Report Findings
Authority and Background
Survey Findings: Total Compensation
Geographic Comparisons
Executive Summary
California’s state government competes for its workforce with local government agencies, as well as with the private sector and the federal government. This makes it critical for the state to understand how its compensation compares with other employers.
Making simple wage comparisons, however, provides an incomplete picture. It is analogous to comparing the value of one home to another, without considering the size or location of the land. This is the reason that statutes require the California Department of Human Resources (CalHR) to compare state employee salaries and benefits with public and private sector employers.
To meet this challenge, CalHR turned to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (Bureau), which produces two of the nation’s most comprehensive wage and benefit surveys: the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) survey and the National Compensation Survey (NCS).
By using the Bureau’s benchmark data and established methodology for calculating employee costs, the state is able to compare its compensation practices with other employer groups in California, and provide valuable insight to current and prospective employees, policy makers, and the public.