19.5% higher than the US national median ($44,574)
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026
Is this a competitive Library Technicians salary in California in 2026?
Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS August 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.
$Competitive · ~P50
P10$40K
P25$46K
P50$53K
P75$62K
P90$77K
Drag the dot or type an amount above.
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Demand: ACTIVE. Demand is active -- professional & business services openings are at 5.0% (JOLTS, August 2026). A balanced market where the median is a solid, competitive anchor.
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Merit budget: Wages in professional services are rising about 2.5% a year (BLS ECI, Q2 2026). Budget a 2.1-2.6% merit increase to hold this role at market.
Our read
For a competitive 2026 offer, target $53,269 to $62,338 (market median to the 75th percentile). The median-to-P75 range keeps offers competitive.
Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.
How Library Technicians pay is moving in 2026
Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI
Pay trend
BLS's May 2025 median estimate for this role is 11.5% above its May 2024 estimate. A swing that large usually reflects survey sampling or classification changes between OEWS vintages rather than actual pay changes, so lean on the sector wage-growth benchmark (2.5% per year, BLS ECI) for planning.
Hiring demand · MODERATE
Professional & Business Services is running a 5.0% job-openings rate with quits at 2.1% (BLS JOLTS). The openings rate has drifted down from 5.8% to 5.0% over the past quarter.
Pay spread
Top earners (P90) make about 2.2 times what entry-level (P10) workers make in this role. That spread is in the typical range for U.S. occupations; standard 80% to 120% pay bands around the median work well.
What changed recently
Sep 29, 2026JOLTS August 2026: sector openings eased to 5.0% (down 119K). BLS revised July up from 4.8% to 5.5%, so last month's third straight decline did not happen. Quits recovered to 2.1%; layoffs fell 56K.
Sep 1, 2026JOLTS July 2026: sector openings fell for a third month to 4.8% (June revised to 5.1%), and hires dropped 188K, the largest pullback of any sector. Quits slid to 1.8%.
Aug 4, 2026JOLTS June 2026: sector openings eased to 5.5% (down 0.3pp), still the highest of any major sector. Quits held at 2.2%.
Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS August 2026, ECI Q2 2026) and refreshed each release. It is interpretation, not a BLS product.
Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The median salary for Library Technicians in California is $53,269 per year ($25.61/hr). This is 19.5% higher than the national median of $44,574.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Assist librarians by helping readers in the use of library catalogs, databases, and indexes to locate books and other materials; and by answering questions that require only brief consultation of standard reference. Compile records; sort and shelve books or other media; remove or repair damaged books or other media; register patrons; and check materials in and out of the circulation process. Replace materials in shelving area (stacks) or files. Includes bookmobile drivers who assist with providing services in mobile libraries.
Wage Percentiles: California
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours) · National adjusted
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
vs National
P10Entry level
$19.35
$40,248
+37.3%
P25
$21.91
$45,573
+27.5%
P50MEDIAN
$25.61
$53,269
+19.5%
P75
$29.97
$62,338
+18.9%
P90Top earners
$36.96
$76,877
+21.9%
How California compares for Library Technicians
Computed from this state's own BLS distribution against national
Pay for Library Technicians in California sits above the national range at every level: +37.3% at entry, +19.5% at the median and +21.9% at the top. The gap is larger at entry than at the top.
An offer at the national median of $44,574 would sit at about the 22nd percentile in California.
The top of the range earns 1.91 times the bottom here against 2.15 times nationally, so pay for this role is more compressed between entry and senior levels in California.
California employs 7,190 people in this role, 10.5% of the national total.
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P10–P90 breakdown, career outlook, industry wages, and JOLTS market signal for Library Technicians
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Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
-6.8%
Much slower than average
Annual openings
13K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
79K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
0% from new growth100% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Postsecondary nondegree award
Experience
None
On-the-job training
None
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 2 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999300
40K
$40,260
Elementary and Secondary Schools
NAICS 611100
11K
$45,590
Wage range across top 5 industries: $40,260 to $45,590 (13% spread)
See the complete picture
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the median library technicians salary in California?
The median (P50) annual salary for Library Technicians in California is approximately $53,269, based on BLS OEWS May 2025 data. This is 19.5% higher than the national median of $44,574. For the full P10–P90 breakdown and market context, open CompSignal.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.
