# Library Technicians

US SOC code 25-4031. Markdown version of https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/25-4031

Also called: Library tech, Library assistant, Circulation technician, Technical services technician, Library paraprofessional.

## In brief

In May 2025, [BLS](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) counted **68,690** US library technicians, with median pay of **$44,580** a year. Of the BLS counts since 2021, the highest was **76,670**, in May 2023. The earliest figure here is [an estimate](https://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/hrdr/librarysupportstaff/history_of_library_support_staff) of **65,000** from 1969, not measured the same way as today's count. The last full technology era for library technicians: RFID + library self-checkout, 2001 to 2015. Self-checkout rollout shifted circulation desk staffing ratios downward at libraries that adopted it broadly.

## What the sources say

### Official outlook

BLS projects employment to decline 6.4% from 2025 to 2035. Source: [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=25-4031&ioType=o).

### AI exposure studies

- **52.9%** of this job's tasks are exposed to large language models. Not a forecast of job losses. [Eloundou and others, 2023](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv)

Data as of BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35. BLS publishes these counts as yearly survey snapshots and cautions against reading them as a precise trend.

## Library Technicians employment and pay by year

- On record since: 1923
- Latest US employment: 68,690 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [4]
- Latest US median pay: $44,580 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [6]
- Outlook: -6.4% by 2035. Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025-35 [18]

### All 27 years of cited US data

| Year | US employment | Annual pay (median unless marked) | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1969 | 65,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., ALA [1] |
| 1982 | 82,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., ALA [2] |
| 1993 | n/a | $16,800 | BLS historical bulletin [5] |
| 2000 | 100,690 | n/a | BLS OEWS 2000 [3] |
| 2003 | 108,940 | $24,240 | BLS OEWS May 2003 [4] |
| 2004 | 113,520 | $24,940 | BLS OEWS May 2004 [4] |
| 2005 | 115,770 | $25,650 | BLS OEWS May 2005 [4] |
| 2006 | 113,940 | $26,560 | BLS OEWS May 2006 [4] |
| 2007 | 114,150 | $27,680 | BLS OEWS May 2007 [4] |
| 2008 | 113,510 | $28,820 | BLS OEWS May 2008 [4] |
| 2009 | 111,390 | $29,570 | BLS OEWS May 2009 [4] |
| 2010 | 109,240 | $29,860 | BLS OEWS May 2010 [4] |
| 2011 | 106,560 | $30,430 | BLS OEWS May 2011 [4] |
| 2012 | 100,230 | $30,660 | BLS OEWS May 2012 [4] |
| 2013 | 95,980 | $31,280 | BLS OEWS May 2013 [4] |
| 2014 | 94,260 | $31,680 | BLS OEWS May 2014 [4] |
| 2015 | 94,170 | $32,310 | BLS OEWS May 2015 [4] |
| 2016 | 93,410 | $32,890 | BLS OEWS May 2016 [4] |
| 2017 | 90,030 | $33,690 | BLS OEWS May 2017 [4] |
| 2018 | 88,690 | $34,040 | BLS OEWS May 2018 [4] |
| 2019 | 88,720 | $34,900 | BLS OEWS May 2019 [4] |
| 2020 | 89,070 | $37,010 | BLS OEWS May 2020 [4] |
| 2021 | 73,000 | $36,970 | BLS OEWS May 2021 [4] |
| 2022 | 73,330 | $37,600 | BLS OEWS May 2022 [4] |
| 2023 | 76,670 | $39,310 | BLS OEWS May 2023 [4] |
| 2024 | 73,770 | $39,970 | BLS OEWS May 2024 [4] |
| 2025 | 68,690 | $44,580 | BLS OEWS May 2025 [4] |

## Sources (78)

### Employment series

1. [ALA — "In the Beginning, There was Support Staff..." (history of library support staff; GS-1411 recognition and program growth)](https://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/hrdr/librarysupportstaff/history_of_library_support_staff), American Library Association
2. [ALA — "Milestones of the Library Support Staff Movement" (COLT assists OOH entry revision, 1982)](https://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/hrdr/librarysupportstaff/milestones_of_the_library_support_staff_movement), American Library Association
3. [BLS OES 2000 national estimates (flat file)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oes00nat.zip), Bureau of Labor Statistics
4. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)

### Wage series

5. [BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 1994-95 Edition (Bulletin No. 2450), library technicians earnings](https://fraser.stlouisfed.org/title/occupational-outlook-handbook-3964/occupational-outlook-handbook-1994-95-edition-583134), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
6. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)

