Librarian and Media Collections Specialist Salary in Los Angeles, CA
Librarians and Media Collections Specialists in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area earn a median $97,510 a year — 43% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $71,322 take-home, or $5,943 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median librarian and media collections specialist salary in Los Angeles, CA. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$12,622
- Social Security (6.2%)$6,046
- Medicare (1.45%)$1,414
- California income tax$4,839
- CA State Disability Insurance (SDI)$1,268
- Take-home pay$71,322
Marginal rate: 22% federal + 9.30% state
Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →
Librarian and Media Collections Specialist pay by experience in Los Angeles, CA
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $54,600 | $26.25 | $44,016 | $3,668 |
| 25th percentile | $75,730 | $36.41 | $58,275 | $4,856 |
| Median (50th) | $97,510 | $46.88 | $71,322 | $5,943 |
| 75th percentile | $102,910 | $49.48 | $74,548 | $6,212 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $134,100 | $64.47 | $92,938 | $7,745 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, California resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $97,510 buys in Los Angeles, CA
Prices in Los Angeles, CA are 13.6% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.70× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median librarian and media collections specialist's $71,322 take-home pay has the buying power of $62,802 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Librarian and Media Collections Specialist jobs are less concentrated in Los Angeles, CA than nationally (location quotient 0.61), so openings may be scarcer.
Best-paying cities for librarians and media collections specialists, adjusted for cost of living
Los Angeles, CA ranks #2 of 7 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.
| # | Metro area | Median salary | Take-home | Real value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington, DC | $95,480 | $70,853 | $65,072 |
| 2 | Los Angeles, CA | $97,510 | $71,322 | $62,802 |
| 3 | Philadelphia, PA | $77,330 | $60,858 | $59,342 |
| 4 | Dallas, TX | $74,340 | $61,128 | $59,296 |
| 5 | Boston, MA | $79,450 | $60,971 | $56,316 |
| 6 | New York, NY | $81,670 | $62,472 | $55,499 |
| 7 | Chicago, IL | $66,250 | $52,277 | $50,463 |
*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 7 metros →
About the job: librarians and media collections specialists
Administer and maintain libraries or collections of information, for public or private access through reference or borrowing. Work in a variety of settings, such as educational institutions, museums, and corporations, and with various types of informational materials, such as books, periodicals, recordings, films, and databases. Tasks may include acquiring, cataloging, and circulating library materials, and user services such as locating and organizing information, providing instruction on how to access information, and setting up and operating a library’s media equipment.
- Typical education
- Master's degree
- Work experience
- None required
- On-the-job training
- None
- Job outlook, 2025–35
- +2.6% (about average)
Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a librarian and media collections specialist make in Los Angeles, CA?
The median librarian and media collections specialist salary in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area is $97,510 a year, or about $46.88 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $75,730 and $102,910.
What is a librarian and media collections specialist’s take-home pay in Los Angeles, CA?
On the median $97,510 salary, a single filer living in California takes home about $71,322 a year ($5,943 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $6,106 in California taxes in 2026.
Is Los Angeles, CA a good place to work as a librarian and media collections specialist?
Pay here is 43% above the national median of $68,270. Local prices are 13.6% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $62,802 would in a typical U.S. city. Los Angeles, CA ranks #2 of 7 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a librarian and media collections specialist afford rent in Los Angeles, CA?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Los Angeles, CA is $2,245 a month ($2,755 for two bedrooms) — 38% of a median librarian and media collections specialist’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
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