Library assistants, clerical
SOC Code: 43-4121
Library assistants, clerical carries a 80% AI exposure score (Very High automation risk), with a median annual wage of $36,010 and -6.7% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 84,500 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 80% AI exposure, Library assistants, clerical sits 43 points above the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - among the most AI-exposed occupations tracked. It is one of just 21 occupations above the 70% high-exposure line.
Career outlook score
6/100
Library assistants, clerical, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage F $36,010
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth F -6.7%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) F 80% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Library assistants, clerical in the Very High band.
Credential × growth standing
Open entry on a declining BLS line
Typical entry is HS / some college (333/832) while growth is Declining (111/832). This is the crowded high-risk corner of the map - automation and headcount pressure compound without a degree moat.
Where Library assistants, clerical sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Library assistants, clerical sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
80% Higher than most higher than 99% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Library assistants, clerical vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Library assistants, clerical is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Library assistants, clerical's Very High automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score above 70% signals that the majority of core duties are already technically automatable, workers in these roles face the steepest near-term displacement pressure.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 43-4121) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Library assistants, clerical be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Library assistants, clerical. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Sort books, publications, and other items according to established procedure and return them to shelves, files, or other designated storage areas.
- 2. Open and close library during specified hours and secure library equipment, such as computers and audio-visual equipment.
- 3. Locate library materials for patrons, including books, periodicals, tape cassettes, Braille volumes, and pictures.
- 4. Classify and catalog items according to content and purpose.
- 5. Enter and update patrons' records on computers.
- 6. Answer routine inquiries and refer patrons in need of professional assistance to librarians.
- 7. Manage reserve materials by placing items on reserve for library patrons, checking items in and out of library, and removing out-of-date items.
- 8. Lend, reserve, and collect books, periodicals, videotapes, and other materials at circulation desks and process materials for inter-library loans.
- 9. Instruct patrons on how to use reference sources, card catalogs, and automated information systems.
- 10. Inspect returned books for condition and due-date status and compute any applicable fines.
Key Skills Required
- Service Orientation
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Writing
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Coordination
- Monitoring
- Social Perceptiveness
- Complex Problem Solving
Knowledge Areas
- Customer and Personal Service
- Administrative
- English Language
- Education and Training
- Psychology
- Computers and Electronics
- Public Safety and Security
- History and Archeology
- Sociology and Anthropology
- Administration and Management
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Library assistants, clerical?
Library assistants, clerical has an AI exposure score of 80%, indicating a very high level of automation risk. Many tasks in this role involve routine data processing and pattern recognition that current AI systems can perform.
What is the job outlook for Library assistants, clerical?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Library assistants, clerical is projected to decline by 6.7% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 84,500 workers.
What skills are needed for Library assistants, clerical?
Key skills for Library assistants, clerical include Service Orientation, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, and others. Typical entry-level education is High school diploma or equivalent.
How much do Library assistants, clerical earn?
The median annual wage for Library assistants, clerical is $36,010, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Library assistants, clerical?
The typical entry-level education for Library assistants, clerical is High school diploma or equivalent. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves Short-term on-the-job training. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Library assistants, clerical?
Library assistants, clerical roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
Very High automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. A majority of tasks in this occupation are susceptible to AI automation.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Library assistants, clerical: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (80% here).
- Medical secretaries and administrative assistants · AI exposure 80%
- Word processors and typists · AI exposure 80%
- Financial managers · AI exposure 81%
- File clerks · AI exposure 79%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (-6.7% here).
- Office clerks, general · growth -6.7%
- Library technicians · growth -6.8%
- Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders · growth -6.8%
- Mail clerks and mail machine operators, except postal service · growth -6.6%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
Showing 6 of 24 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Library assistants, clerical's numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Library assistants, clerical side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).