PR26:21                                                                                                                                    SCO Newsroom

For Immediate Release                                                                                                            [email protected]

7/29/2026                                                                                             

Controller Malia M. Cohen Publishes 2025 Payroll Data for State Government, Superior Courts, and CSU Institutions

SACRAMENTO — State Controller Malia M. Cohen announces the publication of 2025 payroll data for state departments, superior courts, and California State University (CSU) institutions on the Government Compensation in California (GCC) website. The data includes compensation details for more than 400,700 positions and reflects approximately $31.7 billion in total wages, $13.7 billion in retirement and health contributions, and over $45.4 billion in total compensation.

The newly reported data includes:

• 158 state departments (267,745 employees);
• 24 CSU institutions — 23 campuses and the Chancellor’s Office (113,967 employees); and
• 47 of 58 superior courts (19,035 employees).

“Responsible financial stewardship begins with transparency,” said Controller Malia M. Cohen. “This report provides Californians with a clear view of state payroll spending, supporting informed oversight and demonstrating our commitment to accountability in government.”

The 2025 data show:

• State departments reported approximately $25 billion in total wages, $11 billion in retirement and health contributions, and $36 billion in total compensation.
• CSU institutions reported nearly $4.8 billion in total wages, $2 billion in retirement and health contributions, and $6.8 billion in total compensation.
• Superior courts reported nearly $1.8 billion in total wages, $586 million in retirement and health contributions, and $2.4 billion in total compensation.

Among individual employees, the highest reported total wages included:

• State: Chief Investment Officer, Public Employees’ Retirement System, with approximately $720,600 in Regular Pay and $1.5 million in Other Pay.
• CSU: Chancellor of the California State University, with approximately $788,300 in Regular Pay and $321,700 in Other Pay. Following was an Administrator IV at Sacramento State, with approximately $339,000 in Regular Pay, $47,600 in Lump-Sum Pay, and $387,700 in Other Pay.
• Superior Courts: Executive Officer/Clerk of Court, Los Angeles County, with nearly $505,000 in Regular Pay and $93,800 in Other Pay.

The employers reporting the highest average employee wages were:

• State: Education Audit Appeals Panel, California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, and California Highway Patrol.
• CSU: Chancellor’s Office, CSU Dominguez Hills, and Cal Poly Pomona.
• Superior Courts: Santa Clara, San Francisco, and Alpine.

California law requires cities, counties, and special districts to report compensation data annually to the State Controller. The State Controller also maintains and publishes salary data for state agencies, CSU institutions, and judges paid through the state’s Personnel and Payroll Services Division (PPSD). Superior court judges may be paid by the state, their local county, or a combination of both. Reporting remains voluntary for the University of California, community colleges, superior courts, fairs and expositions, First 5 commissions, and K–12 education providers.

Since its launch in 2010, the GCC website has published pay and benefit information for more than two million positions across California’s public sector, as reported by each entity.

Users of the site can:

• View compensation data by region using interactive maps;
• Search by agency name or job title; and
• Export raw data or create custom reports.

To view the data or explore further, visit gcc.sco.ca.gov.

As the chief fiscal officer of the fourth-largest economy in the world, California State Controller Malia M. Cohen independently oversees and manages the state’s financial resources with integrity and transparency to build trust. Controller Cohen is responsible for accountability and disbursement of the state’s financial resources. She has independent auditing authority over government agencies that spend state funds. The Controller is a member of numerous financing authorities, and fiscal and financial oversight entities including the Franchise Tax Board. She also serves on the boards for the nation’s two largest public pension funds. Follow the California State Controller’s Office on X, Facebook, and YouTube at @CAController and on Instagram at @CaliforniaController.

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