Library Technicians Salary
Library Technicians in St. Louis, MO-IL make a median of $39,780 a year, or about $19.12 an hour. The range runs from $34K at the entry level to $48K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.09), that's roughly $41,834 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,218/month, about 44.9% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $40K get you in St. Louis?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by St. Louis’s Regional Price Parity (95.09). 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 library technicians
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What this looks like in St. Louis
Pay for library technicians in St. Louis runs about 11% below the U.S. median of $45K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,218/month, which is 44.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 95.09) 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 library technicianss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for library technicians in metros near St. Louis, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas City | $42K | $45K |
| Columbia | $36K | $41K |
| Joplin | $35K | $41K |
| Cape Girardeau | $36K | $42K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, St. Louis, MO-IL
Entry-level library technicians (10th percentile) start around $34K. Mid-career wages sit at $40K. Top earners bring in $48K or more, a $14K spread from bottom to top.
Library Technicians pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Library Technicians salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $63K | +40% | 1,850 |
| District of Columbia | $61K | +37% | 390 |
| Connecticut | $57K | +28% | 930 |
| California | $53K | +19% | 7,190 |
| Minnesota | $51K | +15% | 1,180 |
| Hawaii | $51K | +14% | 110 |
| Massachusetts | $50K | +13% | 1,910 |
| Vermont | $50K | +12% | 150 |
| New York | $50K | +12% | 3,390 |
| Oregon | $50K | +12% | 1,810 |
| Maryland | $49K | +10% | 1,980 |
| New Jersey | $49K | +10% | 1,060 |
| Rhode Island | $49K | +9% | 160 |
| New Hampshire | $49K | +9% | 280 |
| Delaware | $48K | +7% | 210 |
| Illinois | $47K | +6% | 2,140 |
| Alaska | $47K | +5% | 220 |
| Colorado | $47K | +5% | 2,250 |
| North Carolina | $47K | +4% | 2,350 |
| Pennsylvania | $46K | +3% | 1,560 |
| Nevada | $46K | +2% | 410 |
| Virginia | $46K | +2% | 2,580 |
| Maine | $45K | -0% | 320 |
| Kansas | $42K | -6% | 480 |
| Florida | $41K | -8% | 3,070 |
| Arizona | $41K | -9% | 820 |
| Utah | $40K | -10% | 310 |
| North Dakota | $39K | -12% | 370 |
| Louisiana | $39K | -12% | 1,410 |
| Missouri | $39K | -12% | 1,360 |
| New Mexico | $39K | -13% | 540 |
| Texas | $39K | -13% | 5,180 |
| Iowa | $39K | -13% | 1,510 |
| Montana | $38K | -14% | 370 |
| Ohio | $38K | -15% | 4,020 |
| Georgia | $37K | -16% | 2,130 |
| Alabama | $37K | -17% | 390 |
| Nebraska | $37K | -17% | 710 |
| Tennessee | $36K | -18% | 390 |
| South Carolina | $36K | -19% | 650 |
| Kentucky | $36K | -20% | 670 |
| Indiana | $36K | -20% | 1,470 |
| Wisconsin | $35K | -21% | 2,890 |
| Michigan | $35K | -22% | 2,180 |
| Idaho | $35K | -23% | 520 |
| West Virginia | $30K | -32% | 280 |
| South Dakota | $30K | -34% | 650 |
| Oklahoma | $29K | -34% | 830 |
| Arkansas | $29K | -36% | 390 |
| Mississippi | $27K | -39% | 270 |
| Wyoming | $27K | -40% | 400 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track library technicians salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when St. Louis numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a library technician afford a 2BR apartment alone in St. Louis?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $40K, rent takes 44.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,218/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for library technicians in St. Louis?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new library technicians typically earn — is $34K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,027/month. At HUD’s $1,218/month FMR, rent would take 60% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is library technician a high-paying job in St. Louis?
Local pay runs 11% below the national median — $40K here vs. $45K nationally.
How does St. Louis compare to the national average for library technicians?
St. Louis pays $40K median vs. the U.S. average of $45K — that’s -11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.09), the purchasing-power equivalent is $42K — below the national median.
How much do library technicians make in St. Louis, MO-IL?
The median is $39,780 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $33,790, and experienced library technicians can clear $48,120. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $40K enough to live in St. Louis?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,742/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,218/month, which eats 44.4% 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 library technicians salary go in St. Louis?
St. Louis has a Regional Price Parity of 95.09 (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 library technicians salary is worth about $41,834 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do library technicians 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.