Kentucky Public Library 2007 Salary and Benefits Survey

Recruiting and retaining high caliber staff is becoming increasingly more difficult. Trustees and library management need a guide to aid them in developing competitive salary and benefit packages for their employees. The Field Services Division of the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives (KDLA) conducted a survey of public library employee salaries and benefits in Kentucky in November 2007 to create such a guide.

The "Kentucky Public Library 2007 Salary and Benefits Survey" grouped libraries into six categories based on population served and five categories based on revenue received during the fiscal year:

Population

• Under 15,000
• 15,000 - 30,000
• 30,000 - 50,000
• 50,000 - 70,000
• 70,000 - 100,000
• Over 150,000
• Benefits
  
  

Revenue Received During the Fiscal Year (2006-2007)

• Under $250,000
• $250,000 - $500,000
• $500,000 - $1,000,000
• $1,000,000 - $2,000,000
• Over $2,000,000
• Benefits

The survey asked for information in four areas:

1. major benefits offered
2. number of hours considered full time at a library
3. base or starting salary perhour for a position
4. minimum education required for a position

Of a total of 116 public library districts in Kentucky, a total of 43 libraries responded with varying amounts of information on their salaries and benefits. The results reported below are from the raw data provided by the participating libraries. In some cases, the information provided was based on the job title most descriptive of a library's existing position or the anticipated "minimum education required" or salary for the next employee hired into the position. Several libraries noted salaries for some positions are negotiable or the work is outsourced.

Statistics for the year 2006-2007 from the responding libraries are included to provide context for the survey results.

Kentucky Public Library 2006 Salary and Benefits Survey