20 · ARL Annual Salary Survey 2014–2015 The cutoff staffing levels used to determine the largest cohort of libraries continued to hold steady at 110 in 2014–2015.4 Geographic Area In 2014–2015, the highest average salaries were found in Canada ($89,636) followed by New England ($84,380) with salaries in the Pacific region ($82,932) coming in third (see Table 27). For the 2014–2015 survey period, the Canadian currency exchange rate is 1.0706. The West South Central region had the lowest average salary: $67,134. Rank Structure Rank structure provides a useful framework for examining professional salaries in ARL university libraries. Figure 6, below, displays average salary and years of experience in the most commonly used rank structures. Readers should be aware that not all individuals have a rank that fits into the rank structure the library utilizes. Most commonly, directors may have no rank (or a rank outside the structure) and it is common for non-librarians included in the survey (business officers, personnel staff, computer specialists, liaisons etc.) to be unranked, as well. The pattern of relationships between rank and salary seen in past years continues: with higher rank associated with higher average years of experience and a correspondingly higher salary. Of the 10,036 librarians in ARL university member libraries, 6,481 occupy a rank within these three most commonly found ranking systems, and the largest number of professionals (3,393) occupy a position in a four-step rank structure. Figure 6a: Average Salaries and Average Years of Experience of Library Professionals in Libraries with Three, Four, and Five Step Rank Structures, FY 2014–2015 Three-Step Four-Step Five-Step Salary Experience No. of Staff Salary Experience No. of Staff Salary Experience No. of Staff Librarian 1 63,068 8.5 490 58,381 8.6 494 59,565 11.1 249 Librarian 2 75,925 17.4 684 67,904 13.0 920 63,847 12.2 302 Librarian 3 94,509 24.8 435 78,624 20.1 1,331 75,044 16.9 471 Librarian 4 95,543 26.9 648 89,172 22.5 319 Librarian 5 105,232 26.7 138 No. of Staff 1,609 3,393 1,479 The direct relationship between rank and salary is highlighted even more in the three tables below, which show average salary by percentile in each of the three rank structures presented in Figure 6. Figure 6b: Average Salary by Percentile in Libraries with Three Step Rank Structures, FY 2014–2015 No. of Staff Low 25th Percentile Median 75th Percentile High Librarian 1 490 33,942 53,480 60,000 69,494 129,222 Librarian 2 684 45,909 61,026 70,368 85,005 188,133 Librarian 3 435 54,640 79,097 92,259 107,724 165,997 4 In 1995–96, the largest cohort of libraries was determined based on staff over 124 in 1996–98, over 120 in 1998–99, over 115 and since 1999–2000, over 110. See Table 27.