Librarians and Media Collections Specialists Salary
Librarians and Media Collections Specialists in Las Cruces, NM make a median of $66,170 a year, or about $31.81 an hour. The range runs from $46K at the entry level to $91K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 90.21), which stretches that salary to about $73,351 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,042/month, or 24% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $66K get you in Las Cruces?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Las Cruces’s Regional Price Parity (90.21). 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 Las Cruces
Librarians and media collections specialists pay in Las Cruces tracks closely to the national median, $66K locally vs. $68K nationwide, a 3% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,042/month, 23.7% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 90.21 (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 Las Cruces, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Albuquerque | $63K | $65K |
| Santa Fe | $65K | $65K |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $74K | $72K |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $75K | $76K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Las Cruces, NM
Entry-level librarians and media collections specialists (10th percentile) start around $46K. Mid-career wages sit at $66K. Top earners bring in $91K or more, a $45K 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)
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Frequently asked questions
Can a librarians and media collections specialist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Las Cruces?
Yes — at the median salary of $66K, rent takes 23.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,042/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for librarians and media collections specialists in Las Cruces?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new librarians and media collections specialists typically earn — is $46K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,759/month. At HUD’s $1,042/month FMR, rent would take 38% 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 Las Cruces?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $66K locally vs. $68K nationally, a 3% difference.
How does Las Cruces compare to the national average for librarians and media collections specialists?
Las Cruces pays $66K median vs. the U.S. average of $68K — that’s -3%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 90.21), the purchasing-power equivalent is $73K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do librarians and media collections specialists make in Las Cruces, NM?
The median is $66,170 a year, that works out to about $32 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $45,980, and experienced librarians and media collections specialists can clear $90,630. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $66K enough to live in Las Cruces?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,391/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,042/month, which eats 23.7% 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 Las Cruces?
Las Cruces has a Regional Price Parity of 90.21 (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 $73,351 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.