Library and Archives Assisting Degrees (2026 stats)
TL;DR
Library and Archives Assisting maps to BLS occupations averaging about $62,607, with roughly 54,660 workers nationwide in those roles. Median program completion runs near 58%; median in-state published tuition is about $4,200.
Key Statistics
Library and Archives Assisting: what the data shows
Common questions about library and archives assisting degrees, answered from IPEDS, College Scorecard, BLS OEWS, and O*NET in this repository—not program marketing copy.
What is a library and archives assisting degree?
A Library and Archives Assisting program is classified under NCES CIP 00.2503 in the 00.0025 field family (00.25).
IPEDS counted 465 completions for this CIP in the survey year in our extract.
How long does it take to get a library and archives assisting degree?
Award levels reported to IPEDS for CIP 00.2503 in our file:
- 26 Bachelor's (13.9% of IPEDS total)—typically four years
- 161 Master's (86.1% of IPEDS total)—one to two years beyond a bachelor's
Time to completion depends on enrollment intensity and transfer credits; figures above describe credential type, not calendar time for every student.
What do you learn in library and archives assisting?
O*NET skill ratings for occupations mapped to this major emphasize Service Orientation, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Writing, Coordination, Critical Thinking, and related competencies. See the Skills section for the full list in our extract.
What degree do you need?
For Library Assistants, Clerical (top mapped occupation), O*NET incumbent surveys in our career profile report these education credentials most often: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
O*NET education distributions describe incumbent workers, not minimum legal or employer requirements.
What jobs can you get with a library and archives assisting degree?
Our degree→occupation mapping links Library and Archives Assisting to the BLS roles below. Employment is U.S. OEWS; median wage is national May 2024 where published in our extract.
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Library Assistants, Clerical | 80,070 | $36,010 |
| Library Technicians | 73,770 | $39,970 |
| Library Science Teachers, Postsecondary | 4,100 | $78,630 |
| Educational Instruction and Library Workers, All Other | 114,640 | $48,400 |
See Careers & Jobs for mean wages and industry context.
Is a library and archives assisting degree worth it?
Among schools reporting in our Scorecard extract, median published in-state tuition is $4,200 and median net price is $6,810.
We do not score "worth" on opinion—compare debt, earnings, wages for mapped occupations, and completion data above against your cost and career target.
Institutions
Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in Library and Archives Assisting and the types of students that study this field.
Tuition Costs for Common Institutions
$4,200 Median In-State Public
$25,200 Median Out of State Private
Tuition costs for Library and Archives Assisting majors are, on average, $4,200 for in-state public colleges, and $25,200 for out of state private colleges.
Tuition costs comparison for Library and Archives Assisting programs.
Degrees Awarded Over Time
465 Total Degrees Awarded in 2023
This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Library and Archives Assisting from 2015 to 2023.
Historical trend of degrees awarded in Library and Archives Assisting.
Top 5 Schools by Enrollment
| # | School | State | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ivy Tech Community College | IN | 54,926 |
| 2 | Tarrant County College District | TX | 40,214 |
| 3 | Connecticut State Community College | CT | 32,292 |
| 4 | Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College | LA | 29,207 |
| 5 | Georgia State University | GA | 27,109 |
Schools with the largest enrollment offering Library and Archives Assisting programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition
| # | School | State | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Imperial Valley College | CA | $1,126 |
| 2 | College of the Canyons | CA | $1,176 |
| 3 | Pasadena City College | CA | $1,180 |
| 4 | Santa Ana College | CA | $1,180 |
| 5 | San Bernardino Valley College | CA | $1,185 |
Schools with the lowest tuition costs for Library and Archives Assisting programs.
Top 5 Lowest Net Price
| # | School | State | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Central Carolina Community College | NC | $616 |
| 2 | Imperial Valley College | CA | $1,697 |
| 3 | Fresno City College | CA | $1,699 |
| 4 | College of the Canyons | CA | $2,114 |
| 5 | City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright College | IL | $2,651 |
Schools with the lowest average net price for Library and Archives Assisting programs.
Graduation Rates
58.02% Median Graduation Rate (150% of normal time)
58.04% Average Graduation Rate
158 Institutions Reporting
47.45% - 68.30% Interquartile Range
Graduation/completion rates for Library and Archives Assisting programs across institutions.
Degree Levels (IPEDS)
Completions reported to IPEDS for CIP 00.2503 in the survey year used in our extract (187 total across levels below).
- 26 Bachelor's (13.9% of IPEDS total)
- 161 Master's (86.1% of IPEDS total)
Source: IPEDS Completions (c2024_a), summed by award level for this CIP.
Careers & Jobs
Occupations linked to this major in our degree→career mapping, with wages and employment from processed BLS career profiles in this repo.
Across these BLS occupations, employment-weighted mean pay is about $62,607. Figures are national OEWS estimates for the occupation—not earnings of Library and Archives Assisting graduates alone.
Related occupations (BLS OEWS)
| Occupation | Mean annual wage | U.S. employment |
|---|---|---|
| Library Assistants, Clerical | $51,547 | 80,070 |
| Library Technicians | $56,063 | 73,770 |
| Library Science Teachers, Postsecondary | $136,758 | 4,100 |
| Educational Instruction and Library Workers, All Other | $71,892 | 114,640 |
Open each occupation for full career profile charts and industry breakdowns on EDsmart Data.
Employment
Wages and industry mix below use BLS OEWS data for occupations linked to this major in our mapping—not a graduate earnings survey.
Yearly Income for Common Jobs
$66,217 Average Wage in Workforce
The average salary for Library and Archives Assisting majors is $66,217.
Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Library and Archives Assisting majors.
Occupations by Share
54,660 2023 Workforce
The number of Library and Archives Assisting graduates in the workforce has been growing.
Various jobs filled by those with a major in Library and Archives Assisting by share of the total number of graduates.
Diversity
Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Library and Archives Assisting in the United States.
Workforce Age
N/A Average Age in 2023
This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Library and Archives Assisting.
Age distribution for Library and Archives Assisting degree holders in the workforce.
Gender Distribution
Gender distribution data is not available for this degree program.
Gender distribution of Library and Archives Assisting degree recipients.
Race and Ethnicity Distribution
Race and ethnicity distribution data is not available for this degree program.
Racial and ethnic distribution of Library and Archives Assisting degree recipients.
Degrees Awarded
The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Library and Archives Assisting are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.
Distribution of degree types awarded in Library and Archives Assisting.
Skills
Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Library and Archives Assisting field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Required Skills
Library and Archives Assisting majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.
Rating of how necessary various skills are for Library and Archives Assisting majors.
Skills Bar Chart
This bar chart shows the same information as the radar chart, displaying the importance of each skill.
Skill importance ratings for Library and Archives Assisting majors.
About
Library and Archives Assisting
In 2023, 465 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Library and Archives Assisting.
CIP Code
00.2503 - Library and Archives Assisting
What the data shows
Mapped BLS occupations show employment-weighted mean pay of about $62,607. The largest mapped role by headcount is Library Assistants, Clerical (80,070 U.S. jobs in OEWS).
Published tuition medians in College Scorecard land at $4,200 in-state at public colleges and $25,200 at private institutions for programs in this field.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard dataset, IPEDS completion data, and Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data.
All financial figures are adjusted for inflation and represent the most recent available data. Employment and wage data are from the most recent Census Bureau ACS PUMS estimates.