Librarians and Media Collections Specialists Salary
Librarians and Media Collections Specialists in Texas make a median of $71,860 a year, or about $34.55 an hour. The range runs from $49K at the entry level to $101K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.49), which stretches that salary to about $78,544 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,415/month, or 28.3% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Texas. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $72K get you in Texas?
About librarians and media collections specialists
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What this looks like in Texas
Librarians and media collections specialists pay in Texas tracks closely to the national median, $72K locally vs. $68K nationwide, a 5% difference. Rent runs $1,415/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 28.8% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.49 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 9% 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, Texas
Entry-level librarians and media collections specialists (10th percentile) start around $49K. Mid-career wages sit at $72K. Top earners bring in $101K or more, a $52K spread from bottom to top.
Librarians and Media Collections Specialists salary by metro in Texas
23 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Odessa | $84K | +17% | 30 |
| Laredo | $82K | +14% | 100 |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission | $81K | +13% | 310 |
| Tyler | $79K | +9% | 60 |
| Brownsville-Harlingen | $78K | +8% | 140 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $75K | +5% | 1,880 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $74K | +3% | 2,550 |
| El Paso | $73K | +2% | 360 |
| College Station-Bryan | $72K | -0% | 140 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $69K | -4% | 910 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $67K | -7% | 810 |
| Midland | $67K | -7% | 50 |
| Killeen-Temple | $66K | -8% | 130 |
| Amarillo | $66K | -9% | 90 |
| Lubbock | $65K | -10% | 140 |
| Corpus Christi | $64K | -11% | 140 |
| Waco | $63K | -12% | 130 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur | $63K | -13% | 100 |
| Longview | $60K | -16% | 70 |
| San Angelo | $60K | -16% | 40 |
| Texarkana | $57K | -21% | 30 |
| Abilene | $54K | -25% | 50 |
| Wichita Falls | $48K | -33% | 50 |
Showing 1–10 of 23 metros
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BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Texas numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a librarians and media collections specialist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Texas?
Yes — at the median salary of $72K, rent takes 28.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,415/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for librarians and media collections specialists in Texas?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new librarians and media collections specialists typically earn — is $49K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,954/month. At HUD’s $1,415/month FMR, rent would take 48% 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 Texas?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $72K locally vs. $68K nationally, a 5% difference.
How does Texas compare to the national average for librarians and media collections specialists?
Texas pays $72K median vs. the U.S. average of $68K — that’s +5%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.49), the purchasing-power equivalent is $79K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do librarians and media collections specialists make in Texas?
The median is $71,860 a year, that works out to about $35 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $49,240, and experienced librarians and media collections specialists can clear $100,790. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $72K enough to live in Texas?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,912/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,415/month, which eats 28.8% 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 Texas?
Texas has a Regional Price Parity of 91.49 (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 $78,544 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.