Who is the highest paid state employee in California?

The Sacramento Bee’s state worker pay database has been updated with data from 2021. You can use it to find information about public employee compensation in California government agencies and in the state’s public universities.

About 260,000 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 along with employees of the University of California and California State University systems.

Pay figures for 2021 have been updated for state civil service employees and CSU employees. Pay figures will be updated for the University of California in late summer.

The total pay shown is the sum of gross pay on state worker pay stubs for each year. For complicated reasons, 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.

UCLA football coach Chip Kelly earned $4.3 million in 2020, for instance, and UCLA basketball coach Mike Cronin earned $3.3 million.

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 2021, for instance, was Christopher Ailman, who is the chief investment officer for the California State Teachers’ Retirement System. He earned almost $1.7 million in total compensation. CalSTRS provides retirement plans for about 1 million teachers and retired teachers.

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 April 16, 2019 9:00 PM.

YearEmployerNameTitleAnnual WagesSource 2020 State of California Meng Yu Chief Investment Officer, Public Employees' Retirement System $707,499.96 California Public Employees Retirement System 2020 State of California Ailman Christopher J Chief Investment Officer, California State Teachers' Retirement System $590,292.00 California Public Employees Retirement System 2018 State of California Eliopoulos Theodore H Chief Investment Officer, Public Employees' Retirement System $565,530.96 California Public Employees Retirement System 2019 State of California Ailman Christopher J Chief Investment Officer, California State Teachers' Retirement System $562,188.00 California Public Employees Retirement System 2017 State of California Mills Charles R President $550,008.00 California Public Employees Retirement System 2019 State of California Millan Maria T President $549,996.00 California Public Employees Retirement System 2020 State of California Millan Maria T President $549,996.00 California Public Employees Retirement System 2018 State of California Millan Maria T President $549,996.00 California Public Employees Retirement System 2021 State of California Millan Maria T President $549,996.00 California Public Employees Retirement System 2017 State of California Eliopoulos Theodore H Chief Investment Officer, Public Employees' Retirement System $543,780.00 California Public Employees Retirement System 2021 State of California Ailman Christopher J Chief Investment Officer, California State Teachers' Retirement System $535,808.16 California Public Employees Retirement System 2018 State of California Ailman Christopher J Chief Investment Officer, California State Teachers' Retirement System $535,416.00 California Public Employees Retirement System 2017 State of California Ailman Christopher J Chief Investment Officer, California State Teachers' Retirement System $509,916.00 California Public Employees Retirement System 2021 State of California Steiner Vernon L President/State Compensation Insurance Fund $494,197.32 California Public Employees Retirement System 2020 State of California Lee Peter V $479,256.00 California Public Employees Retirement System 2020 State of California White Timothy P Chancellor Of The California State University $477,771.00 California Public Employees Retirement System 2020 State of California Steiner Vernon L President/State Compensation Insurance Fund $477,768.00 California Public Employees Retirement System 2017 State of California Steiner Vernon L President/State Compensation Insurance Fund $474,996.00 California Public Employees Retirement System 2020 State of California Ehnes John B Chief Executive Officer/State Teachers' Retirement $474,996.00 California Public Employees Retirement System 2019 State of California White Timothy P Chancellor Of The California State University $463,855.08 California Public Employees Retirement System 2020 Rural County Representatives of California Norton Gregory $463,828.08 California Public Employees Retirement System 2019 State of California Ehnes John B Chief Executive Officer/State Teachers' Retirement $463,308.00 California Public Employees Retirement System 2019 State of California Steiner Vernon L President/State Compensation Insurance Fund $461,338.67 California Public Employees Retirement System 2021 State of California Frost Marcie L Executive Officer/Public Employees' Retirement System $456,573.24 California Public Employees Retirement System 2021 State of California De La Torre Adela I President $454,749.00 California Public Employees Retirement System 2018 State of California Steiner Vernon L President/State Compensation Insurance Fund $453,553.37 California Public Employees Retirement System 2020 State of California Tharratt Robert S Receiver's Medical Executive (Safety) $445,632.00 California Public