Librarians and Media Collections Specialists Salary
Librarians and Media Collections Specialists in Illinois make a median of $62,700 a year, or about $30.14 an hour. The range runs from $39K at the entry level to $104K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.85), which stretches that salary to about $66,809 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,407/month, about 34.2% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Illinois. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $63K get you in Illinois?
About librarians and media collections specialists
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What this looks like in Illinois
Librarians and media collections specialists pay in Illinois tracks closely to the national median, $63K locally vs. $68K nationwide, a 8% difference. Rent runs $1,407/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 34.2% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.85 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Illinois
Entry-level librarians and media collections specialists (10th percentile) start around $39K. Mid-career wages sit at $63K. Top earners bring in $104K or more, a $65K spread from bottom to top.
Librarians and Media Collections Specialists salary by metro in Illinois
8 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Champaign-Urbana | $69K | +10% | 160 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $66K | +6% | 3,740 |
| Bloomington | $66K | +6% | 130 |
| Springfield | $62K | -1% | 90 |
| Rockford | $61K | -3% | 100 |
| Decatur | $59K | -7% | 40 |
| Kankakee | $56K | -11% | 50 |
| Peoria | $50K | -21% | 150 |
Compare to other states
Track librarians and media collections specialists salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Illinois numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a librarians and media collections specialist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Illinois?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $63K, rent takes 34.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,407/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/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 Illinois?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new librarians and media collections specialists typically earn — is $39K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,319/month. At HUD’s $1,407/month FMR, rent would take 61% 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 Illinois?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $63K locally vs. $68K nationally, a 8% difference.
How does Illinois compare to the national average for librarians and media collections specialists?
Illinois pays $63K median vs. the U.S. average of $68K — that’s -8%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.85), the purchasing-power equivalent is $67K — below the national median.
How much do librarians and media collections specialists make in Illinois?
The median is $62,700 a year, that works out to about $30 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $38,650, and experienced librarians and media collections specialists can clear $103,540. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $63K enough to live in Illinois?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,110/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,407/month, which eats 34.2% 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 Illinois?
Illinois has a Regional Price Parity of 93.85 (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 $66,809 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.