Palo Alto librarian salary, 2025

Palo Alto is a city in Santa Clara County. 10 people worked as librarians for Palo Alto in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $109,521.

What is the average librarian salary at Palo Alto?

Official pay range1

$67,037 to $127,810

from the lowest entry salary to the top of the highest librarian title

Average total pay, full-year librarians1

$109,521

average base pay $106,784

Based on the 7 of 10 librarians who worked the full year.

Median total pay
$109,533
the middle librarian: half earned more, half less
Overtime
$418
average per full-year librarian
Starting salary
$82,975
bottom of the Librarian range
Average pay rank
56th
of 134 California employers

What does each librarian title at Palo Alto pay?

Each bar is the official range for one title, lowest first. The dot marks the average total pay of full-year staff in that title, where at least 5 people stand behind it.1

  1. Librarian - H$67,037 to $91,115 · fewer than 5 people
    Fewer than 5
  2. Librarian$82,975 to $112,778 · fewer than 5 people
    Fewer than 5
  3. Sr Librarian$94,035 to $127,810 · 5 people
    Fewer than 5

official range average total pay, full year. "Fewer than 5" means too few full-year people in that title to show.

Library assistant pay at Palo Alto

Counted on their own, kept out of the librarian figures on this page. Each group's name leads to its statewide overview. Range: the middle reported bottom and top of each group's official ranges. Pay: average total pay of full-year staff, overtime included.1

Library staffPeopleOfficial rangeAverage total pay
Librarians10$67,037 to $127,810$109,521
Library assistants36$54,602 to $74,166$95,474

Full-year library assistants averaged $95,474, $14,047 less than librarians.

Does Palo Alto pay librarians more than other employers in Santa Clara County?

Average total pay of full-year librarians: Palo Alto next to every employer in the county together, and the whole state.1

Full-year librarians at Palo Alto earned $8,510 less than the Santa Clara County average and $1,489 more than the California average.

Average librarian pay in Santa Clara County compared to nearby counties

Average total pay of full-year librarians across all employers in each county that borders Santa Clara County, and how much more or less it pays.1

Santa Clara County Shades match the state map.

Where does Palo Alto rank among California employers?

Every employer with at least 5 full-year librarians, by average total pay.1

All 134 California employers

Palo Alto ranks 56th of 134, above the middle employer.

Palo Alto
$100k$150k$200k

Middle employer: $104,744

The 9 employers in Santa Clara County

Palo Alto ranks 7th of 9, below the middle employer.

Palo Alto
$100k$120k$140k$160k$180k

Middle employer: $116,713

Each bar counts the employers whose average total pay falls in a $5,000 band. The dashed line marks the middle employer.

Pension and health cover at Palo Alto

As reported by the city. Contributions are what the employer paid per full-year librarian, on top of wages.1

Pension formula
2% at 62
the most common formula among Palo Alto's librarians
Employer pension contribution
$46,471
average per year
Health, dental and vision
$12,248
average paid by the employer per year

Questions about librarian pay at Palo Alto

What is the average librarian salary at Palo Alto?

Librarians at Palo Alto who worked the full year earned an average of $109,521 in 2025. The middle librarian earned $109,533: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its librarian titles runs from $67,037 to $127,810.

How much overtime do librarians at Palo Alto earn?

Full-year librarians were paid an average of $418 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $0: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.

What is the starting salary for a librarian at Palo Alto?

$82,975 a year: the bottom of the official range for Palo Alto's Librarian title in 2025, as reported. Pay rises with steps and overtime; full-year librarians averaged $109,521 in total pay.

How much does a library assistant make at Palo Alto?

Full-year library assistants at Palo Alto averaged $95,474 in total pay in 2025, overtime included, on an official range of $54,602 to $74,166.

What pension do librarians at Palo Alto get?

The most common pension formula among Palo Alto's librarians is 2% at 62, as reported by the city. The employer paid an average of $46,471 a year into the pension plan.

More salaries in Santa Clara County

Sources for the Palo Alto figures

Every person who held a librarian position at Palo Alto at any point in 2025 counts toward the headcount. Pay figures use only people who worked roughly the full year: those whose regular pay reached at least 90% of the bottom of their official range. Total pay is gross wages before tax, including overtime, lump sums and other pay. Averages lead; the median total pay is the middle person's, with half above and half below, and is less pulled by a few people with very high pay. Every figure covers at least 5 people.

  1. State Controller's Office, Government Compensation in California, 2025: positions, official pay ranges, wages, pension formula and employer contributions as reported by Palo Alto.

How we read the data