Public Pension Compensation Survey

With in-depth data on 100 public pension roles, the Public Pension Compensation Survey offers one of the most comprehensive looks at compensation, benefits, and workforce practices in the industry. The 2026 survey results are now available in a report and interactive dashboard.

Conducted annually by NCPERS and CBIZ, the 2026 survey achieved record participation from 173 public pension funds that collectively oversee $5.9 trillion in assets and operate with nearly 21,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees. This robust dataset is intended to help funds benchmark their compensation and benefits packages against peers within the public pension industry.

The report includes detailed compensation and bonus data for 100 roles, while the interactive dashboard allows organizations to filter the data by various criteria — such as region, number of fund staff, or assets under management — enabling them to optimize the mix of funds to which they would like to compare themselves.

Laptop screen showing the NCPERS Compensation Dashboard 2026, with filters for region, asset size and employee count alongside a map of participating organizations by state.To order the report and interactive dashboard, complete this form. NCPERS members receive a 50% discount on the survey package. Join today to save on your order and begin taking advantage of the many member-only educational opportunities and resources from NCPERS.

Please note: The report has been made available to survey participants for free. To verify whether your organization participated, please contact research@ncpers.org or call 202-601-2445. Interested in participating in the survey next year? Sign up here to learn more. 

All sales are final. Find answers to frequently asked questions here or contact research@ncpers.org for additional information.

“The joint NCPERS/CBIZ compensation study has the precise job descriptions appropriate for the public plan sponsor audience, and robust participation by pension funds means the data are reliable and relevant. I know of no other compensation data source more useful, and the online interactive tool makes exploring a breeze.” – Randy Baum, Former Chief Investment Officer, Denver Employees Retirement Plan

About the 2026 Public Pension Compensation Survey

Conducted in the spring by NCPERS and CBIZ, the 2026 Public Pension Compensation Survey captured:

  • Detailed compensation and bonus data for 100 common roles at public pension funds, broken down by assets under management, number of employees, number of members, and more
  • Insights into benefits provided to staff, including remote work offerings.
  • Current and projected salary increases, along with insights on the salary review components.
  • And much more!

Alongside the detailed report, the interactive dashboard enables organizations to filter the data for more accurate comparisons against peers. Users can apply filters which include elements such as type of participants served, size of fund, number of systems administered, number of fund staff, region, and more. To learn more, contact research@ncpers.org.

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