Sacramento – October 02, 2026 -- California State Controller Malia M. Cohen released 2025 self-reported payroll data for University of California (UC) campuses and California Community College Districts (CCD), covering 451,244 positions, more than $34 billion in wages and over $6 billion in retirement and health contributions, for total compensation exceeding $40.1 billion.
UC campuses report full participation with $33.7 billion in total compensation
All 10 UC campuses and the Office of the President filed complete reports, covering 357,167 positions, more than $29.2 billion in wages and nearly $4.5 billion in retirement and health contributions. UC institutions have maintained a 100 percent reporting rate since voluntarily joining the program in 2013. UCLA reported the most positions at 74,519, followed by UC San Diego at 54,598.
Only 36 of 73 community college districts file complete reports
Thirty-six of California's 73 CCD submitted complete payroll data, covering 94,077 positions, more than $4.8 billion in wages and over $1.5 billion in retirement and health contributions, for total compensation exceeding $6.3 billion. Twenty-six districts filed no report and 11 submitted incomplete data. Los Angeles Community College District reported the most positions at 11,182, followed by Los Rios Community College District at 7,154.
Medical staff dominate UC's highest-paid employee list
Of UC's 50 highest-paid employees, 42 worked in the medical field. Among the top 15, nine worked in medicine and six in athletics. Average wages among the 10 highest-paid UC employees climbed more than 17 percent over five years, from $3.14 million in 2021 to $3.69 million in 2025.
Cohen said public colleges and universities deserve full transparency on how taxpayer dollars support staff and student outcomes, urging all CCD to match UC's complete reporting record.
California law mandates annual compensation reporting from cities, counties and special districts, while UC and CCD participation remains voluntary. The Controller's Office also publishes payroll data for state departments and California State University.