The salaries and status efforts of ALA-APA are a response to the fact that library workers are outspoken when it comes to intellectual freedom and other issues that affect library users, but have not been nearly as vocal on our own behalf. Statistics show that our profession, along with others that are predominantly female, are underpaid relative to the education required and the complexity of the service we provide.

Median Salary Comparison from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2006-2007 edition

OCCUPATION	2002 MEDIAN	2004 MEDIAN
Librarians	$43,090	$45,900
Library Technicians	24,090	24,940
Accountants & Auditors	47,000	50,770
Administrative Services Managers	52,500	60,290
Architects	56,620	60,300
Civil Engineers	60,070	64,230
Computer Systems Analysts	62,890	66,460
Customer Service Representatives	26,240	27,020
Database Administrators	55,480	60,650
Paralegals	37,950	39,130
Social Workers	33,150	34,820
Teachers, Post-secondary	49,040	51,800

Our challenge is clear

• We must overcome the stereotype of the library worker as the selfless, dedicated, and devoted worker, who is in the profession to do good and who will accept any pittance of pay.

• We must promote a better understanding of what the librarian does. No one will want to pay us more money if they have no idea what education, experience, judgment, and special skills it takes for us to do our jobs.

• We must contribute substantively to the fight for pay equity-it is our fight, too. Women have been discriminated against in a variety of ways, a primary one being compensation.