🎓
Public Research Universities
University of Michigan, University of California Berkeley, University of Washington
Library Science Teachers, Postsecondary
Library science teachers teach graduate-level courses, advise students on academic and career choices, and build assignments, exams, and reading lists around specialized topics in libraries and information work. They also keep up with research and publish their own work, so the job splits time between teaching and scholarship; the tradeoff is that this is a very small field, and the usual path in requires a doctorate and a lot of time before you land a stable position.
Also known as Library and Information Science ProfessorProfessor of Library ScienceLibrary Science FacultyInformation Science ProfessorSchool of Information Faculty
Median Salary
$78,630
Mean $84,320
U.S. Workforce
~4K
0.4K openings per year
10-Year Growth
+3%
5.1K to 5.3K
Entry Education
Doctoral or professional degree
+ None experience
What This Role Looks Like in Practice
Library Science Teachers, Postsecondary sits in the Education category. In practical terms, this role combines day-to-day execution, cross-team coordination, and consistent decision-making under real business constraints.
U.S. employment is currently about ~4K workers, with a median annual pay of $78,630 and roughly 0.4K openings each year. Based on BLS projections, total employment is expected to grow from 5.1 K in 2024 to 5.3K in 2034.
Most hiring paths start with Doctoral degree in Library and Information Science or a related field, and employers typically expect none of related experience. Many careers in this track begin around Graduate Assistant / Adjunct Instructor and can progress toward Associate/Full Professor. High-value skills usually include Canvas, Blackboard & Moodle LMS, JSTOR, EBSCOhost & ProQuest Research Databases, and Curriculum and Syllabus Design, paired with soft skills such as Teaching, Critical thinking, and Active listening.
Core Responsibilities
- Lead class discussions and explain library science concepts to students.
- Help students choose courses, plan their studies, and think through career options.
- Put together reading lists and other assigned materials for specialized topics.
- Write, proctor, and grade exams and other student work.
Keep exploring: more Education careers or browse all job titles.
A Day in the Life
01 Lead class discussions and explain library science concepts to students.
02 Help students choose courses, plan their studies, and think through career options.
03 Put together reading lists and other assigned materials for specialized topics.
04 Write, proctor, and grade exams and other student work.
05 Conduct research, then present or publish the results in journals, books, or conferences.
06 Review manuscripts and coordinate teaching or research projects with other faculty.
Industries That Hire
🏛️
Private Universities
Harvard University, Stanford University, Syracuse University
💻
Online Higher Education
Southern New Hampshire University, Western Governors University, Purdue Global
🏫
Community Colleges
Miami Dade College, Austin Community College, Santa Monica College
Pros and Cons
Advantages
+
The pay is solid for a teaching job, with a median annual salary of $78,630 and a mean of $84,320.
+
You get to combine classroom teaching with research, so the work is more varied than a pure teaching or pure research role.
+
The subject matter is specialized, which lets you shape how future librarians and information professionals think and work.
+
Once you are hired, there is no required on-the-job training, so employers expect you to arrive already prepared.
+
The role is a good fit if you like reading, writing, and explaining complex ideas to students who are training for a specific profession.
Challenges
-
The job market is tiny: only about 4,100 positions now, with projected growth of just 3.0% and about 400 annual openings over the next decade.
-
The barrier to entry is high, since the typical requirement is a doctoral or professional degree and 65.24% of workers already hold doctorates.
-
Career growth can be narrow because there are relatively few library science programs, so many openings are adjunct or limited-term rather than stable tenure-track jobs.
-
You are expected to teach, advise, and publish at the same time, which can make the workload feel split in three directions.
-
The field can be pay-constrained compared with other doctoral-level careers, especially at smaller schools that do not have large budgets for faculty research or summer work.
Career Progression
Graduate Assistant / Adjunct Instructor
0-2 years
$38K-$54K
This entry point usually means helping teach courses, supporting faculty, or covering a small number of classes while finishing graduate study.
Assistant Professor of Library Science
2-6 years
$55K-$68K
At this stage, work starts to include your own courses, student advising, committee work, and the first big push to publish.
Library Science Teacher, Postsecondary THIS ROLE
5-12 years
$69K-$92K
This is the core teaching and research role, where you balance classroom instruction, advising, and scholarly output.
Associate/Full Professor
10+ years
$93K-$125K
Senior faculty usually carry more leadership, mentoring, and research expectations, along with service on department and university committees.
Education Paths
Doctoral degree in Library and Information Science or a related field
The main entry route, held by 65.24% of workers in this occupation.
Master's degree in Library and Information Science
A sizable alternative, held by 24.57% of workers, often paired with strong teaching or research experience.
Post-doctoral training
Some workers, 8.32%, add post-doctoral training after a doctorate to strengthen their research profile.
Key Skills
Technical
Canvas, Blackboard & Moodle LMS 78%
JSTOR, EBSCOhost & ProQuest Research Databases 77%
Curriculum and Syllabus Design 76%
Zotero, EndNote & Mendeley 74%
SPSS, Excel & Qualtrics 73%
MARC, Dublin Core & Library Metadata Standards 72%
Soft Skills
TeachingCritical thinkingActive listeningPublic speakingCollaborationReading carefully Job Outlook and Trends
+3%
Projected growth (2024-2034)
0.4K
Annual job openings
Employment is projected to rise from 5.1K to 5.3 K over the next decade, representing 3% growth. Around 0.4 K openings per year include both newly created roles and replacement hiring from turnover.
Remote availability is currently Moderate. Demand remains strongest where employers need practical domain knowledge plus modern workflow and data skills.