### Tool eras

7. [ALA — "In the Beginning, There was Support Staff..." (Williamson Report 1923, role origins)](https://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/hrdr/librarysupportstaff/history_of_library_support_staff), American Library Association
8. [Tablet Magazine — "A New Book Celebrates the History and Beauty of the Library Card Catalog"](https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/the-incredible-unforgettable-life-of-the-card-catalog), Tablet Magazine
9. [Library of Congress Information Bulletin — "Henriette Avram, Mother of MARC, Dies" (May 2006)](https://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/0605/avram.html), Library of Congress
10. [Wikipedia — Dynix (software): history, market share, Library of Congress installation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynix_%28software%29), Wikipedia
11. [Library Technology Guides — Smarter Libraries Through Technology: 50 Years of Technology at OCLC (Breeding, Marshall)](https://librarytechnology.org/document/23317), Library Technology Guides
12. [Bibliotheca — "Self-Service In Libraries: Evolution, Impact, and the Future" (UNLV 2001 first RFID implementation; 88% patron self-checkout rate)](https://www.bibliotheca.com/self-service-in-libraries-evolution-impact-and-the-future/), Bibliotheca
13. [In the Library with the Lead Pipe — "A Look at Recessions and their Impact on Librarianship" (2009)](https://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/2009/a-look-at-recessions-and-their-impact-on-librarianship/), In the Library with the Lead Pipe
14. [CBS News — "In Recession, Libraries Are Booming" (2009; LA library visitation up 2 million)](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/in-recession-libraries-are-booming/), CBS News
15. [OCLC — "AI cataloging tools in WorldShare Record Manager and Connexion" (December 2025)](https://www.oclc.org/en/news/releases/2025/20251208-ai-recordmanager-connexion.html), OCLC
16. [Ex Libris — "AI Metadata Assistant in Alma" (February 2025 release)](https://exlibrisgroup.com/announcement/ai-metadata-assistant-headlines-almas-february-2025-feature-release/), Ex Libris
17. [OCLC — "AI-powered smart fulfillment enhancements for resource sharing" (June 2025; ~50% ILL time reduction)](https://www.oclc.org/en/news/releases/2025/20250626-ai-powered-smart-fulfillment-enhancements.html), OCLC

### Forecasts and exposure studies

18. [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35, National Employment Matrix: 25-4031 Library technicians (2025: 72.8 thousand; 2035: 68.1 thousand; -6.4%)](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=25-4031&ioType=o), Bureau of Labor Statistics
19. [Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin & Rock (2023), "GPTs are GPTs", occupation-level exposure data occ\_level.csv (O\*NET-SOC 25-4031.00, human-rated β 0.529)](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv), OpenAI

### Historical notes

20. [ALA — "In the Beginning, There was Support Staff..." (Williamson Report 1923)](https://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/hrdr/librarysupportstaff/history_of_library_support_staff), American Library Association
21. [Library of Congress Information Bulletin — "Henriette Avram, Mother of MARC, Dies" (May 2006)](https://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/0605/avram.html), Library of Congress
22. [ALA — "Library Support Staff in an Age of Change" (LEPU 1970 policy statement; three-tier support staff model)](https://www.ala.org/educationcareers/education/3rdcongressonpro/librarysupportstaffage), American Library Association
23. [ALA — "Milestones of the Library Support Staff Movement" (OCLC launches 1971)](https://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/hrdr/librarysupportstaff/milestones_of_the_library_support_staff_movement), American Library Association
24. [Bibliotheca — "Self-Service In Libraries: Evolution, Impact, and the Future" (UNLV Lied Library 2001, 88% self-checkout adoption)](https://www.bibliotheca.com/self-service-in-libraries-evolution-impact-and-the-future/), Bibliotheca
25. [Ohio Library Council TSD — "AI in Cataloging and Classification" (December 2025)](https://olctsd.wordpress.com/2025/12/08/ai-in-cataloging-and-classification/), Ohio Library Council Technical Services Division

### Predecessors & successors

26. [ALA — "In the Beginning, There was Support Staff..." (Williamson Report 1923; pre-technician tier history)](https://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/hrdr/librarysupportstaff/history_of_library_support_staff), American Library Association

### Present-day analysis

- [O\*NET 30.3 — Library Technicians (25-4031.00)](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/25-4031.00), accessed 2026-06-05
- [BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — Library Technicians and Assistants](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/library-technicians-and-assistants.htm), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Eloundou et al. 2024 — GPTs are GPTs (Science)](https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130), accessed 2026-06-05
- [OCLC — AI cataloging tools in WorldShare Record Manager and Connexion (Dec 2025)](https://www.oclc.org/en/news/releases/2025/20251208-ai-recordmanager-connexion.html), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Ex Libris — AI Metadata Assistant in Alma (February 2025 release)](https://exlibrisgroup.com/announcement/ai-metadata-assistant-headlines-almas-february-2025-feature-release/), accessed 2026-06-05
- [OCLC — AI-powered smart fulfillment enhancements for resource sharing (June 2025)](https://www.oclc.org/en/news/releases/2025/20250626-ai-powered-smart-fulfillment-enhancements.html), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Ohio Library Council TSD — AI in Cataloging and Classification (Dec 2025)](https://olctsd.wordpress.com/2025/12/08/ai-in-cataloging-and-classification/), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Liblime — Digital Transformation: How Libraries Are Implementing AI in 2025](https://liblime.com/2025/11/13/digital-transformation-how-libraries-are-implementing-ai-in-2025/), accessed 2026-06-05

How to read these figures: https://futurehistory.earth/methodology. Every figure links to its own source; gaps stay gaps.