CARLSBAD — The Carlsbad City Council approved salary increases for several city employees, including firefighters, while also paving the way for modest pay increases for elected officials.
Members of the Carlsbad City Employees’ Association will receive cost-of-living salary increases of 3%, 3.25% and 4% in 2026, 2027 and 2028, respectively, according to city documents. Employees are also subject to additional equity adjustments based on their job titles.
The increases are anticipated to raise compensation costs by nearly $1.7 million this year and next, and by about $2 million in 2028, according to the documents. While largely planned for, the increases will require shifting $372,000 from other city funds into compensation in the current fiscal year.
The council also agreed to 8% pay increases in 2026, 2027 and 2028 for employees with the following titles in the Carlsbad Fire Department: firefighter, captain specialist, paramedic firefighter, paramedic lifeguard lieutenant, fire captain and fire engineer. Employees with the titles of fire marshal, fire inspector, deputy fire marshal, and senior fire inspector or investigator will receive 3% increases.
Those increases are expected to raise compensation costs by approximately $1.4 million in 2026, $1.5 million in 2027 and $1.6 million in 2028, according to the documents. The city moved $385,000 from the general fund to accommodate the increases in the current fiscal year.
The items were approved unanimously on the consent calendar at the Jan. 13 City Council meeting.
The City Council also voted to direct staff to draft ordinances increasing compensation for the city clerk, city treasurer, council members, and the mayor by 4%. The two ordinances will be considered 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 City Council ordinance tied increases in city clerk and treasurer compensation to the same schedule and upper limit.
In February 2025, the City Council increased compensation for itself, the clerk and the treasurer by 2.6%, in line with the November 2024 CPI for the region, according to the documents. November has historically been used for comparison because it is the most recent month with published data when drafting ordinance language.
The City Council voted to give itself the maximum allowable pay increase, as the San Diego regional CPI in November 2025 was 4%, according to the documents.
City Council pay will increase annually from $28,991.64 to $30,191.64. The mayor’s annual pay will rise from $30,191.64 to $31,351.31. The city clerk and treasurer will see annual pay increases from $14,618.76 to $15,203.51, according to the documents.
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