CARLSBAD – The Carlsbad City Council approved salary increases for several city employees, including firefighters, while also paving the way for slight increases in salary for elected officials as well.
Members of the Carlsbad City Employees’ Association will receive cost of living increases to their salaries of 3%, 3.25% and 4% for 2026, 2027 and 2028, respectively, according to city documents. Employees are also subject to additional equity adjustments based on their job titles.
This is anticipated to increase compensation costs by almost $1.7 million this year and next, and then around $2 million in 2028, according to the documents. These increases were largely planned for, but the increase will require using $372,000 from various city funds for compensation in the current fiscal year.
The council also agreed to 8% pay increases in 2026, 2027 and 2028 for those with the following titles within the Carlsbad Fire Department: firefighter, captain specialist, paramedic firefighter, paramedic lifeguard lieutenant, fire captain and fire engineer. Those with titles of fire marshal, fire inspector, deputy fire marshal and senior fire inspector or investigator will receive 3% increases.
This is expected to increase compensation by around $1.4 million in 2026, $1.5 million in 2027 and $1.6 million in 2028, according to the documents. The city is using $385,000 from the General Fund to accommodate the increase in the current fiscal year.
Those items were approved unanimously on the consent calendar at the Jan. 13 city council meeting.
The city council also voted at the meeting to instruct staff to prepare ordinances for adoption that increase compensation for the city clerk, city treasurer, council, and mayor by 4%. Those two ordinances will be voted on at a future meeting.
In 2020, Carlsbad voters approved Measure G, which limited mayoral and City Council compensation increases to the San Diego regional consumer price index, according to city documents. A 2022 ordinance by the city council tied increases in compensation for the city clerk and treasurer to the same schedule and upper limit.
In Feb. 2025, the City Council increased compensation for themselves, the clerk, and the treasurer by 2.6%, which was in line with the Nov. 2024 CPI for the region, according to the documents. November has historically been chosen as the month for comparison because it is the last month with published data when drafting the ordinances.
The city council voted to give themselves the maximum allowable pay increase as the San Diego regional CPI in Nov. 2025 was 4%, according to the documents.
City Council pay will increase annually from $28,991.64 to $30,151.31. The mayor’s annual pay will increase from $30,191.64 to $31,351.31. City clerk and treasurer will see annual pay increases from $14,618.76 to $15,203.51, according to the documents.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Certain lines have since been clarified at the city’s request. Additionally, the original story incorrectly stated that the City Council’s annual salary would increase to $30,191.64, but the correct amount is $30,351.31. We regret the error.
