Orange County librarian salary, 2025

98 people worked as librarians for Orange County in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $102,020.

What is the average librarian salary at Orange County?

Official pay range1

$76,190 to $127,525

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

Average total pay, full-year librarians1

$102,020

average base pay $100,626

Based on the 86 of 98 librarians who worked the full year.

Most of Orange County's librarians (50 of 98) hold the title Librarian I, with an official range of $76,190 to $102,731. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $92,783, within the range.

Median total pay
$101,557
the middle librarian: half earned more, half less
Overtime
$40
average per full-year librarian
Starting salary
$76,190
bottom of the Librarian I range
Average pay rank
78th
of 134 California employers

What does each librarian title at Orange County 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$76,190 to $102,731 · 50 people
    $92,783
  2. Librarian II$84,968 to $114,462 · 30 people
    $107,194
  3. Librarian III$89,648 to $120,848 · 11 people
    $114,934
  4. Librarian IV$94,661 to $127,525 · 7 people
    $122,052

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 Orange County

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
Librarians98$76,190 to $127,525$102,020
Library assistants188$46,758 to $59,675$56,430

Full-year library assistants averaged $56,430, $45,590 less than librarians.

Does Orange County pay librarians more than other employers in Orange County?

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

Full-year librarians at Orange County earned $7,503 less than the Orange County average and $6,012 less than the California average.

Average librarian pay in Orange County compared to nearby counties

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

Orange County Shades match the state map.

Where does Orange County rank among California employers?

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

All 134 California employers

Orange County ranks 78th of 134, below the middle employer.

Orange County
$100k$150k$200k

Middle employer: $104,744

The 12 employers in Orange County

Orange County ranks 6th of 12, above the middle employer.

Orange County
$80k$100k$120k$140k$160k$180k

Middle employer: $100,312

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 Orange County

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

Pension formula
1.62% at 65
the most common formula among Orange County's librarians
Employer pension contribution
$11,246
average per year
Health, dental and vision
$15,775
average paid by the employer per year

Questions about librarian pay at Orange County

What is the average librarian salary at Orange County?

Librarians at Orange County who worked the full year earned an average of $102,020 in 2025. The middle librarian earned $101,557: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its librarian titles runs from $76,190 to $127,525.

How much overtime do librarians at Orange County earn?

Full-year librarians were paid an average of $40 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 Orange County?

$76,190 a year: the bottom of the official range for Orange County's Librarian I title in 2025, as reported. Pay rises with steps and overtime; full-year librarians averaged $102,020 in total pay.

How much does a library assistant make at Orange County?

Full-year library assistants at Orange County averaged $56,430 in total pay in 2025, overtime included, on an official range of $46,758 to $59,675.

What pension do librarians at Orange County get?

The most common pension formula among Orange County's librarians is 1.62% at 65, as reported by the county. The employer paid an average of $11,246 a year into the pension plan.

More salaries in Orange County

Sources for the Orange County figures

Every person who held a librarian position at Orange County 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 Orange County.

How we read the data