Librarians and Media Collections Specialists Salary
Librarians and Media Collections Specialists in Virginia make a median of $77,430 a year, or about $37.23 an hour. The range runs from $49K at the entry level to $108K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.79), which stretches that salary to about $81,686 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,646/month, about 32.4% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Virginia. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $77K get you in Virginia?
About librarians and media collections specialists
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What this looks like in Virginia
Virginia sits well above the national pay line for librarians and media collections specialists, local pay runs about 13% higher than the U.S. median of $68K. Rent runs $1,646/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 33.5% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.79 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 5% 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, Virginia
Entry-level librarians and media collections specialists (10th percentile) start around $49K. Mid-career wages sit at $77K. Top earners bring in $108K or more, a $59K spread from bottom to top.
Librarians and Media Collections Specialists salary by metro in Virginia
8 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlottesville | $84K | +9% | 250 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk | $78K | +0% | 880 |
| Richmond | $77K | +0% | 720 |
| Harrisonburg | $76K | -2% | 110 |
| Winchester | $75K | -3% | 60 |
| Roanoke | $69K | -11% | 170 |
| Lynchburg | $58K | -25% | 110 |
| Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford | $58K | -25% | 130 |
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BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Virginia numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a librarians and media collections specialist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Virginia?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $77K, rent takes 33.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,646/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,500/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 Virginia?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new librarians and media collections specialists typically earn — is $49K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,911/month. At HUD’s $1,646/month FMR, rent would take 57% 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 Virginia?
Local pay is 13% above the national median — $77K here vs. $68K nationally.
How does Virginia compare to the national average for librarians and media collections specialists?
Virginia pays $77K median vs. the U.S. average of $68K — that’s +13%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.79), the purchasing-power equivalent is $82K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do librarians and media collections specialists make in Virginia?
The median is $77,430 a year, that works out to about $37 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $48,510, and experienced librarians and media collections specialists can clear $107,600. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $77K enough to live in Virginia?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,910/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,646/month, which eats 33.5% 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 Virginia?
Virginia has a Regional Price Parity of 94.79 (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 $81,686 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.