Librarians and Media Collections Specialists Salary
Librarians and Media Collections Specialists in Arecibo, PR make a median of $50,300 a year, or about $24.18 an hour. The range runs from $30K at the entry level to $75K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100), that's roughly $50,300 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $510/month, or 15.3% of estimated take-home pay.
Where the paycheck goes
What $50K actually covers in Arecibo, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Arecibo’s Regional Price Parity (100). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About librarians and media collections specialists
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What this looks like in Arecibo
Pay for librarians and media collections specialists in Arecibo runs about 26% below the U.S. median of $68K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $510/month, 14.4% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 100) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Lower pay, lower costs, Arecibo can be a reasonable trade-off for librarians and media collections specialists who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for librarians and media collections specialists in metros near Arecibo, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas | $51K | $51K |
| Ponce | $50K | $50K |
| Mayaguez | $51K | $51K |
| Aguadilla | $60K | $60K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Arecibo, PR
Entry-level librarians and media collections specialists (10th percentile) start around $30K. Mid-career wages sit at $50K. Top earners bring in $75K or more, a $45K spread from bottom to top.
Librarians and Media Collections Specialists pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Librarians and Media Collections Specialists salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $100K | +47% | 2,750 |
| District of Columbia | $97K | +41% | 960 |
| California | $90K | +32% | 10,180 |
| Maryland | $89K | +30% | 3,220 |
| Nevada | $85K | +24% | 610 |
| Connecticut | $79K | +16% | 2,550 |
| Alaska | $79K | +15% | 350 |
| New York | $79K | +15% | 11,870 |
| Massachusetts | $79K | +15% | 4,980 |
| New Jersey | $78K | +15% | 4,100 |
| Oregon | $78K | +14% | 1,690 |
| Delaware | $78K | +14% | 370 |
| Minnesota | $78K | +14% | 2,220 |
| Virginia | $77K | +13% | 4,590 |
| Georgia | $77K | +12% | 3,330 |
| Colorado | $76K | +12% | 1,990 |
| Rhode Island | $76K | +11% | 780 |
| Texas | $72K | +5% | 9,150 |
| Hawaii | $68K | +0% | 300 |
| Florida | $67K | -2% | 6,670 |
| Wisconsin | $67K | -2% | 2,450 |
| Kentucky | $65K | -4% | 1,980 |
| Alabama | $65K | -5% | 2,750 |
| Nebraska | $64K | -6% | 1,200 |
| Montana | $64K | -6% | 640 |
| New Hampshire | $64K | -7% | 1,150 |
| Pennsylvania | $63K | -8% | 5,050 |
| North Dakota | $63K | -8% | 570 |
| Illinois | $63K | -8% | 5,390 |
| South Carolina | $63K | -8% | 2,130 |
| New Mexico | $63K | -8% | 580 |
| Vermont | $62K | -9% | 600 |
| Tennessee | $62K | -9% | 2,540 |
| Kansas | $62K | -9% | 1,620 |
| North Carolina | $61K | -10% | 4,010 |
| Louisiana | $61K | -11% | 2,130 |
| Ohio | $61K | -11% | 4,820 |
| Arizona | $61K | -11% | 1,990 |
| Michigan | $60K | -12% | 3,940 |
| Maine | $60K | -13% | 780 |
| Missouri | $59K | -14% | 2,970 |
| Iowa | $58K | -14% | 1,770 |
| Oklahoma | $58K | -15% | 1,820 |
| Mississippi | $57K | -17% | 1,060 |
| Arkansas | $57K | -17% | 1,490 |
| Idaho | $54K | -21% | 650 |
| Utah | $54K | -21% | 1,630 |
| Indiana | $54K | -22% | 1,920 |
| South Dakota | $51K | -25% | 490 |
| Wyoming | $47K | -32% | 440 |
| West Virginia | $43K | -37% | 610 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track librarians and media collections specialists salary changes
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a librarians and media collections specialist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Arecibo?
Yes — at the median salary of $50K, rent takes 14.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $510/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for librarians and media collections specialists in Arecibo?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new librarians and media collections specialists typically earn — is $30K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,200/month. At HUD’s $510/month FMR, rent would take 23% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is librarians and media collections specialist a high-paying job in Arecibo?
Local pay runs 26% below the national median — $50K here vs. $68K nationally.
How does Arecibo compare to the national average for librarians and media collections specialists?
Arecibo pays $50K median vs. the U.S. average of $68K — that’s -26%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100), the purchasing-power equivalent is $50K — below the national median.
How much do librarians and media collections specialists make in Arecibo, PR?
The median is $50,300 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $30,320, and experienced librarians and media collections specialists can clear $74,910. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $50K enough to live in Arecibo?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,538/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $510/month, which eats 14.4% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a librarians and media collections specialists salary go in Arecibo?
Arecibo has a Regional Price Parity of 100 (100 is the national average). That's right at the national average. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median librarians and media collections specialists salary is worth about $50,300 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do librarians and media collections specialists get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.