What's Here? - Table of Contents
School Librarians
How are school librarian salaries determined in Texas?
In Texas, the funds for the school library are allocated based on the size of the school, the area that the school is located in and the general school library standards, that can be found here. The school librarian’s salary is based on the funds that are generally available for the school library. In most cases, the librarian’s education level and years of experience will also play a role in determining the salary that they will receive.
How can one increase their salary?
Most school librarians will see a gradual increase in their salary as their years in employment increase. Depending on the size of the school library there may also be some opportunities available for more specialized positions but in general, the school library system does not provide many opportunities for the growth of librarians employed there.
Librarians and Media Specialists Salaries in urban areas of Texas
| Metro Area | # Employed | Mean Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Abilene, TX | 50 | $51,650 |
| Amarillo, TX | 100 | $60,610 |
| Austin-Round Rock, TX | 940 | $71,130 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | 90 | $61,630 |
| Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | 160 | $65,140 |
| College Station-Bryan, TX | 140 | $61,400 |
| Corpus Christi, TX | 120 | $59,130 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 2,720 | $68,110 |
| El Paso, TX | 330 | $67,310 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 1,750 | $68,610 |
| Killeen-Temple, TX | 160 | $60,920 |
| Laredo, TX | 110 | $71,830 |
| Longview, TX | 50 | $53,200 |
| Lubbock, TX | 120 | $62,100 |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX | 330 | $68,490 |
| Midland, TX | 30 | $64,710 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | 830 | $63,780 |
| Sherman-Denison, TX | 40 | $54,640 |
| Texarkana, TX-AR | 40 | $53,640 |
| Tyler, TX | 50 | $54,150 |
| Waco, TX | 100 | $59,090 |
| Wichita Falls, TX | 50 | $55,420 | Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics - 2023 |
Librarians and Media Specialists Salaries in rural areas of Texas
| Metro Area | # Employed | Mean Salary |
|---|---|---|
| West Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | 200 | $50,760 |
| North Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | 230 | $53,980 |
| Big Thicket Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | 100 | $55,010 |
| Hill Country Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | 170 | $50,590 |
| Border Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | 60 | $49,720 |
| Coastal Plains Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | 150 | $54,770 | Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics - 2023 |
Government or non-profit resources within Texas providing assistance for better school librarian pay
Lobbying for better school librarian pay is something any librarian can do with the correct resources. In the state of Texas, there is the Texas Education Agency that may be able to assist you in your lobbying efforts. There is also the Texas Association of School Librarians that is an essential resource for school librarians who want to help their community and advocate for better salaries in the state. Finally, there is also the Texas Library Association which can provide you with great advocacy tools for lobbying for better school librarian pay.
Public Librarians
How are public librarian salaries determined in Texas?
Public Libraries in the state of Texas need to adhere to the guidelines and rules proposed by the state. In most cases, their funding is entirely based on the state’s grants and funds which are allocated based on the size, area, collection, and number of people that a library is servicing. The librarian’s salary specifically, will also be affected by the library’s funding as well as, from their position in the library, their years of experience, and their educational background.
How can one increase their salary?
To increase your salary as a public librarian one of the first things that you can do is consider getting a position in an area where library funding is higher. You could also choose a larger library where you would have opportunities for employment in more specialized positions. In most cases, archivists, Special Subject Librarians, librarians dealing with research or special collections tend to receive higher pay for their services. So, depending on the library you are employed in you may wish to consider the possibility of specializing further.
Government or non-profit resources within Texas providing assistance for better public librarian pay
Lobbying for better public librarian pay is something that requires many resources. Often you will find these in the State’s Library or the state’s education agency, as is the case with the Texas Education Agency. You can also become a member of the Texas Library Association which has advocacy tools that you can take advantage of in your lobbying efforts.
Academic Librarians
How are academic librarian salaries determined in Texas?
Academic libraries are usually funded both by private and public funds, as such their funds can oftentimes be more extensive than those found in public libraries. What’s more in academic libraries the salary of the librarians is determined by the institution of their employment. When their salary is determined many things are taken into consideration including their rank, years of employment, educational level, and in some cases their specialization and research output.
How can one increase their salary?
As an academic librarian, you can always apply for higher-paid positions. These positions may be either higher in rank or more specialized. In many academic libraries, you are also able to get a raise as you are promoted up in the ranks. This means that every few years, as determined by your institution, you will be able to get a better position that provides higher compensation.
How can an academic librarian get tenured and how does this affect their lifetime earning potential?
Academic librarians can get tenured, however, the requirements for that tenure differ depending on the institution that you are in. Most institutions have a document that you can look at that explains both the way that Promotion up the Ranks works as well as how to get a tenured position. It is always best to check your specific institution’s requirements if you are planning on getting tenured.
While tenure will not increase the salary that an academic librarian earns it can provide job stability even when the market is unstable. Therefore, it is much easier to plan for the future as you will be able to predict your earnings as a tenured librarian. Tenured librarians are highly unlikely to get fired, and even in the extreme cases that they are let go, they are usually compensated handsomely upon their exit.
Government or non-profit resources within Texas providing assistance for better academic librarian pay
Advocating for better pay for academic librarians is something that most librarians do within their institution. However, there are resources that you can access both from the Texas Council of Academic Libraries as well as from the Texas Library Association.