Librarians and Media Collections Specialists Salary
Librarians and Media Collections Specialists in El Paso, TX make a median of $73,160 a year, or about $35.17 an hour. The range runs from $50K at the entry level to $100K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 89.91), which stretches that salary to about $81,370 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $973/month, or 19.1% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $73K get you in El Paso?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by El Paso’s Regional Price Parity (89.91). 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
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in El Paso
Librarians and media collections specialists pay in El Paso tracks closely to the national median, $73K locally vs. $68K nationwide, a 7% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $973/month, 19.5% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 89.91 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 10% 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 El Paso, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $74K | $72K |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $75K | $76K |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $69K | $70K |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $67K | $71K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, El Paso, TX
Entry-level librarians and media collections specialists (10th percentile) start around $50K. Mid-career wages sit at $73K. Top earners bring in $100K or more, a $50K 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
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when El Paso numbers change.
Related careers in Education
Frequently asked questions
Can a librarians and media collections specialist afford a 2BR apartment alone in El Paso?
Yes — at the median salary of $73K, rent takes 19.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $973/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for librarians and media collections specialists in El Paso?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new librarians and media collections specialists typically earn — is $50K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,988/month. At HUD’s $973/month FMR, rent would take 33% 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 El Paso?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $73K locally vs. $68K nationally, a 7% difference.
How does El Paso compare to the national average for librarians and media collections specialists?
El Paso pays $73K median vs. the U.S. average of $68K — that’s +7%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 89.91), the purchasing-power equivalent is $81K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do librarians and media collections specialists make in El Paso, TX?
The median is $73,160 a year, that works out to about $35 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $49,800, and experienced librarians and media collections specialists can clear $100,200. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $73K enough to live in El Paso?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,988/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $973/month, which eats 19.5% 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 El Paso?
El Paso has a Regional Price Parity of 89.91 (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 $81,370 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.