Librarians and Media Collections Specialists Salary
Librarians and Media Collections Specialists in Charleston, WV make a median of $50,740 a year, or about $24.39 an hour. The range runs from $37K at the entry level to $59K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.72), which stretches that salary to about $57,191 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,036/month, about 31.1% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $51K get you in Charleston?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Charleston’s Regional Price Parity (88.72). 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 Charleston
Pay for librarians and media collections specialists in Charleston runs about 26% below the U.S. median of $68K. Rent runs $1,036/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 30.3% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.72 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 11% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for librarians and media collections specialists in metros near Charleston, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Huntington-Ashland | $61K | $69K |
| Morgantown | $61K | $65K |
| Wheeling | $44K | $49K |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $77K | $75K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Charleston, WV
Entry-level librarians and media collections specialists (10th percentile) start around $37K. Mid-career wages sit at $51K. Top earners bring in $59K or more, a $22K 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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Frequently asked questions
Can a librarians and media collections specialist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Charleston?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $51K, rent takes 30.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,036/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for librarians and media collections specialists in Charleston?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new librarians and media collections specialists typically earn — is $37K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,211/month. At HUD’s $1,036/month FMR, rent would take 47% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is librarians and media collections specialist a high-paying job in Charleston?
Local pay runs 26% below the national median — $51K here vs. $68K nationally. Cost of living is 11% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Charleston compare to the national average for librarians and media collections specialists?
Charleston pays $51K median vs. the U.S. average of $68K — that’s -26%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.72), the purchasing-power equivalent is $57K — below the national median.
How much do librarians and media collections specialists make in Charleston, WV?
The median is $50,740 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $36,850, and experienced librarians and media collections specialists can clear $59,100. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $51K enough to live in Charleston?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,422/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,036/month, which eats 30.3% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a librarians and media collections specialists salary go in Charleston?
Charleston has a Regional Price Parity of 88.72 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median librarians and media collections specialists salary is worth about $57,191 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.