San Francisco librarian salary, 2025

San Francisco is a city in San Francisco County. 288 people worked as librarians for San Francisco in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $126,067.

What is the average librarian salary at San Francisco?

Official pay range, public library librarians1

$102,024 to $151,398

from the lowest entry salary to the top of the highest title for public library librarians, the largest group

Average total pay, full-year librarians1

$126,067

average base pay $123,881

Based on the 187 of 288 librarians who worked the full year.

Most of San Francisco's librarians (204 of 288) hold the title Librarian 1, with an official range of $102,024 to $124,020. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $118,253, within the range.

Median total pay
$125,091
the middle librarian: half earned more, half less
Overtime
$0
average per full-year librarian
Starting salary
$102,024
bottom of the Librarian 1 range
Average pay rank
19th
of 134 California employers

What does each librarian title at San Francisco 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

Public library librarians

  1. Librarian 1$102,024 to $124,020 · 204 people
    $118,253
  2. Librarian 2$112,944 to $137,254 · 64 people
    $133,975
  3. Librarian 3$124,540 to $151,398 · 17 people
    $149,641

Law library librarians

  1. Assistant Law LibrarianRange not reported · fewer than 5 people
    Not reported
  2. Law LibrarianRange not reported · fewer than 5 people
    Not reported

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 Francisco

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
Librarians288$102,024 to $151,398$126,067
Library assistants209$87,620 to $106,496$101,791

Full-year library assistants averaged $101,791, $24,276 less than librarians.

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

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

Full-year librarians at San Francisco earned $1,840 more than the San Francisco County average and $18,035 more than the California average.

Average librarian pay in San Francisco County compared to nearby counties

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

San Francisco County Shades match the state map.

Where does San Francisco rank among California employers?

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

All 134 California employers

San Francisco ranks 19th of 134, above the middle employer.

San Francisco
$100k$150k$200k

Middle employer: $104,744

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 Francisco

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

Pension formula
2.3% at 65
the most common formula among San Francisco's librarians
Employer pension contribution
$18,479
average per year
Health, dental and vision
$19,099
average paid by the employer per year

Questions about librarian pay at San Francisco

What is the average librarian salary at San Francisco?

Librarians at San Francisco who worked the full year earned an average of $126,067 in 2025. The middle librarian earned $125,091: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its librarian titles runs from $102,024 to $151,398.

How much overtime do librarians at San Francisco earn?

Full-year librarians were paid an average of $0 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 San Francisco?

$102,024 a year: the bottom of the official range for San Francisco's Librarian 1 title in 2025, as reported. Pay rises with steps and overtime; full-year librarians averaged $126,067 in total pay.

How much does a library assistant make at San Francisco?

Full-year library assistants at San Francisco averaged $101,791 in total pay in 2025, overtime included, on an official range of $87,620 to $106,496.

What pension do librarians at San Francisco get?

The most common pension formula among San Francisco's librarians is 2.3% at 65, as reported by the city. The employer paid an average of $18,479 a year into the pension plan.

More salaries in San Francisco County

Sources for the San Francisco figures

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

How we read the data