Benchmarking business librarianship: A five-year analysis of job ads and salary data in U.S. academic libraries

This study presents a comprehensive five-year analysis of academic business librarian job advertisements in the United States, spanning 2018 to 2023. Drawing from 124 complete job postings, the research examines trends in salary, pay transparency, required qualifications, job titles, core responsibilities, and geographic distribution. To contextualize findings, business librarian salary data is benchmarked against broader liaison librarian postings using ALA JobLIST data. Results reveal that while business librarian salaries have generally increased over time and kept pace with liaison peers, academic liaison librarian salaries lag behind inflation-adjusted benchmarks. Notably, salary transparency in business librarian postings has risen steadily, outpacing that of general liaison roles in most years. The study also highlights evolving expectations around subject expertise, liaison responsibilities, and entrepreneurial support. These findings offer actionable insights for business librarians navigating the job market and negotiating employment terms. They also contribute to ongoing conversations about professional standards and equity in academic librarianship.