49,500 (25th percentile) to $72,500 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $92,500 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Reference Librarian varies greatly (by as much as 23000), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.
A Reference Librarian in your area makes on average $59,940 per year, or $2,116 (3.410%) less than the national average annual salary of $62,056. Ohio ranks number 30 out of 50 states nationwide for Reference Librarian salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Reference Librarian jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
Find your next high paying job as a Reference Librarian on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Reference Librarian Jobs
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Reference Librarian job is above the national average. Topping the list is Nome, AK, , with Oakland, CA, and Redwood City, CA, close behind in the second and third positions. Redwood City, CA, beats the national average by $13,923 (22.4%), and Nome, AK, furthers that trend with another $14,925 (24.1%) above the $62,056 average.
With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Reference Librarian appears to be exceedingly fruitful.
Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 5% between Nome, AK, and Livermore, CA, , reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for a Reference Librarian role.
City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Nome, AK | $76,981 | $37.01 |
Oakland, CA | $76,288 | $36.68 |
Redwood City, CA | $75,979 | $36.53 |
Aspen, CO | $75,009 | $36.06 |
Sitka, AK | $74,758 | $35.94 |
Los Altos, CA | $73,377 | $35.28 |
San Francisco, CA | $73,173 | $35.18 |
Santa Clara, CA | $72,881 | $35.04 |
Sunnyvale, CA | $72,833 | $35.02 |
Livermore, CA | $72,791 | $35.00 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Reference Librarian Jobs in the U.S.
We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Reference Librarian category.
For example Assistant Director Of Security jobs pay as much as $52,529 (84.6%) more than the average Reference Librarian salary of $62,056. If you're qualified, finding work as a Assistant Director Of Security may help you make more money than that of the average Reference Librarian position.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Assistant Director Of Security | $114,585 | $55.09 |
Adon Nursing Home | $91,826 | $44.15 |
Assistant Director Of Alumni Relations | $81,980 | $39.41 |
Assistant Director Of Transportation | $71,970 | $34.60 |
Nurse Coach | $48,790 | $23.46 |
About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