Employees Retirement System 2021 State of California Armstrong Jeffrey D President $442,812.00 California Public Employees Retirement System 2019 Rural County Representatives of California Norton Gregory $441,741.12 California Public Employees Retirement System 2018 State of California Ehnes John B Chief Executive Officer/State Teachers' Retirement $441,240.00 California Public Employees Retirement System 2020 State of California Baggesen Eric B $439,203.00 California Public Employees Retirement System 2021 State of California Lee Peter V $438,646.09 California Public Employees Retirement System 2020 State of California Kanan Renee J Receiver's Medical Executive (Safety) $437,284.00 California Public Employees Retirement System 2018 State of California Lee Peter V $436,800.00 California Public Employees Retirement System 2018 State of California White Timothy P Chancellor Of The California State University $435,346.50 California Public Employees Retirement System 2021 State of California Ehnes John B Chief Executive Officer/State Teachers' Retirement $431,154.00 California Public Employees Retirement System 2019 State of California Armstrong Jeffrey D President $429,915.00 California Public Employees Retirement System 2019 State of California Baggesen Eric B $422,310.96 California Public Employees Retirement System 2017 State of California Ehnes John B Chief Executive Officer/State Teachers' Retirement $420,228.00 California Public Employees Retirement System 2017 State of California Lee Peter V $420,000.00 California Public Employees Retirement System 2019 State of California Kanan Renee J Receiver's Medical Executive (Safety) $418,360.38 California Public Employees Retirement System 2018 State of California Sirkin David Winsor Senior Psychiatrist (Supervisor), Correctional And Rehabilitative Services (Safety) $417,733.92 California Public Employees Retirement System 2018 State of California Ishii Curtis D $417,348.96 California Public Employees Retirement System 2018 State of California Baggesen Eric B $414,030.00 California Public Employees Retirement System 2021 State of California Bienvenue Daniel J Deputy Chief Investment Officer, California State Teachers' Retirement System $411,926.25 California Public Employees Retirement System 2019 State of California Sirkin David Winsor Senior Psychiatrist (Supervisor), Correctional And Rehabilitative Services (Safety) $409,399.45 California Public Employees Retirement System 2017 State of California White Timothy P Chancellor Of The California State University $409,361.04 California Public Employees Retirement System 2020 State of California Rosenberg Morton K $407,124.00 California Public Employees Retirement System 2017 State of California Baggesen Eric B Default Class Title $405,912.00 California Public Employees Retirement System 2020 State of California Vacca Frank A $403,536.00 California Public Employees Retirement System 2020 State of California Papazian Mary A President $403,433.04 California Public Employees Retirement System 2021 State of California Papazian Mary A President $403,433.04 California Public Employees Retirement System 2019 State of California Roberts Steven Receiver's Medical Executive (Safety) $402,856.91 California Public Employees Retirement System 2018 State of California Armstrong Jeffrey D President $402,393.00 California Public Employees Retirement System 2017 State of California Morales Jeffrey P Default Class Title $401,919.00 California Public Employees Retirement System 2017 State of California Ishii Curtis D Default Class Title $401,297.04 California Public Employees Retirement System 2021 State of California Kanan Renee J Receiver's Medical Executive (Safety) $400,941.66 California Public Employees Retirement System 2020 State of California Wada Jonathan M Chief Physician And Surgeon, Correctional Facility $400,184.00 California Public Employees Retirement System 2018 State of California Thomas Jonathan Chief Branch Public Health Laboratory $400,003.20 California Public Employees Retirement System 2019 State of California Thomas Jonathan Chief Branch Public Health Laboratory $400,003.20 California Public Employees Retirement System 2020 State of California Thomas Jonathan Chief Branch Public Health Laboratory $400,003.20 California Public Employees Retirement System 2021 State of California Thomas Jonathan Chief Branch Public Health Laboratory $400,003.20 California Public Employees Retirement System 2017 State of California Thomas Jonathan Chief Branch Public Health Laboratory $400,003.20 California Public Employees Retirement System 2019 State of California Mouchakkaa Paul A $399,921.96 California Public Employees Retirement System 2019 State of California Rosenberg Morton K $399,144.00 California Public Employees Retirement System 2019 State of California Igbinosa Felix U Receiver's Medical Executive (Safety) $397,909.00 California Public Employees Retirement System 2019 State of California Bienvenue Daniel J $396,120.96 California Public Employees Retirement System 2018 State of California Cunningham Michelle C $394,392.00 California Public Employees Retirement System 2019 