What Do Law Librarians Earn? New AALL Salary Survey Provides Details

As they adapt to rapid technological change, law libraries and legal information professionals are experiencing their highest staffing levels in nearly a decade, according to a comprehensive new industry survey released yesterday.

But salaries for those in law libraries vary widely, depending on the type of library and career stage. While the highest base salary is $281,860 for the director of research and library services at a northeastern U.S. law firm, the lowest is $32,697 for someone in the category of “clerk/fellow/intern/student assistant” at a government law library.

The 2025 American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) Biennial Salary Survey & Organizational Characteristics report found that law libraries now average 6.6 full-time equivalent positions, up from 4.6 in 2019 and marking the strongest staffing growth the profession has seen in years.

The report, which surveyed 257 organizations across academic, firm/corporate and government law libraries, provides what AALL describes as the most detailed compensation benchmarks available for legal information professionals. The survey achieved a 45% response rate.

“At a time of rapid change — when legal institutions face new challenges and technology continues to reshape how we work — the AALL Salary Survey is more essential than ever,” said AALL President Jenny Silbiger, state law librarian for the Hawaii State Judiciary.

“It’s a valuable resource to analyze how salaries align with new developments in the legal information profession, providing reliable, up-to-date data that supports planning, hiring and informed conversations across the profession.”

AALL says that the 2025 survey introduces extensive updates to job titles and descriptions — the most sweeping since at least 2015. The AALL’s Economic Status of Law Librarians Committee revised hundreds of titles and consolidated overlapping roles to better reflect modern responsibilities, particularly in technical services, digital resources, and firm/corporate research organizations.

Private-sector classifications were reorganized around seniority and managerial progression, providing clearer benchmarking for roles such as senior manager, manager and non-supervisory research professionals — categories that increasingly mirror law firms’ own competency frameworks.

Staffing Levels Show Growth

Across all library types, staffing has grown steadily, with organizations reporting an average of 6.6 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees. This is up from 6.1 in 2023 and sharply higher than 4.6 in 2019.

Academic law libraries remain the largest employers, averaging 15.2 FTEs per institution. Firm and corporate law libraries now average 7.9 FTEs, and government law libraries average 7.8 FTEs.

Compensation Varies Widely

The survey reveals significant salary variations across different types of law libraries and career stages.

Academic Law Libraries

Academic law libraries showed directors earning a median salary of $179,509, with substantial variation based on law school size and geographic region. Directors’ salaries ranged from the 10th-percentile figure of $130,000 to a 90th-percentile high of $246,917. Private-school directors continue to out-earn their public-school counterparts, a pattern consistent with prior survey cycles.

Other notable academic medians include:

• Associate/deputy directors: $119,340.
• Assistant directors: $104,000.
• Reference/research librarians: $84,250.
• Instructional/reference/research librarians: $87,550.
• Metadata librarians: $75,746.
• Library assistants/paraprofessionals: $49,936.

These roles vary widely by region, size of institution, and experience level, but overall compensation remains on an upward trajectory.

Firm/Corporate Law Libraries

Law firm and corporate libraries demonstrated the highest compensation levels, with directors of research services earning a median of $184,453. Chief knowledge officers, who oversee multiple departments including library services, averaged $193,767. Senior-level research librarians in these settings reported median salaries of $116,075.

Other notable law firm and corporate medians:

• Directors of research/information services earn a median of $184,453, with high-end compensation exceeding $250,000.
• Managers of research services have a median salary of $130,500.
• Senior managers in technical services and research functions report medians above $150,000.

Firm librarians can also earn substantial bonuses. For example, directors received a median 2024 bonus of $14,500, with the 75th percentile reaching $25,000.

More than 75 percent of firms report that research staff serve as timekeepers, and many still bill research costs to clients, particularly larger firms.

Government Law Libraries

Government-sector salaries continue to trail academic and firm libraries, though senior roles remain competitive:

• Directors/chief law librarians have a median salary of $116,333.
• Associate/deputy directors: $104,663.
• Supervisory librarians: $98,200.
• Reference/research librarians: $72,139.

Support-staff salaries range widely depending on state, county or municipal funding.

Nearly all government law libraries (94 percent) remain open to the public, underscoring their continued role in access to justice.

Experience and Education Drive Pay

Years of professional experience proved a strong predictor of compensation across all library types. In academic settings, directors with 30 or more years of experience averaged $191,282, compared to $176,147 for those with 10-19 years.

Educational credentials also matter. Across all settings, professionals holding both a master of library science (MLS) and a juris doctor (JD) degree typically commanded higher salaries than those with only an MLS degree.

Across the profession:

• 43% of professionals report an MLS without a JD.
• 38% hold both MLS and JD degrees.
• 15% of professionals have a BA/BS as their highest degree.
• Only small percentages hold MA/MS or PhDs.

Experience levels are bifurcated. A large cohort has fewer than 10 years of experience and another large cohort has more than 25, with fewer mid-career professionals in between. Academic libraries in particular show a notable dip in mid-career representation.

Benefits Remain Robust Across Sectors

Nearly all responding organizations — across academic, firm and government sectors — offer comprehensive benefit packages. More than 90% provide medical and dental insurance, retirement plans and paid leave.

Remote and flexible work options have also become common, with 83% of firm/corporate libraries and 62% of academic libraries offering remote work arrangements.

Tuition benefits remain more common in academic environments.

A Profession Continuing to Evolve

The survey comes as artificial intelligence and emerging technologies continue to transform legal research and information management. Many position descriptions now explicitly reference knowledge of AI and library technology trends as preferred or required qualifications.

The survey also indicates that law libraries are increasingly integrated into institutional decision-making, technology governance, knowledge strategy and AI adoption. The updated job descriptions in this year’s report reflect the profession’s ongoing transition toward roles that blend research, data management, digital resource strategy and organizational leadership.

The full PDF edition of the 112-page report is available free to AALL members, with print and digital copies available for purchase by non-members. The association plans to continue updating the survey biennially to track compensation trends and workforce developments.

“These findings should be considered alongside other resources to help ensure fair and equitable compensation practices,” the report notes, acknowledging that many in the profession are women and pay equity remains a critical concern.

The full report includes detailed breakdowns by position type, geographic region, years of experience, and organizational characteristics, providing law libraries and legal information professionals with benchmarking tools for career planning, hiring, and budget development.