Santa Cruz librarian salary, 2025

Santa Cruz is a city in Santa Cruz County. 40 people worked as librarians for Santa Cruz in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $99,100.

What is the average librarian salary at Santa Cruz?

Official pay range1

$73,214 to $135,237

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

Average total pay, full-year librarians1

$99,100

average base pay $95,372

Based on the 25 of 40 librarians who worked the full year.

The largest group of Santa Cruz's librarians (20 of 40) hold the title Librarian II, with an official range of $76,799 to $98,985. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $94,471, within the range.

Median total pay
$97,574
the middle librarian: half earned more, half less
Overtime
$0
average per full-year librarian
Starting salary
Not reported
no official range reported
Average pay rank
83rd
of 134 California employers

What does each librarian title at Santa Cruz 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. Temp Librarian II$49,584 to $67,116 · fewer than 5 people
    Fewer than 5
  2. Librarian I$73,214 to $94,374 · fewer than 5 people
    Fewer than 5
  3. On-Call Librarian I$73,214 to $94,374 · 6 people
    Fewer than 5
  4. Librarian II$76,799 to $98,985 · 20 people
    $94,471
  5. On-Call Librarian II$76,799 to $98,985 · 5 people
    Fewer than 5
  6. Librarian III$104,917 to $135,237 · fewer than 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 Santa Cruz

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
Librarians40$73,214 to $135,237$99,100
Library assistants75$53,808 to $75,696$68,517

Full-year library assistants averaged $68,517, $30,583 less than librarians.

Does Santa Cruz pay librarians more than other employers in Santa Cruz County?

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

Full-year librarians at Santa Cruz earned $8,195 less than the Santa Cruz County average and $8,932 less than the California average.

Average librarian pay in Santa Cruz County compared to nearby counties

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

Santa Cruz County Shades match the state map.

Where does Santa Cruz rank among California employers?

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

All 134 California employers

Santa Cruz ranks 83rd of 134, below the middle employer.

Santa Cruz
$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 Santa Cruz

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 Santa Cruz's librarians
Employer pension contribution
$6,056
average per year
Health, dental and vision
$19,459
average paid by the employer per year

Questions about librarian pay at Santa Cruz

What is the average librarian salary at Santa Cruz?

Librarians at Santa Cruz who worked the full year earned an average of $99,100 in 2025. The middle librarian earned $97,574: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its librarian titles runs from $73,214 to $135,237.

How much overtime do librarians at Santa Cruz 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.

How much does a library assistant make at Santa Cruz?

Full-year library assistants at Santa Cruz averaged $68,517 in total pay in 2025, overtime included, on an official range of $53,808 to $75,696.

What pension do librarians at Santa Cruz get?

The most common pension formula among Santa Cruz's librarians is 2% at 62, as reported by the city. The employer paid an average of $6,056 a year into the pension plan.

More salaries in Santa Cruz County

Sources for the Santa Cruz figures

Every person who held a librarian position at Santa Cruz 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 Santa Cruz.

How we read the data