Data Dictionary
Every field exposed by the API — name, type, source system, transformations applied, and known limitations. For computational methodology and worked examples, see the Methodology & Computations Guide.
All field names match the API JSON response keys (snake_case). Cross-checked against source code as of March 2026.
The platform ingests, cleans, and normalizes data from 7 authoritative California public data sources. Each source is imported via automated pipelines with validation checks and audit logging.
26.8M position records
29 columns per record
2009–2024, all 10 SCO employer types
Annual — typically published ~June following calendar year end
Primary source. Calendar-year totals (not current salary). Mid-year COLAs produce blended annual figures.
1.6M+ financial records
Revenue and expenditure actuals
Cities, counties, and special districts
Annual — typically 8–12 months after fiscal year end
Fund-level revenue and expenditure data. Used for tax-base analysis and financial context.
CDE SACS (Standardized Account Code Structure)
California Department of Education
K-12 fiscal data
Revenue, expenditure, fund balance
All California school districts and COEs
Annual — aligned with fiscal year (July–June)
Supplements SCO FTR for K-12 agency financial data.
CalPERS Employer Contribution Rates
California Public Employees' Retirement System
4,200+ employer rate plans
Employer rate %, normal cost %, UAAL payment
All CalPERS-enrolled agencies, Misc + Safety plans
Annual — published with each fiscal year's actuarial cycle
Used for CalPERS cost loading in Direct Labor Cost Rate and pensionable comp estimates.
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS)
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Market wage benchmarks by SOC code
P10/P25/P50/P75/P90, mean wage, employment count
All SOC codes × CA metro areas
Annual — typically published ~March following reference year
Linked to platform taxonomy via SOC crosswalk. Provides private-sector wage context.
CA Policy Platform
Census, ACS, FBI UCR, BLS LAUS, IRS SOI, HUD
Multi-dimensional community metrics
Housing, crime, employment, migration, demographics
All California cities and counties
Source-dependent (annual for most)
Proxied via the CA Policy Platform API. Used for market intelligence and COLA context.
Agency Salary Schedules & MOUs
Individual agencies (public records)
Adopted salary ranges and labor agreements
Position title, steps, salary ranges, COLAs, special pays
Top 50–100 most-studied agencies (expanding)
Updated when new MOUs are adopted (typically every 2–3 years per unit)
Shows what positions PAY (adopted ranges) vs. SCO which shows what individuals WERE PAID (blended actuals). Sourced from agency websites, PRA requests, and subscriber contributions.
CAN compute with platform data
| Analysis | Key Fields | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Percentile rankings (P25/P50/P75/P90) | base_pay, total_comp, taxonomy_id | Agency-averaged, then cross-agency percentile |
| Year-over-year compensation trends | base_pay, total_comp, year | By taxonomy code across agencies |
| CalPERS employer cost loading | calpers_rates, pension_tier | Matched to position via bargaining unit and tier |
| Bargaining unit distribution | bargaining_unit_inferred | Inferred — verify with agency for deliverables |
| Salary compaction screening | classification_level, base_pay | Flags < 10% spread between adjacent levels |
| Direct Labor Cost Rate (partial) | base_pay, calpers_rates, benefits | Salary + benefits hourly rate. NOT true FBHR |
| FTE estimation | fte_estimate | Heuristic, capped at 1.0 |
| Pensionable compensation estimates | pensionable_comp_estimated, pepra_caps | base_pay + regular_pay, with PEPRA cap check |
| Data quality assessment | data_quality endpoints | 4-dimension composite score per agency per year |
| Market wage context (BLS) | market_benchmarks via SOC crosswalk | Private-sector P10–P90 by metro area |
| Salary schedule range analysis | salary_schedules, salary_schedule_steps | Current adopted ranges vs. SCO actuals |
| MOU COLA projections | mou_colas | Scheduled future increases from active MOUs |
CANNOT compute without supplementary data
| Analysis | Why Not | Workaround |
|---|---|---|
| True Fully Burdened Hourly Rate (FBHR) | Missing overhead, indirect costs, facility allocation | Use Direct Labor Cost Rate as a floor estimate |
| Current salary (real-time) | SCO is calendar-year historical. 6–18 month lag | Bridge with COLA adjustment factor or salary schedule overlay |
| OPEB / retiree health allocation | Not reported in SCO data | Obtain from agency GASB 75 actuarial reports |
| Actual bargaining unit assignments | Not in SCO data. Inferred only | Verify with agency HR or MOU appendices |
| Duties-based FLSA determination | No duty statements. Title-based inference only | Review agency job descriptions independently |
| Internal equity / step placement | SCO reports total pay, not step. No seniority data | Cross-reference salary schedule steps with base_pay to estimate placement |
| Actual headcount / FTE | SCO = positions filed, not headcount. Mid-year hires inflate count | Use fte_estimate as proxy, verify with agency budget docs |
| Benefits plan options / employee contributions | SCO reports total employer cost only | Obtain from agency benefits summaries or MOU appendices |