librarian
Librarians manage libraries and perform related library services. They manage, collect and develop information resources. They make information available, accessible and discoverable to any kind of user.
librarian librarians manage libraries and perform related library services. They manage, collect and develop information resources. They make information available, accessible and discoverable to any kind of user. The role shows moderate AI exposure (0.50 on a 0-1 scale) — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. The most in-demand skills for the role include collection management, information governance compliance, scientific research methodology, manage digital libraries, negotiate library contracts.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £38,068 a year for Librarians (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 2471). ONS rates this estimate acceptable: it rests on a small sample, so treat it as a rough guide. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Professionals” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only librarian, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 2. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Computers and Electronics
- Education and Training
- Administrative
- Communications and Media
- Administration and Management
- Psychology
What you'd actually do
- Check books in and out of the library.
- Teach library patrons basic computer skills, such as searching computerized databases.
- Review and evaluate materials, using book reviews, catalogs, faculty recommendations, and current holdings to select and order print, audio-visual, and electronic resources.
- Search standard reference materials, including online sources and the Internet, to answer patrons' reference questions.
- Keep up-to-date records of circulation and materials, maintain inventory, and correct cataloging errors.
- Analyze patrons' requests to determine needed information and assist in furnishing or locating that information.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does librarian do?
Librarians manage libraries and perform related library services. They manage, collect and develop information resources. They make information available, accessible and discoverable to any kind of user.
What skills does librarian need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include collection management, information governance compliance, scientific research methodology, manage digital libraries, negotiate library contracts, develop solutions to information issues. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace librarian?
Our AI-durability model gives librarian a score of 0.50 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at moderate AI exposure — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. Learning to work with AI tools rather than against them is the path forward.