San Diego librarian salary, 2025

San Diego is a city in San Diego County. 125 people worked as librarians for San Diego in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $105,421.

What is the average librarian salary at San Diego?

Official pay range1

$68,266 to $116,064

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

Average total pay, full-year librarians1

$105,421

average base pay $96,506

Based on the 89 of 125 librarians who worked the full year.

The largest group of San Diego's librarians (61 of 125) hold the title Librarian II, with an official range of $78,562 to $94,536. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $96,765, $2,229 above the top of the range.

Median total pay
$105,979
the middle librarian: half earned more, half less
Overtime
$488
average per full-year librarian
Starting salary
$68,266
bottom of the Librarian I range
Average pay rank
66th
of 134 California employers

What does each librarian title at San Diego 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 I$68,266 to $82,243 · 11 people
    Fewer than 5
  2. Librarian II$78,562 to $94,536 · 61 people
    $96,765
  3. Librarian III$87,006 to $105,602 · 27 people
    $106,399
  4. Librarian IV$95,618 to $116,064 · 26 people
    $122,075

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 San Diego

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
Librarians125$68,266 to $116,064$105,421
Library assistants355$48,277 to $58,406$63,411

Full-year library assistants averaged $63,411, $42,010 less than librarians.

Does San Diego pay librarians more than other employers in San Diego County?

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

Full-year librarians at San Diego earned $672 less than the San Diego County average and $2,611 less than the California average.

Average librarian pay in San Diego County compared to nearby counties

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

San Diego County Shades match the state map.

Where does San Diego rank among California employers?

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

All 134 California employers

San Diego ranks 66th of 134, above the middle employer.

San Diego
$100k$150k$200k

Middle employer: $104,744

The 11 employers in San Diego County

San Diego ranks 6th of 11, level with the middle employer.

San Diego
$100k$150k$200k

Middle employer: $105,421

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 San Diego

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

Pension formula
1% at 55
the most common formula among San Diego's librarians
Employer pension contribution
$12,575
average per year
Health, dental and vision
$9,703
average paid by the employer per year

Questions about librarian pay at San Diego

What is the average librarian salary at San Diego?

Librarians at San Diego who worked the full year earned an average of $105,421 in 2025. The middle librarian earned $105,979: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its librarian titles runs from $68,266 to $116,064.

How much overtime do librarians at San Diego earn?

Full-year librarians were paid an average of $488 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $364: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.

What is the starting salary for a librarian at San Diego?

$68,266 a year: the bottom of the official range for San Diego's Librarian I title in 2025, as reported. Pay rises with steps and overtime; full-year librarians averaged $105,421 in total pay.

How much does a library assistant make at San Diego?

Full-year library assistants at San Diego averaged $63,411 in total pay in 2025, overtime included, on an official range of $48,277 to $58,406.

What pension do librarians at San Diego get?

The most common pension formula among San Diego's librarians is 1% at 55, as reported by the city. The employer paid an average of $12,575 a year into the pension plan.

More salaries in San Diego County

Sources for the San Diego figures

Every person who held a librarian position at San Diego 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 San Diego.

How we read the data