About City of Pasadena
What is the City of Pasadena?
The City of Pasadena is the municipal government of Pasadena, California — a Los Angeles County city of roughly 136,000, incorporated in 1886 and known worldwide for the Rose Bowl and the Tournament of Roses Parade, Caltech, and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. As a government it is one of California's most complete full-service cities: its own police and fire departments, Pasadena Water and Power (a municipal electric and water utility), one of only a handful of city-run public-health departments in California, plus Transportation, Planning & Community Development, Libraries, Parks & Recreation and a newer Rent Stabilization Department.
Where will I work?
Pasadena City Hall at 100 North Garfield Avenue — the domed 1927 Mediterranean-revival landmark you have seen in a dozen films and sitcoms. The city's own closures page states: "most City offices operate on a 9/80 work schedule. This results in these offices being closed on alternating Fridays throughout the year" — and it publishes the year's closed Fridays (January 9, January 23, February 6 and so on through 2026). City Hall hours are 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and every other Friday.
What is the City of Pasadena team like?
A workforce of roughly 2,260 per the city's FY2024 annual financial report — engineers and dispatch-centre analysts at Water and Power, epidemiologists in the Public Health Department, planners, librarians, accountants and transportation specialists. Current civilian postings include a Capital Projects Manager, Engineer, Plans Examiner II, Senior Accountant and Senior Communications Coordinator. We list Pasadena's civilian professional positions — sworn police/fire and utility-dispatch roles run separate rosters and are excluded from our feed.
Work-Life Balance
Every other Friday is yours, structurally — the closure dates are on the city's own calendar. Employee sentiment matches: Pasadena rates 4.2 overall on Indeed across 88 local reviews with work-life balance also at 4.2, and reviewers call it "good for people with families who need a flexible schedule". Standard California municipal conditions apply: CalPERS defined-benefit pension membership, formal vacation and sick accruals, paid holidays, and salary ranges published on every bulletin.
Perks and Benefits
- 9/80 schedule — "most City offices operate on a 9/80 work schedule" verbatim on the city's own site, with alternating-Friday closure dates published
- CalPERS defined-benefit pension
- Salary ranges published on every job bulletin
- Formal vacation, sick leave and paid-holiday provisions
- Work-life balance rated 4.2/5 across 88 employee reviews on Indeed