Salary comparison
Librarians and Media Collections Specialists: Las Vegas vs San Jose
San Jose, CA pays about 22.1% more for librarians and media collections specialists on paper — $103,240 vs $84,540. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, San Jose comes out ahead by $18,700 a year in real buying power.
Las Vegas, NV
$84,540
$76,350
$98,540
$40.64
100
$84,540/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
San Jose, CA
$103,240
$83,930
$123,740
$49.64
100
$103,240/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $18,700 a year (22.1%) in favor of San Jose. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
Las Vegas runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; San Jose sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, San Jose is the better deal by $18,700 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from Las Vegas to San Jose for this role, the raise needs to beat 22.1% to come out ahead after living costs. Anything below that and you are earning more on paper but keeping less.
Common questions
Where do librarians and media collections specialists earn more, Las Vegas or San Jose?
San Jose pays $103,240 on median — about 22.1% more than Las Vegas ($84,540). Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Which city is the better deal after living costs?
San Jose. Once you divide each median by the local cost index, San Jose gives you roughly$103,240 of real buying power versus $84,540 in the other city.