Culture and history

How to become a librarian

Official title: Librarian

Also called: Knowledge analyst, Cataloguer, Customer service librarian, Research librarian, Assistant librarian, School librarian, Learning and digital services librarian

Librarians manage databases and physical resources like books, documents and media publications for customers to borrow. They purchase, catalogue and circulate library materials and assist customers.

Main tasks

Help people find books and information
Lend books and other resources to people
Teach people to use technology
Organise books and information
Order and catalogue books and resources
Maintain a welcoming community environment
Host community and cultural events
Develop and host educational programmes

How to become one

You usually need a qualification to become a librarian. You usually need NCEA Level 2 to do the study or training for this job. Other requirements: a New Zealand Certificate in Library Practice (Level 3); a New Zealand Diploma in Library and Information Studies (Level 5); a Bachelor of Library and Information Studies; a relevant tertiary qualification in library, information management and curation studies; experience in similar work; to be a member of Library and Information Association of New Zealand.

See the full Tahatū profile

Ways in

Certificates and diplomas: Advanced certificates and diplomas in library and information management and curation. TEC links this job to study in library information management and curation studies. Qualifications: NZ Dip in Library and Information Studies, NZ Cert in Library and Information Services for Children and Teens. Usually 11 months to 1 year. Graduates of these qualifications earn a median $51,000 a year one year after study; 75% are employed one year after (TEC, from Stats NZ IDI data).

Pay · Past change · AI and this job

Most common pay: $57,000 to $88,000 a year (median $71,000), a TEC estimate before tax.
Upper: $112,000 a year
TEC's pay figures are estimates only. TEC says they must not be used to set pay, in pay negotiations or in visa applications.
Change in the number of people doing this job between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses: Steady (TEC). This is past change, not a forecast.
People employed in the group Librarians: 4,038 at the 2018 Census and 4,113 at the 2023 Census (+1.9%). Past change, not a forecast.
Generative AI could change some tasks in this job, by the ILO's global estimate.

Who does this work

About 3,400 people did this job at the 2023 Census (TEC).
In the group Librarians, 78% of workers are female (sex at birth, 2023 Census).
Where people in the group Librarians work (2023 Census): Auckland 28%, Wellington 18.3%, and Canterbury 13%.

Questions people ask

How do I become a librarian?

How much does a librarian earn in New Zealand?

The Tertiary Education Commission estimates median pay at $71,000 a year, before tax. Most common pay is $57,000 to $88,000 a year.

Has the number of people working as a librarian grown in New Zealand?

It has held steady: TEC records the number of people doing this job as steady between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses. This is past change, not a forecast.

Will AI change the work of a librarian?

Generative AI could change some tasks in this job, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

Tertiary Education Commission (Tahatu Career Navigator): Tahatu career ideas: descriptions, tasks, pay estimates, people employed, employment change 2018 to 2023, entry requirements, registration, interest scores (Site scrape 2026-10 (816 career ideas, sitemap lastmod 2026-10-01)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
Stats NZ (via Figure.NZ): Census totals by topic for individuals 2013, 2018, 2023 (CEN23_TBT_004): employed by occupation, ANZSCO V1.3, summed to unit group (2023 Census (CEN23_TBT_004)), CC BY 4.0 (Stats NZ), CC BY 3.0 NZ (Figure.NZ), retrieved 4 October 2026
Stats NZ (via Figure.NZ): Census 2023: employed by regional council, occupation (ANZSCO V1.3 unit group) and sex at birth (2023 Census), CC BY 4.0 (Stats NZ), CC BY 3.0 NZ (Figure.NZ), retrieved 4 October 2026
International Labour Organization, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (ILO Working Paper 140, Gmyrek et al.) (ILO Working Paper 140, May 2025, Annex Table A1), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026

This content is sourced from the Tertiary Education Commission through the Tahatū Career Navigator website (www.tahatu.govt.nz) and used under the CC BY 4.0 licence. All or some of the information has been modified by Peernovo. TEC has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. TEC will not be held accountable for any errors within this content.

Qualification information from NZQA, used under CC BY 3.0 NZ.

This work is based on/includes Stats NZ's data which are licensed by Stats NZ for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence. Census data via Figure.NZ.

Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.

Sources: Tertiary Education Commission, Tahatū Career Navigator (career ideas, pay estimates, entry requirements and study options, CC BY 4.0, modified by Peernovo); Stats NZ, 2023 Census (via Figure.NZ) and the National Occupation List (CC BY 4.0); NZQA qualification information (CC BY 3.0 NZ); O*NET interest scores (CC BY 4.0); ILO global generative AI exposure index (CC BY 4.0). Links between career ideas and ANZSCO groups, degree fields and broad job groups are Peernovo's.

These results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.

Graduate outcomes: these results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.

Updated 4 October 2026