State of California Hunckler Stephen P Chief Operating Officer, State Compensation Insurance Fund $393,750.00 California Public Employees Retirement System 2020 State of California Garbutt Arthur N Chief Dentist, Correctional Facility $393,312.00 California Public Employees Retirement System 2020 State of California Weisman Marc L Chief Dentist, Correctional Facility $393,312.00 California Public Employees Retirement System 2019 State of California Papazian Mary A President $391,683.00 California Public Employees Retirement System 2018 State of California Rosenberg Morton K $391,320.00 California Public Employees Retirement System 2019 State of California Vacca Frank A $386,867.95 California Public Employees Retirement System 2020 State of California Dos Santos Chen Elizabeth L Receiver's Medical Executive (Safety) $386,028.00 California Public Employees Retirement System 2019 State of California Weisman Marc L Chief Dentist, Correctional Facility $385,596.00 California Public Employees Retirement System 2019 State of California Garbutt Arthur N Chief Dentist, Correctional Facility $385,596.00 California Public Employees Retirement System 2020 State of California Taylor Leslie M Receiver's Medical Executive (Safety) $385,242.82 California Public Employees Retirement System 2018 State of California Mouchakkaa Paul A $384,540.00 California Public Employees Retirement System 2018 State of California Hunckler Stephen P Chief Operating Officer, State Compensation Insurance Fund $384,375.00 California Public Employees Retirement System 2018 Rural County Representatives of California Norton Gregory $384,153.09 California Public Employees Retirement System 2020 State of California Ugwueze Godwin Receiver's Medical Executive (Safety) $381,959.00 California Public Employees Retirement System 2020 State of California Roberts Steven Receiver's Medical Executive (Safety) $381,048.00 California Public Employees Retirement System 2018 State of California Bienvenue Daniel J $380,886.00 California Public Employees Retirement System 2017 State of California Rosenberg Morton K Default Class Title $380,859.00 California Public Employees Retirement System 2018 State of California Papazian Mary A President $380,274.96 California Public Employees Retirement System 2019 State of California Lissy Jeffrey S $380,148.00 California Public Employees Retirement System 2020 State of California Bobbala Manjula Receiver's Medical Executive (Safety) $379,080.00 California Public Employees Retirement System 2017 State of California Hirshman Elliot Lee President $378,645.00 California Public Employees Retirement System 2019 State of California Winter Kevin A $378,560.04 California Public Employees Retirement System 2019 State of California Dos Santos Chen Elizabeth L Receiver's Medical Executive (Safety) $378,456.00 California Public Employees Retirement System 2017 State of California Tharratt Robert S Receiver's Medical Executive (Safety) $378,164.00 California Public Employees Retirement System 2020 State of California Harrison Dianne F President $378,138.00 California Public Employees Retirement System 2020 State of California Virjee Framroze M President $378,138.00 California Public Employees Retirement System 2021 State of California Virjee Framroze M President $378,138.00 California Public Employees Retirement System 2018 State of California Garbutt Arthur N Chief Dentist, Correctional Facility $378,036.00 California Public Employees Retirement System 2018 State of California Weisman Marc L Chief Dentist, Correctional Facility $378,036.00 California Public Employees Retirement System 2020 State of California Onyeje Ogonna I Receiver's Medical Executive (Safety) $378,002.91 California Public Employees Retirement System 2017 State of California Tollette Wylie A Chief Operating Investment Officer, California Public Emplo Yees Retirement System $378,000.00 California Public Employees Retirement System 2020 State of California Adams Anise R Receiver's Medical Executive (Safety) $377,784.00 California Public Employees Retirement System

Who's the highest

The top earner in 2021, for instance, was Christopher Ailman, who is the chief investment officer for the California State Teachers' Retirement System. He earned almost $1.7 million in total compensation. CalSTRS provides retirement plans for about 1 million teachers and retired teachers.

Who are the highest

The Highest-paid public employee by state 2022 in the USA.
John Calipari, Kentucky — $9.3 million. ... .
Dabo Swinney, South Carolina — $9.3 million. ... .
Jimbo Fisher, Texas — $7.5 million. ... .
Jeff Brohm, Indiana — $6.6 million. ... .
Nick Saban, Alabama — $8.9 million. ... .
Jim Harbaugh, Michigan — $7.5 million..

How much does a California state employee make?

Salaries at State of California (CA) range from an average of $49,092 to $130,313 a year.

What is CA governor salary?

Governor of California
Formation
December 20, 1849
Deputy
Lieutenant Governor of California
Salary
US$210,000 (2020)
Website
Official website
Governor of California - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org › wiki › Governor_of_Californianull