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School Librarians
How are school librarian salaries determined in Louisiana?
In Louisiana schools, librarian salaries can vary a lot based on the city that the library is located. This is because school libraries are funded by the state and the allocated budget that they get is influenced by the total school budget that the school received. Education, certification, and the number of years on the field can also heavily influence the salary that a school librarian receives.
How can one increase their salary?
In Louisiana years of experience alongside your educational background are the biggest determinants of the amount of compensation that you will receive for your services as a librarian. This is why the two best ways to increase your salary are by getting more experience and possibly investing in getting more certification or a higher level degree.
Librarians and Media Specialists Salaries in urban areas of Louisiana
| Metro Area | # Employed | Mean Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Alexandria, LA | 50 | $55,430 |
| Baton Rouge, LA | 660 | $61,370 |
| Houma-Thibodaux, LA | 60 | $57,800 |
| Lafayette, LA | 180 | $56,280 |
| Lake Charles, LA | 80 | $54,580 |
| Monroe, LA | 80 | $57,320 |
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA | 1,090 | $61,090 |
| Shreveport-Bossier City, LA | 210 | $63,190 | Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics - 2023 |
Librarians and Media Specialists Salaries in rural areas of Louisiana
| Metro Area | # Employed | Mean Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Central Louisiana nonmetropolitan area | 140 | $55,140 |
| Northeast Louisiana nonmetropolitan area | 100 | $54,780 |
| Southwest Louisiana nonmetropolitan area | 110 | $44,140 | Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics - 2023 |
Resources within Louisiana providing assistance for better school librarian pay.
For advocating for better pay Louisiana has one main association that is affiliated with the American Association of School Librarians. The Louisiana Association of School Librarians hosts conferences and has information on advocacy on their webpage that can be used by members who wish to lobby for better salaries.
Public Librarians
How are public librarian salaries determined in Louisiana?
Public state funds are normally allocated to public libraries either through local councils or through the Department of education of each state. For Louisiana public libraries that means that the budget allocated to the library will vary based on the size of the library and the number of people it services. Apart from the library budget being a determinant, the years of experience, the level of education, and the specialization of each librarian could also lead to variations in the salary that they receive.
How can one increase their salary?
In Public libraries of a larger size, the best way of increasing your salary is by gaining further specialization and taking on more specialized or upper-level positions. These positions tend to pay more and thus a librarian’s salary will vary based on the position that they have in the library. For smaller libraries, years of experience might be one of the best ways of increasing your salary. The more years you spent in a position the more likely you are to earn a higher salary from it.
Resources within Louisiana providing assistance for better public librarian pay.
For lobbying for better salaries for public librarians in the state of Louisiana you can either join the Louisiana Library Association and use their advocacy tools or you can use the tools made available by the State Library of Louisiana. Both of these advocacy tools can help you in your lobbying efforts.
Academic Librarians
How are academic librarian salaries determined in Louisiana?
Academic salaries in the state of Louisiana are entirely determined by the academic institution of your employment. This is because private donations, public funds, and tuition fees may also vary depending on the size of your university and its reputation. Depending on the size university, the size of its library and the library needs that they have might also vary, which would change the salary that a librarian is offered. Librarians who have to service more students, in general, get a larger salary than those that don’t.
How can one increase their salary?
Academic libraries tend to have a larger variety of highly specialized positions. These positions provide higher compensation to the librarians that take them on. To be eligible for such positions you may need to increase your education level, increase your research output, or simply you may just need a few more years of experience to be eligible to apply for such a position.
How can an academic librarian get tenured and how does this affect their lifetime earning potential?
Tenured academic librarians are librarians who have usually gone up the rank system available in their library. They are also librarians who fulfill their institution’s requirements for tenure and are therefore able to become part of the academic institution’s faculty. Most institutions will post a specific document with the requirements that one needs to fulfill for tenure.
The benefits of tenure in a librarians salary are the following:
- In most cases where tenure has been achieved a librarian will also be at the very top of the ranks in their library, which means that they will be some of the highest earners within their library.
- Tenure is a type of guarantee for financial stability as tenured librarians tend to be less likely to be fired unless there is an important reason.
- Compensation for the firing of a tenured librarian is higher than compensation of a regular librarian.
All of these could help increase your lifetime earnings and financial stability.
Resources within Louisiana providing assistance for better academic librarian pay.
For lobbying for better pay for academic librarians you can join the Association of College and Research Libraries, this is the state chapter of a nationwide association and therefore it has many resources that it can provide. You can also join the Louisiana Library Association and take advantage of their conferences and advocacy tools to find other lobbying parties.