People left divided after finding out salary for librarians in the UK

It’s widely recognised that numerous professions across the UK command vastly different salaries, with certain roles commanding significantly higher pay than others.

Yet Brits have been taken aback after discovering the annual earnings of librarians.

A librarian’s role involves managing and organising library resources, delivering information and research support to users, and operating programmes that promote learning and community involvement.

They frequently oversee technology, select new materials, and undertake administrative duties including budgeting and personnel management.

Becoming a qualified librarian requires a bachelor’s degree, usually followed by a Master’s degree in library or information science, or an equivalent professional qualification recognised by CILIP in the UK.

Librarians typically possess expertise in areas such as IT, research, and customer service.

A typical starting salary for a librarian stands at approximately £25,000, whilst experienced librarians can potentially command £40,000 or more.

A library assistant can anticipate earning roughly £22,000-£38,000, whilst senior or academic/research positions can reach higher figures.

Senior librarians can command an average of approximately £40,767, though they can earn up to £81,000 and positions like head of library services can command an average of £66,000, but they can earn up to £100,000.

It appears one individual encountered a librarian earning £55,000 annually, as they tweeted about the discovery.

They simply wrote on X: “A librarian makes 55k????” The revelation that librarians could earn such a substantial salary took many by surprise, with the post going viral and amassing 34.7 million views.

Despite the shock expressed by many, others argued that £55,000 was “underpaid” for the work librarians do.

One individual commented: “Do you know the requirements to be a librarian? £55k is nothing.”

Another chimed in: “You need a masters in library science to be a librarian. The guys shelving books do not make £55k, none of you know what librarians do. Source: I worked in a library.”

A third person added: “Why are we pretending £55k is a lot of money? A fast food manager makes at least that.”

While another stated: “Yeah, they’re seriously underpaid. You could get a bachelor’s in any field of engineering and make £20k more than that right out of college.”

Despite the general consensus being that the figure was low, some still thought it was quite high, as one person remarked: “I thought they were just chilling with books, turns out they’re quietly securing the bag!”