Librarians and Media Collections Specialists Salary
Librarians and Media Collections Specialists in Louisiana make a median of $60,650 a year, or about $29.16 an hour. The range runs from $47K at the entry level to $78K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.28), which stretches that salary to about $69,489 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,191/month, or 29.9% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Louisiana. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $61K get you in Louisiana?
About librarians and media collections specialists
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What this looks like in Louisiana
Pay for librarians and media collections specialists in Louisiana runs about 11% below the U.S. median of $68K. Rent runs $1,191/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 29.3% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 87.28 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 13% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Louisiana
Entry-level librarians and media collections specialists (10th percentile) start around $47K. Mid-career wages sit at $61K. Top earners bring in $78K or more, a $31K spread from bottom to top.
Librarians and Media Collections Specialists salary by metro in Louisiana
9 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans-Metairie | $64K | +6% | 480 |
| Shreveport-Bossier City | $63K | +4% | 160 |
| Slidell-Mandeville-Covington | $62K | +2% | 120 |
| Monroe | $61K | +1% | 60 |
| Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux | $61K | -0% | 50 |
| Baton Rouge | $60K | -0% | 480 |
| Lafayette | $59K | -3% | 150 |
| Lake Charles | $54K | -11% | 140 |
| Alexandria | $50K | -18% | 80 |
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BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Louisiana numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a librarians and media collections specialist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Louisiana?
Yes — at the median salary of $61K, rent takes 29.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,191/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for librarians and media collections specialists in Louisiana?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new librarians and media collections specialists typically earn — is $47K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,808/month. At HUD’s $1,191/month FMR, rent would take 42% 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 Louisiana?
Local pay runs 11% below the national median — $61K here vs. $68K nationally. Cost of living is 13% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Louisiana compare to the national average for librarians and media collections specialists?
Louisiana pays $61K median vs. the U.S. average of $68K — that’s -11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.28), the purchasing-power equivalent is $69K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do librarians and media collections specialists make in Louisiana?
The median is $60,650 a year, that works out to about $29 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $46,800, and experienced librarians and media collections specialists can clear $78,240. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $61K enough to live in Louisiana?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,065/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,191/month, which eats 29.3% 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 Louisiana?
Louisiana has a Regional Price Parity of 87.28 (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 $69,489 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.