Home / Business and Economy / California Payroll Data Transparency: Salaries of Public Servants Unveiled
California Payroll Data Transparency: Salaries of Public Servants Unveiled
25 Aug
Summary
- California law requires public sector compensation data reporting
- Payroll data available for cities, counties, state departments, universities
- Highest paid city employees work in Hayward, Atherton, Beverly Hills
As of 2025-08-25T20:43:02+00:00, California has taken significant steps to increase transparency in public sector compensation. The state law requires cities, counties, and special districts to annually report employee compensation data to the California State Controller's Office, which then publishes the information online.
This payroll data covers a wide range of public sector workers, from sheriffs and mayors to professors at the University of California. The most recent batch of data, released in June 2025, includes information on 746,358 positions across 461 cities and 55 counties.
According to the data, the City of Hayward had the highest average city employee wage in California, followed by the cities of Atherton, Beverly Hills, San Francisco, and Half Moon Bay. The public can access this compensation information through the state controller's website, publicpay.ca.gov.
In the coming months, the state will also release payroll data for the University of California, community college districts, K-12 education, and special districts. This comprehensive reporting aims to provide Californians with a clear understanding of how their tax dollars are being spent on public sector salaries.
