Librarian salary in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
In San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA, a typical librarian earned $103,240 a year in May 2025 (median), with an average of $103,650. About 700 people work in this occupation there.
That is 51% above the national median of $68,270. Compared with all occupations in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA (median $84,050), librarians earn 23% more. Its location quotient of 0.72 means the job is less common here than nationally.
Pay varies widely: the lowest-paid 10% earned less than $57,250, while the top 10% earned more than $147,740. Many librarians are self-employed, and BLS wage surveys cover employees only, so freelance income can differ.
Pay distribution
| Percentile | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $57,250 | $27.52 |
| 25th | $83,930 | $40.35 |
| Median | $103,240 | $49.64 |
| 75th | $123,740 | $59.49 |
| 90th | $147,740 | $71.03 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025. Estimates exclude self-employed workers; "—" means the estimate was not released.