Utah Librarian Salary Guide - 2024

School Librarians

How are school librarian salaries determined in Utah?

School librarians have their salaries determined by the state’s funding for the education division. Normally there are a few different factors that help determine the funding for the library, which subsequently affects the school librarian’s salary. Depending on the size of the school, the area in which is it is located, the number of students that it is servicing and the years of experience that the librarian has in that position their salary may be higher or lower. 

How can one increase their salary?

School libraries do not tend to allow for much mobility, this means that usually there aren’t multiple librarian positions available within each school. This in turn implies that in most cases the school librarian will be unable to simply get a higher position and thus increase their salary in that way. Instead, the best way for them to increase their salaries is to gain more years of experience and on some occasions further certification. It is always worth checking within the school that they are working in if gaining extra certifications will lead to a better salary or position. Choosing to move to a different school that offers higher pay is also an option for those who want to increase their salary. 

Librarians and Media Specialists Salaries in urban areas of Utah

Librarians and Media Specialists Salaries in rural areas of Utah

Government or non-profit resources within Utah providing assistance for better school librarian pay

Within the state of Utah, the main association for advocacy is the Utah Library Association, which holds regular conferences and events for school librarians. Apart from that the Utah State Library also has within its website tools and information for school librarians who are seeking advocacy tools.  

Public Librarians

How are public librarian salaries determined in Utah?

Public libraries in the state of Utah are normally funded directly by the state. The state uses a certain set of criteria to determine the funding that each library should receive. Much like in school the size of the library, the number of people it services, and the area that it is in can all affect the funding that the library gets. In some cases, depending on the collection that they are housing they may also receive better funding for their library. The years of experience, the position within the library alongside the library funding all help in determining the salary of each librarian.

How can one increase their salary?

Within larger public libraries the best way to increase one’s salary is to move to a higher position. If your library has a special collection or archive you may be able to increase your salary by getting a job in one of these more specialized positions. In other cases, if there are executive positions available within the library that you are employed, getting promoted into one of these positions could also help increase your salary. Alternatively, most public librarians witness a gradual increase in their salaries as time passes. This means that the longer you have worked in a position the higher your earnings will be. 

Government or non-profit resources within Utah providing assistance for better public librarian pay

In Utah, the most prominent organization for librarians to advocate through is the Utah Library Association. This association holds conferences and has advocacy tools available on its website for public librarians. 

Academic Librarians

How are academic librarian salaries determined in Utah?

Academic libraries tend to be funded both through private and public grants. This means that ultimately it is not the state but rather the institution that chooses what salary each librarian will have. Normally an academic librarian’s salary is determined by a number of factors. Firstly, the position that they are employed in will help determine their salary, more specialized positions tend to offer higher wages. The years in the position and the promotions that the librarian has received will also alter their wages. 

How can one increase their salary?

Most academic institutions have a rank system in place for their library staff. What that means essentially is that as time passes, they are eligible to get promoted through the rank system. Promotions tend to mean higher salaries or higher earning potential and they can allow academic librarians to increase their earnings. 

How can an academic librarian get tenured and how does this affect their lifetime earning potential?

Many academic institutions offer their library staff the option to get tenure. While tenure does not mean a higher wage it does mean that the librarian becomes a member of the faculty. It can also mean that their position is much more stable. Oftentimes tenure is considered a ‘lifetime’ contract, and while they are not contracts that guarantee a job for a lifetime, they do guarantee that unless some extreme circumstances occur the librarian will not be removed from their position. This means that the potential earnings of a tenured librarian are much more stable as they are less likely to lose their job. In the case of job loss, they also receive much higher compensation than non-tenured librarians. 

Government or non-profit resources within Utah providing assistance for better academic librarian pay

The main lobbying organization in Utah is the Utah Library Association. This association unites all librarians whether they are academic, school, or public librarians, they also have an academic library section specifically for academic librarians. For Academic librarians specifically, there is also the Utah Academic Library Consortium which is exclusively for academic librarians and their work.