SOC 25-4022 · Paducah, KY-IL metro

Librarians and Media Collections Specialists Salary in Paducah, KY

The average salary for librarians and media collections specialists in Paducah, Kentucky is $60,690 a year ($29.18 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $62,900: half of the 50 people in this job in the Paducah, KY-IL metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 17% less than the U.S. average for this job ($72,840).

$60,690average per year

$29.18 / hourMedian $62,900Take-home ≈ $47,724

  • $46K10th
  • $51K25th
  • $63KMedian
  • $72K75th
  • $75K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

50people in this job
-17%vs U.S. average
#6 of 6Kentucky metros
86cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Librarians and Media Collections Specialists pay range in Paducah

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $46,050 a year or less, while the top 10% make $74,980 or more. The middle half of librarians and media collections specialists in Paducah earn between $50,880 and $72,250.

  • $46K10th
  • $51K25th
  • $63KMedian
  • $72K75th
  • $75K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$60,690$5,058$29.18
Median$62,900$5,242$30.24
Entry level (25th percentile)$50,880$4,240$24.46
Experienced (75th percentile)$72,250$6,021$34.74

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Librarians and Media Collections Specialists pay in Paducah vs. Kentucky and the U.S.

Librarians and media collections specialists in Paducah earn 8% less than the Kentucky average ($65,970) and 17% less than the U.S. average ($72,840). At the median the gap is -8% against the U.S. median of $68,270.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Paducah$60,690$62,900$46,050$74,98050
Kentucky$65,970$65,200$45,950$85,1901,980
United States$72,840$68,270$43,660$103,990133,790

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Librarians and Media Collections Specialists salary after taxes in Paducah

On the average salary of $60,690, a single filer in Paducah takes home about $47,724 a year, or $3,977 a month and $1,836 every two weeks. Taxes take 21% of gross pay.

The Paducah, KY-IL metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:

StatePer yearPer month
Working in IL$48,081$4,007
Working in KY$47,724$3,977

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Includes Paducah's local income tax (2%).

Kentucky paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Paducah a good place for librarians and media collections specialists? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Paducah area are 14% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 86.1), so the average $60,690 buys what about $70,501 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.4 times the median wage of all jobs in Paducah ($45,860). A typical home costs $171,436, or 2.8 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $60,690 is worth in another city

Librarians and Media Collections Specialists salary in other Kentucky cities

Paducah ranks 6th of 6 Kentucky metro areas for this job; Elizabethtown pays the most ($71,830).

All Librarians and Media Collections Specialists salaries in Kentucky

Highest-paying cities for librarians and media collections specialists

Seattle, WA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($105,400).

Librarians and Media Collections Specialists salary by city

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Librarians and Media Collections Specialists salary in Paducah: questions

How much do librarians and media collections specialists make an hour in Paducah?

$29.18 an hour on average, and $30.24 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level librarians and media collections specialists salary in Paducah?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $46,050 a year and the 25th percentile is $50,880, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the librarians and media collections specialists take-home pay in Paducah?

About $47,724 a year ($3,977 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $60,690. Includes Paducah's local income tax (2%).

Do librarians and media collections specialists earn more in Paducah than elsewhere?

The average here is 17% less than the U.S. average for this job ($72,840).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 25-4022; area Paducah, KY-IL (37140). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.0%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Includes Paducah's local income tax (2%).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.16, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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