Library clerks and assistants salary in the UK
The median full-time salary for library clerks and assistants in the UK is £28,134 (ONS, 2025). After tax and National Insurance at 2026/27 rates that is about £1,981 a month.
Pay range for library clerks and assistants
This is the ONS occupation group "Library clerks and assistants" (SOC 2020 code 4135). ONS figures for 2025 show that a quarter earn less than £24,214 and half earn less than £28,134.
| Point in the pay range | Gross a year | Gross a month | Take-home a year | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| 25th percentile | £24,214 | £2,018 | £20,954 | £1,746 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £28,134 | £2,345 | £23,776 | £1,981 |
| 75th percentile | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| 90th percentile | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
Take-home at England, Wales and Northern Ireland rates. Not published means ONS did not publish that figure because the estimate is not reliable enough. ONS rates the median for library clerks and assistants as reasonably precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 5.5%. ONS estimates about 7,000 full-time employee jobs in this occupation. ONS says job counts like this are indicative only.
Where library clerks and assistants rank
The median for library clerks and assistants ranks 307th of 362 occupations on this site, in the bottom quarter, and 20th of 26 in administrative and secretarial occupations. It is £10,905 (27.9%) lower than the UK median of £39,039 for all full-time employee jobs. ONS change on the previous year: the median for library clerks and assistants rose 6.3%, more than the 4.3% rise in the UK median for all full-time jobs.
Jobs with the nearest medians: Groundsmen and greenkeepers (£28,288), Food, drink and tobacco process operatives (£28,243), Laboratory technicians (£28,210), Assemblers and routine operatives n.e.c. (£27,962), Textile process operatives (£27,915) and Upholsterers (£27,909).
How spread out pay is
ONS published the 25th percentile (£24,214) but not the 75th, so we cannot show the middle half of the range for library clerks and assistants.
The mean for library clerks and assistants (total pay divided by the number of employees) is £29,067, which is £933 (3.3%) higher than the median. When the mean is above the median, a smaller number of higher salaries are pulling the average up. For all UK full-time jobs the mean is 24.3% above the median, so the gap for library clerks and assistants is smaller.
Library clerks and assistants and related jobs
Among these 6 jobs in the same ONS minor group, this one has the 5th highest median. The highest median among them is £33,508 (transport and distribution clerks and assistants) and the lowest £26,851 (human resources administrative occupations).
| Job | SOC code | Median salary | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transport and distribution clerks and assistants | 4134 | £33,508 | £2,304 |
| Pensions and insurance clerks and assistants | 4132 | £30,269 | £2,109 |
| Stock control clerks and assistants | 4133 | £29,991 | £2,093 |
| Records clerks and assistants | 4131 | £28,656 | £2,013 |
| Library clerks and assistants | 4135 | £28,134 | £1,981 |
| Human resources administrative occupations | 4136 | £26,851 | £1,904 |
Take-home pay against all jobs
At the median, library clerks and assistants take home about £1,981 a month, against £2,636 on the UK median for all jobs. Scotland has its own income tax bands, so take-home pay on the same salary is different there.
| Group | Median a year | Take-home a month | Take-home a month in Scotland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Library clerks and assistants | £28,134 | £1,981 | £1,985 |
| All full-time employee jobs, UK | £39,039 | £2,636 | £2,631 |
Related pages
All jobs in the Administrative and secretarial occupations table, average salary by area, the take home pay calculator, salary to hourly calculator and pay rise calculator.
How this is worked out
Pay: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), 2025 provisional, SOC 2020 unit group 4135. Take-home: 2026/27 rates, tax code 1257L, no pension or student loan. How to read these figures.
Sources
- ASHE Table 14: earnings by occupation (4-digit SOC), 2025 provisional (ONS)
- ASHE Table 7: earnings by place of work, local authority, 2025 provisional (ONS)
- SOC 2020 Volume 1: structure and descriptions of unit groups (ONS)
- Income Tax rates and Personal Allowances (GOV.UK)
- Scottish Income Tax (GOV.UK)
- National Insurance: how much you pay (GOV.UK)
Figures checked on 12 October 2026. ONS plans to publish its next ASHE figures on 22 October 2026. Read how we calculate or tell us about a mistake.
Frequently asked questions
On the median full-time salary of £28,134, take-home pay is about £1,981 a month (£23,776 a year) after 2026/27 income tax and National Insurance, with tax code 1257L and no pension or student loan. In Scotland, where income tax is different, it is about £1,985 a month.
ONS figures for full-time jobs (2025) show that a quarter earn less than £24,214 and half earn less than £28,134. ONS did not publish every point in the range because some estimates are not reliable enough.
No. The median for library clerks and assistants is £28,134, which is £10,905 (27.9%) lower than the UK median of £39,039 for all full-time employee jobs (ONS, 2025). It ranks 307th of 362 occupations on this site.