Librarians and Media Collections Specialists Salary
Librarians and Media Collections Specialists in Kennewick-Richland, WA make a median of $105,240 a year, or about $50.59 an hour. The range runs from $66K at the entry level to $126K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100.08), that's roughly $105,156 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,538/month, or 21.8% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $105K get you in Kennewick-Richland?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Kennewick-Richland’s Regional Price Parity (100.08). 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 Kennewick-Richland
Kennewick-Richland sits well above the national pay line for librarians and media collections specialists, local pay runs about 54% higher than the U.S. median of $68K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,538/month, 22.4% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 100.08) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Combined with manageable housing costs, Kennewick-Richland offers a genuinely strong financial position for librarians and media collections specialistss at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for librarians and media collections specialists in metros near Kennewick-Richland, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue | $102K | $92K |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley | $80K | $80K |
| Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater | $93K | $89K |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard | $100K | $95K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Kennewick-Richland, WA
Entry-level librarians and media collections specialists (10th percentile) start around $66K. Mid-career wages sit at $105K. Top earners bring in $126K or more, a $60K 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 Kennewick-Richland?
Yes — at the median salary of $105K, rent takes 22.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,538/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for librarians and media collections specialists in Kennewick-Richland?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new librarians and media collections specialists typically earn — is $66K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,973/month. At HUD’s $1,538/month FMR, rent would take 39% 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 Kennewick-Richland?
Local pay is 54% above the national median — $105K here vs. $68K nationally.
How does Kennewick-Richland compare to the national average for librarians and media collections specialists?
Kennewick-Richland pays $105K median vs. the U.S. average of $68K — that’s +54%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100.08), the purchasing-power equivalent is $105K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do librarians and media collections specialists make in Kennewick-Richland, WA?
The median is $105,240 a year, that works out to about $51 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $66,210, and experienced librarians and media collections specialists can clear $126,200. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $105K enough to live in Kennewick-Richland?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,869/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,538/month, which eats 22.4% 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 Kennewick-Richland?
Kennewick-Richland has a Regional Price Parity of 100.08 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median librarians and media collections specialists salary is worth about $105,156 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.