Public Pension Compensation Survey FAQs
The NCPERS-CBIZ Public Pension Compensation Survey is conducted on an annual basis to gather in-depth salary and bonus data for the most common positions found at public pensions. Below, you’ll find answers to frequently asked questions (last updated June 2025). Sign up here for survey updates.
My organization did not receive a copy of the survey instrument. Who can I reach out to request one?
While the deadline to participate in the 2025 survey has passed, please reach out to research@ncpers.org if you are interested in participating in the upcoming survey.
The due date was June 3, 2025.
Please submit the file via email to compsurveys@cbiz.com.
There are 90 positions included in this year’s survey. A PDF with the list of position titles and job summaries is available here.
Please report each employee’s individual salary information, rather than the average. Employee by employee information should be listed on the “DCF4 – Compensation Data” tab of the survey spreadsheet.
List the employee information without a benchmark job code.
Full-time equivalency percentage (EX: 20 hours worked per week out of a 40 hour full-time schedule would equal 50% FTE). Having an accurate FTE % allows us to annualize pay data for part-time employees.
An educated guess or an educated guess range is sufficient.
Direct investment refers to the approach where capital is invested directly by internal staff into companies, projects, or assets rather than external, third-party managers.
Threshold is the minimum level of performance that must be achieved before an incentive can be earned, below which the bonus goes to zero. Target is the expected level of achievement that is achievable and meaningful. If the target isn’t explicitly set, list as the average of threshold and maximum. Maximum is the payout level that cannot be exceeded.
Results will be made available in the fall.
Yes, funds that choose not to participate may purchase the survey for $2,500 (nonmember rate). The survey results will be made available at no cost to participants.
Please reach out to compsurveys@cbiz.com.
With both NCPERS and CBIZ producing annual public pension compensation surveys, we decided to combine our resources to better serve the public pension community. With this partnership, we’ll be able to provide even more thorough data to your fund while reducing the number of surveys you’re asked to complete.
CBIZ is one of the nation’s leading providers of professional advisory services. Their Talent & Compensation Solutions division has deep roots working with public pension funds both through compensation consulting and executive retained search (as EFL Associates). The Compensation Consulting team has a track record of working with public pension funds to benchmark market-competitive compensation and design compensation programs that are aligned with the compensation philosophy and help achieve total rewards goals and objectives. EFL Associates has successfully completed more public pension leadership and investment management searches than any firm in the country.
Established in 1941, the National Conference on Public Employee Retirement Systems (NCPERS) is the largest trade association working on behalf of public sector retirement systems. Organized as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a diverse membership that includes 500 plans, plan sponsors, and stakeholders who collectively oversee approximately $6 trillion in retirement funds, NCPERS works to protect and expand pension access through essential education, innovative research, and unwavering advocacy. From the largest statewide systems to the smallest local funds, NCPERS members make possible the work to safeguard the retirement security of more than 20 million teachers, police, firefighters, and other public servants.