Librarians and Media Collections Specialists Salary
Librarians and Media Collections Specialists in Decatur, IL make a median of $58,550 a year, or about $28.15 an hour. The range runs from $41K at the entry level to $80K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.42), which stretches that salary to about $66,218 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,063/month, or 27.6% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $59K get you in Decatur?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Decatur’s Regional Price Parity (88.42). 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 Decatur
Pay for librarians and media collections specialists in Decatur runs about 14% below the U.S. median of $68K. Rent runs $1,063/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 27.6% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.42 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 12% 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 Decatur, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $66K | $64K |
| Champaign-Urbana | $69K | $74K |
| Peoria | $50K | $54K |
| Bloomington | $66K | $71K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Decatur, IL
Entry-level librarians and media collections specialists (10th percentile) start around $41K. Mid-career wages sit at $59K. Top earners bring in $80K or more, a $39K 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 Decatur?
Yes — at the median salary of $59K, rent takes 27.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,063/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for librarians and media collections specialists in Decatur?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new librarians and media collections specialists typically earn — is $41K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,489/month. At HUD’s $1,063/month FMR, rent would take 43% 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 Decatur?
Local pay runs 14% below the national median — $59K here vs. $68K nationally. Cost of living is 12% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Decatur compare to the national average for librarians and media collections specialists?
Decatur pays $59K median vs. the U.S. average of $68K — that’s -14%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.42), the purchasing-power equivalent is $66K — below the national median.
How much do librarians and media collections specialists make in Decatur, IL?
The median is $58,550 a year, that works out to about $28 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $41,490, and experienced librarians and media collections specialists can clear $80,450. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $59K enough to live in Decatur?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,849/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,063/month, which eats 27.6% 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 Decatur?
Decatur has a Regional Price Parity of 88.42 (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 $66,218 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.