Education & Library
Library Science Teachers, Postsecondary
Also called: Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Classification Instructor, Information Science Professor
US median pay
$80,340
per year, 2025
Job growth 2025–35
+2.7%
about average or slower
Openings a year (US)
300
4,500 employed
Typical entry education
Doctoral or professional degree
Preparation 5/5 · Extensive preparation
What this job is
Teach courses in library science. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
What they do day to day
- Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and present findings in professional journals, books, electronic media, or at professional conferences.
- Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.
- Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, giving presentations at conferences, and serving on committees in professional associations.
- Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as collection development, archival methods, and indexing and abstracting.
- Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
- Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, course materials, and methods of instruction.
- Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
- Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
- Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records.
- Advise students on academic and vocational curricula and on career issues.
Skills and knowledge that matter most
Skills
- Instructing4.2/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.6/5
- Social Perceptiveness3.2/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.2/5
- Systems Evaluation3.1/5
- Systems Analysis3.1/5
- Coordination3.1/5
- Time Management3.0/5
Knowledge
- English Language4.7/5
- Education and Training4.5/5
- Computers and Electronics4.2/5
- Customer and Personal Service3.9/5
- Communications and Media3.6/5
- Sociology and Anthropology3.5/5
Importance rated by people working in the job (1 = not important, 5 = extremely important).
Education and preparation
Preparation level 5 of 5 — Extensive preparation. Usually a graduate degree (master's, PhD, MD, JD) and extensive experience.
Typical entry education (BLS): Doctoral or professional degree.
Highest education of people in this job:
- Doctoral degree65%
- Master's degree25%
Who this job suits
Mostly Social
Helping, teaching and caring for people
Investigative
Ideas, research and solving problems
Conventional
Organising data, details and procedures
Based on the Holland (RIASEC) interest profile for this occupation.