Information Brokers

Even if they have a great deal of research experience, self-employed information brokers' first few years in the business may be lean ones, and they should expect to make as little as $20,000 or less per year. As with any small business, it takes a few years to develop contacts and establish a reputation for quality work. Eventually, an online researcher should be able to make a salary equivalent to that of a full-time special librarian. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, librarians who worked in "other information services" had mean annual earnings of $58,230 in May 2019. Salaries for all librarians ranged from less than $33,820 to $94,520 or more. Some very experienced independent researchers with a number of years of self-employment may make well over $100,000.