Public Sector Compensation Base

The Public Sector Compensation Base contains a list of sectors and sub-sectors that meet the definition of the Public Sector Employers Act, including:

• Estimated number of full-time equivalent positions (FTE)
• Number of people employed in each sector (headcount)
• Total compensation by sector

The Public Sector Compensation Base is based on data collected through the Compensation Base Survey (CBS). The CBS is conducted by the PSEC Secretariat in the fall of each year to provide as accurate a picture as possible of the total cost of B.C. public sector compensation. Once the survey is completed, the data is reviewed to ensure it is reliable and comparable across public sector employers. Assumptions and methodologies are refined as necessary and the data is then used to project the compensation base at the beginning of the fiscal year to what it will be as of April 1, 2023.

Public Sector Compensation Base 
(total compensation base = 43.8 billion)

*Data as at April 1, 2023

Public Sector Employee Headcount
(number of people employed in each sector = 520,720)

*Data as at April 1, 2023

Public Sector Compensation Base Open Data

The Public Sector Compensation Base Open Data Field Definitions (PDF) and the Public Sector Compensation Base Open Data contain a list of all organizations encompassed by the Public Sector Employers Act, including estimated number of full-time equivalent positions (FTE), number of people employed in each sector (headcount) and total labour costs. Total labour costs include employer paid wages, benefits and statutory benefits. The data is collected by surveying the organizations prior to a major collective agreement bargaining cycle and updated periodically to reflect changes reported by the organizations. By downloading this dataset, you agree to the terms and conditions of the Open Government License – British Columbia.

More information on Open Data is available on DataBC.