How much do California state workers get paid? Search public salaries in our database

The Sacramento Bee’s state worker pay database has been updated with data from 2025. You can use it to find information about public employee compensation in California government agencies and the state’s public universities.

Over 240,000 people work for the state of California outside of public universities, including part-time employees, according to the State Controller’s Office. Another 400,000 people work the University of California and California State University systems.

The Bee obtains pay figures from the Controller’s Office for civil service workers and California State University employees. Payroll data for University of California employees is released later in the year by the UC Office of the President.

Pay figures for 2025 have been updated for state civil service employees and CSU employees. 

The total pay shown is the sum of gross pay on state worker pay stubs for each year, though it may differ slightly from what is shown on state worker federal tax forms.

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Who are the highest paid California public employees?

The top-earning California public employees are athletic coaches at UCLA and UC Berkeley, along with several doctors at University of California hospitals.

Among civil service employees, the top earners tend to be investment officers at the state’s pension funds and the California State Compensation Insurance Fund.

The top earner in 2025, for instance, was Stephen Gilmore, who is the chief investment officer for the California Public Employees’ Retirement System. He earned about $2.3 million in total compensation last year. CalPERS provides retirement plans for more than 2 million members. 

The highest-paid civil service employee who does not work for one of the two public pension funds is Vernon Steiner, the CEO and president of the State Compensation Insurance Fund. Steiner earned $1.2 million last year.

The highest paid public employees overall, however, are coaches of UC football and basketball teams. According to the latest UC payroll, UC Berkeley football coach Justin Wilcox earned $4.7 million in 2024, for instance, and UCLA basketball coach Michael Cronin earned $4.1 million.

What California salary details can I find in the database?

The Bee’s state worker pay database contains information on wages, overtime and bonuses paid to California public employees dating back to 2007.

Economists have used the database to study perceptions of inequality among workers, finding that government employers have a “strong incentive” to withhold salary data. You can read more about their findings in this article by The New Yorker.

How to use the search tool

When you search for a government employee and click on the details button, you’ll see how much someone earns in base pay as well breakdowns of overtime and “other pay.” “Other pay” can include bonuses. 

You can also sort information by job title, pay level or departments. Departments include the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the California Highway Patrol, Caltrans, Cal Fire, the Department of Motor Vehicles and the Employment Development Department.

Searches are unlimited and free for subscribers.

This story was originally published February 11, 2025 at 1:12 PM with the headline "How much do California state workers get paid? Search public salaries in our database."