A woman turned down a dream job as a children’s librarian because it paid $13 an hour, with health insurance and a retirement plan included, and she documented the decision on Reddit’s r/GirlDinnerDiaries. The post, tagged “sad girl dinner” alongside a photo of ice cream with magic shell, has drawn more than 5,600 upvotes.
During the interview for the job at a small rural public library, the directors appeared impressed by her knowledge, she reported. “The directors seemed excited to meet me and impressed [by] my knowledge,” she wrote. “I was excited and fell in love with the position.”
She found out what the pay was after that. $13 an hour covered her bills and her pets, yet it left no room for student loans, savings or subscriptions. The package came with city-paid insurance, a retirement plan, a longevity bonus and a Christmas stipend.
The job pays less than her current job. She works as a department manager at Walmart, earning $20 an hour. She wants to leave because of a chronic pain condition that worsens when she stands for hours each day. “I’m depressed (…), and I want to leave so badly, but I don’t want to just barely survive,” she wrote.
What $13 an Hour Means
$13 an hour is low for librarians. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for librarians and library media specialists was about $30.92 an hour in May 2024. Entry-level positions start lower, but the BLS says the bottom 10% of earners still made at least $38,920 annually.
She works at a small, single-librarian facility where her job does not carry the formal credentials of a traditional librarian position. However, she is currently seeking state certification.
Vocational Awe Explained
Some commenters referenced a term known as “vocational awe.”, which was first introduced by librarian and researcher Fobazi Ettarh in 2018. The definition of it describes “the set of ideas, values, and assumptions librarians have about themselves and the profession that result in notions that libraries as institutions are inherently good, sacred notions, and therefore beyond critique.”.
A person who works at a library in the United States, who was identified by their job description, left a comment. That comment began with these words: “[We] earn around $22 starting pay, but that’s with that master’s degree, and it really varies a LOT.”.
A librarian herself wrote back, and she put it this way: “Find something that pays the bills. It’s insulting how badly this field pays (…) Employers know they’re getting people who have a love for the job, and they exploit that. Just look up ‘vocational awe’ and libraries.”
The Outgoing Director’s Response
The person who previously held the position of director spoke to her about the matter, saying it was “worth being broke to have such a wonderful job.”.
Her mother works as an educator and makes less money than she does at Walmart. The poster says she will try to negotiate a better offer if she lands a follow-up meeting with the city manager. Still, the numbers might not add up in her favor.
What This Means for Workers
A wider issue surfaces here regarding professions where devotion is considered compensation. Librarians frequently hold deep affection for their work, and those who employ them understand this. Such fondness can work against them, driving wages beneath what similar occupations offer.
| Job | Pay |
|---|---|
| Children’s librarian | $13 an hour |
| Walmart department manager | $20 an hour |
| Median librarian wage | About $30.92 an hour |
| Bottom 10% of librarians | At least $38,920 annually |
The Sad Truth Behind the Ice Cream
A picture of ice cream topped with magic shell offers a tiny token of comfort. The post it sits beside carries a far weightier message about what workers are expected to put up with.
She is not seeking higher pay for all librarians. She is pleading simply to survive. “$13/hour simply isn’t enough,” was her final remark.
The response on Reddit shows that many agree.
Source material: “‘Worth Being Broke’: The Brutal Reason Librarians Keep Accepting Poverty Wages,” The Daily Dot.
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