図書館司書 図書館司書
What 図書館司書 do
An English description is being prepared. Japanese description:
図書館に置く本や雑誌、CDやビデオなどの映像資料を選定し、それを探すための目録を整備、資料がいつも順序よく並んでいるように管理し、貸出やコピーサービスをする。図書館利用者の調べものについて支援したり、資料相談にのることも司書の仕事である。
図書館には、公立図書館、学校図書館、大学図書館、専門図書館、国立国会図書館などの種類があるが、それぞれ仕事の内容は多少異なる。
公立図書館では、子どもや障害のある人へのサービスや移動図書館車の運営など地域社会へのサービス、学校図書館では「調べ学習」への対応が重要になっている。また、大学や短大の図書館では、研究用にデータベースから情報を探すサービスが盛んに行われている。
コンピュータによる目録作成、資料の貸出、情報検索などの普及もあり、端末の操作も必要である。
◇ よく使う道具、機材、情報技術等
文書作成ソフト（Word、一太郎等）、図書館システム・管理ソフト、パソコン、ラベル・フィルム
Employment type of workers
図書館司書 salary
The average annual pay for 図書館司書 in Japan is ¥5.83M (≈ $37,094; Basic Survey on Wage Structure (2025), national). The estimated median is ¥5.42M, the typical range is ¥3.93M–¥10.11M and the top 10% earn about ¥8.68M.
How does your pay compare with people your age?
Your numbers are not sent or stored. The distribution is estimated from Japan's national wage statistics, including pay differences by age.
Pay by ageest.
Estimated from the average pay and average age (41.7) using the age-wage curve of the Basic Survey on Wage Structure.
Pay by experienceest.
Pay by employment typeest.
The average hourly wage of ¥2,876 is 2.4× Japan's national average minimum wage of ¥1,177 (fiscal 2026). Minimum wage by prefecture →
Japanese pay is shown in yen (¥5.57M = 5.57 million yen ≈ 557万円). Dollar figures use the current rate of 157.25 yen per dollar and are for reference only; purchasing power differs.
Pay over time
| Year | Average pay | Employment | Openings ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | ¥5.84M | — | — |
| 2022 | ¥5.80M | — | — |
| 2023 | ¥5.51M | — | 0.92x |
| 2024 | ¥5.91M | — | 0.81x |
| 2025 | ¥5.83M | — | 0.77x |
Projected pay for 図書館司書 (3, 5 and 10 years)est.
Today ¥5.83M → in 3 years ¥6.16M → in 5 years ¥6.40M → in 10 years ¥7.01M (10-year range ¥6.03M–¥8.14M). The model assumes pay growth of +1.9% per year.
What drives the annual growth rate
Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (the job-openings-to-applicants ratio), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →
Outlook score for 図書館司書
Each component is a percentile rank among all occupations in the same country (0–100). Weights: labor demand 25, wage momentum / openings 15, pay level 15, AI resistance 25, aging workforce 10 (Japan only), entry barrier 10.
Will AI replace 図書館司書? AI replacement risk
How AI is changing this job
A written analysis for this occupation is being prepared.
AI replacement risk compares the parts of a job that are easy to hand to AI or software (processing information, documentation, repetitive computer work) with the parts that are hard to automate (physical work, working closely with people, judgment in unpredictable settings), using the MHLW job tag survey on work activities, work context, skills and knowledge. The result is a relative position among all occupations in the country, scaled to 0–100%. Methodology →
Labor demand for 図書館司書
A ratio above 1.0 means there are more job openings than applicants (a labor shortage). The 5- and 10-year figures are estimates from the openings ratio, wage momentum and AI replacement risk.
The same job in the United States
| 図書館司書 Japan | Librarians and Media Collections Specialists United States | |
|---|---|---|
| Median / average pay | ¥5.83M ≈ $37,094 | $68,270 |
| Pay in 10 years (est.) | ¥7.01M | $87,700 |
| Outlook score | 46 | 50 |
| AI replacement risk | 77% High | 63% High |
| Workers | — | 134K |
Matched by occupation (SOC code). Yen converted at 157.25 JPY/USD for reference; Japanese figures are averages, U.S. figures are medians, and the surveys define occupations differently.
Skills, education and requirements for 図書館司書
Key skills
Skill levels from the MHLW job tag worker survey.
Key knowledge areas
What the work involves
Important abilities
Licenses and certifications (Japan)
- 司書
- 司書教諭 National license
Related qualifications listed on job tag (names in Japanese). Some are mandatory, others recommended.
Education of workers
Training before entry
Related work experience
Difficulty of entry: ★★★☆☆ Moderate (from education, training, experience, licenses)
How to become 図書館司書
The typical path in Japan is shown by the education, training and experience of current workers above and in the Japanese guidance below. A detailed English guide for this occupation is being prepared.
Guidance from job tag (Japanese)
公立図書館や公立大学の司書になるには、地方公務員試験に合格する必要がある。この際、最初から司書（補）の資格を前提にして専門試験を行い図書館に採用する場合と、地方公務員行政職の試験を受けて採用され、図書館に配属される場合がある。また、公立図書館の場合、地方公共団体から図書館業務を受託している企業に就職して図書館の司書として勤務するケースもある。
学校図書館で学校司書として働くには、各地方公共団体の定める、司書資格や司書教諭資格、教諭免許状、相当実務経験等の資格要件を満たしたうえで学校司書の募集に応募して採用される必要がある。なお、学校図書館の司書教諭には主幹教諭、指導教諭又は教諭が充てられる。
国立大学図書館の場合は、大学法人が行う採用試験、私立大学では職員の採用試験を受ける。司書の仕事を行う上でまず必要なのは図書館情報学の知識であり、コンピュータや外国語に強ければ一層有利である。広範で多量の資料に目を通し、正確に分類・記録するには、知的好奇心や記憶力、反復して分類作業を行う持久力も必要である。
Career path and how to earn more as 図書館司書
Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by experience is shown in the Pay section.