Librarian salary in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
The median annual wage for librarians and media collections specialists in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH was $79,450 in May 2025, with an average of $81,970. About 3,660 people work in this occupation there.
That is 16% above the national median of $68,270. Compared with all occupations in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH (median $66,620), librarians earn 19% more. With a location quotient of 1.57, the occupation is more concentrated here than in the US as a whole.
Pay varies widely: the lowest-paid 10% earned less than $52,080, while the top 10% earned more than $113,830. Many librarians are self-employed, and BLS wage surveys cover employees only, so freelance income can differ.
Pay distribution
| Percentile | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $52,080 | $25.04 |
| 25th | $64,010 | $30.78 |
| Median | $79,450 | $38.20 |
| 75th | $98,990 | $47.59 |
| 90th | $113,830 | $54.73 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025. Estimates exclude self-employed workers; "—" means the estimate was not released.