Opens in a new tab

Library Assistants

Library Assistants issue, receive and shelve library items and maintain associated records.

Business & adminANZSCO 5997
$1,779/wkMedian full-time pay
6,665People employed
+6% ▲Growth to 2035
31%Work full time
48Median age
Source: ABS · JSA, 2025-26ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) Labour Force via Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA), February 2026; ABS Employee Earnings and Hours May 2025; JSA Employment Projections, May 2025 base. ANZSCO 5997.More about our sources: How we check our facts

What they do

The main tasks of this occupation, from the national occupation standard.

issuing library items to borrowers and recording identification data and due datessorting and shelving returned itemslocating and retrieving items on requestmaintaining records and index systemsreceiving overdue items, issuing overdue notices, and receiving finesinspecting returned items for damage and making minor repairs
Source: JSA occupation profileTask list from the Jobs and Skills Australia occupation profile for ANZSCO 5997 (ANZSCO task statements).More about our sources: How we check our facts

The outlook

Room for 500 more people in library assistants by 2035 ▲

The field shrank 2.2% in the year to February 2026, losing about 100 workers. Most of the jobs are in NSW and QLD, with VIC third.

Source: JSA · ABS, 2025-26ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) Labour Force via Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA), February 2026; ABS Employee Earnings and Hours May 2025; JSA Employment Projections, May 2025 base. ANZSCO 5997.More about our sources: How we check our facts
7k2025
7.2k2030 PROJ.
7.5k2035 PROJ.

Getting in

There is no single way in. 36% trained through VET, 31% hold a degree.

Both paths are common in this field. These are the nationally recognised courses mapped to this occupation, with the number of registered training providers that offer each one.

Source: JSA · training.gov.auEducation split: JSA (Jobs and Skills Australia) occupation profile, using ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) Census data, ANZSCO 5997. Qualification mapping and provider counts: training.gov.au, the national register of vocational education, October 2026. Listed providers are current registered training providers (private providers and TAFE institutes).More about our sources: How we check our facts

Nationally recognised training · most offered first

BSB30420Certificate III

Certificate III in Library and Information Services

Business Services Training Package.

See 3 providers
CUA20525Certificate II

Certificate II in Information and Cultural Services

Creative Arts and Culture Training Package.

See 1 provider

Providers are shown in A-Z order on each course page. A listing is not a recommendation.

Jobs open right now

6,665 Australians do this work. See who is hiring this month.

Search job ads by state

Each link opens seek.com.au in a new tab, showing ads posted in the last month. SEEK is a job site; we link there because that is where most Australian jobs are advertised. We have no commercial relationship with SEEK.

Source: ABS · JSA, 2025-26State chart shows people employed, not current job ads. ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) Labour Force via Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA), February 2026; ABS Employee Earnings and Hours May 2025; JSA Employment Projections, May 2025 base. ANZSCO 5997.More about our sources: How we check our facts

People employed by state, 2025-26

NSW2.6k
QLD2.2k
VIC1.3k
SA0.7k
WA0.5k
TAS0.2k
ACT0.1k
NT0.1k