Librarians and Media Collections Specialists Salary
Librarians and Media Collections Specialists in Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL make a median of $58,730 a year, or about $28.24 an hour. The range runs from $49K at the entry level to $78K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.14), that's roughly $60,459 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,497/month, about 36.7% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $59K get you in Lakeland-Winter Haven?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Lakeland-Winter Haven’s Regional Price Parity (97.14). 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 Lakeland-Winter Haven
Pay for librarians and media collections specialists in Lakeland-Winter Haven runs about 14% below the U.S. median of $68K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,497/month, which is 36.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 97.14) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for librarians and media collections specialistss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for librarians and media collections specialists in metros near Lakeland-Winter Haven, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach | $70K | $61K |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater | $69K | $68K |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford | $67K | $66K |
| Jacksonville | $68K | $68K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL
Entry-level librarians and media collections specialists (10th percentile) start around $49K. Mid-career wages sit at $59K. Top earners bring in $78K or more, a $29K 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 Lakeland-Winter Haven?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $59K, rent takes 36.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,497/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 Lakeland-Winter Haven?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new librarians and media collections specialists typically earn — is $49K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,943/month. At HUD’s $1,497/month FMR, rent would take 51% 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 Lakeland-Winter Haven?
Local pay runs 14% below the national median — $59K here vs. $68K nationally.
How does Lakeland-Winter Haven compare to the national average for librarians and media collections specialists?
Lakeland-Winter Haven pays $59K median vs. the U.S. average of $68K — that’s -14%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.14), the purchasing-power equivalent is $60K — below the national median.
How much do librarians and media collections specialists make in Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL?
The median is $58,730 a year, that works out to about $28 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $49,050, and experienced librarians and media collections specialists can clear $78,330. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $59K enough to live in Lakeland-Winter Haven?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,102/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,497/month, which eats 36.5% 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 Lakeland-Winter Haven?
Lakeland-Winter Haven has a Regional Price Parity of 97.14 (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 $60,459 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.