Does Chicago Public Library pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Chicago Public Library employees rate their compensation and benefits as 4.3 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Chicago Public Library. This rating has improved by 6% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Chicago Public Library?

65% of Chicago Public Library employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Chicago Public Library 3.1 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.1 for culture and values and 3.5 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Chicago Public Library?

Librarian (13) , Library Associate (6) , Librarian I (4) , Library Clerk (4) , Library Page (4) , Anonymous (2) , Children's Librarian (2) , Manager (2) , Reference Librarian (2)

What are the pros of working at Chicago Public Library according to real employee reviews?

"Pay is good." ((in 8 reviews)); "Help people a lot of the time feels good." ((in 3 reviews)); "Public facing staff are committed to serving communities." ((in 3 reviews)); "Decent salary but doesn't cover high cost of living in the city." ((in 3 reviews))

What are the cons of working at Chicago Public Library according to real employee reviews?

"Rude patrons, difficult management, scheduling conflicts with school." ((in 4 reviews))

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Chicago Public Library

Chicago Public Library Reviews

3.4

65% would recommend to a friend

(76 total reviews)

Chris Brown

4% approve of CEO

27% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

4.3

Compensation and benefits

3.7

Diversity and inclusion

3.5

Career opportunities

3.1

Culture and values

3.1

Work/Life balance

2.8

Senior management

Chicago Public Library has an employee rating of 3.4 out of 5 stars, based on 76 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Chicago Public Library employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Government and public administration industry (3.6 stars).

Reviews by job title

76 reviews

4.0

1 Jun 2026

Union protection with limited advancement opportunities

Library associate

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

Union protected, most colleagues are happy to be here

Cons

Nearly impossible to move up if you don’t have a MLIS degree

2.0

18 May 2026

Meaningful work and pay, but poor leadership challenges

Manager

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

Meaningful work, helping Chicagoans, good pay

Cons

The library commissioner is so out of touch with both Chicago and the staff that it’s painful. AI use to plan and direct work is rampant and frustrating. No support from the mayor/city, huge budget and staff cuts make the work much harder. It’s a struggle.

2.0

2 Apr 2026

Not bad not great

Librarian

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

Pay is decent, most roles are in the union. Get to work with people who care. Get to help people and make a positive difference in patrons' lives. I genuinely respect and admire the people I work with on a daily basis

Cons

Workload is very excessive in Special Collections and it is mentally and physically exhausting. Constantly asked to do more than job description. Some branches are dangerous and have little security or janitorial support. Low staffing. Open 7 days a week.

Viewing 1 - 3 of 76 Reviews

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Chicago Public Library

Chicago Public Library Reviews

Ratings by category

Reviews by job title

Union protection with limited advancement opportunities

Meaningful work and pay, but poor leadership challenges

Not bad not great

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