How to Participate in the NCPERS-CBIZ 2026 Public Pension Compensation Survey

The 2026 Public Pension Compensation Survey is now officially underway! The survey was distributed on Tuesday, April 7 to designated survey contacts at more than 500 public pensions across the U.S. If your organization did not receive a copy and is interested in participating, please contact research@ncpers.org. 

The deadline to complete the survey is Tuesday, May 12 and results will be made available this fall. NCPERS and CBIZ hosted an informational webinar to review the survey instrument and answer any questions about the submission process. Please review our FAQs page for additional information or contact us for assistance. 

About the Survey:

The Public Pension Compensation Survey was created to help public pensions of all sizes make informed decisions about compensation, benefits, and hiring strategies.  

Conducted annually by NCPERS and CBIZ, the survey captures in-depth compensation and bonus data on 100 common positions found at public pension funds, as well as details on benefits, fund oversight, salary increase planning, and bonuses.  

Why Participate?

Your organization will receive complimentary access to the survey data to help benchmark your compensation and benefits packages against more than 160 peer funds nationwide. View a sample of the 2025 Public Pension Compensation Survey report to learn more.

Funds that do not participate may purchase access to the results for $1,250 (NCPERS member rate) or $2,500 (NCPERS nonmember rate).  

In addition to the report, NCPERS members that participate will receive access to an interactive dashboard that allows users to filter the data by various criteria — such as region, number of fund staff, or assets under management — allowing for more accurate peer-to-peer benchmarking. 

How to Participate:

Your organization’s dedicated survey contact was sent an email invitation with detailed information on how to participate in the survey on Tuesday, April 7. To update or verify your organization’s survey contact, please reach out to NCPERS Director of Research, Matt Eckel, at research@ncpers.org. 

Additional HR Resources for Public Pensions: 

In addition to the Public Pension Compensation Survey, NCPERS offers a number of resources to industry HR professionals. 

• Sign up to participate in the HR Roundtable, one of NCPERS' recurring virtual roundtables where pension fund staff can ask questions, exchange ideas, and tackle common challenges. Participation is free for NCPERS members. 
• Attend the Public Pension HR Summit to learn best practices, connect with peers, and continue your professional development (NCPERS is recognized by SHRM to offer Professional Development Credits). Be sure to mark your calendars for the 2026 Public Pension HR Summit, held September 23-25 in Phoenix, AZ. Sign up here for event updates.