California / Air Resources Board

Agency file

Air Resources Board

Source file: California — State Employee Compensation (SCO Payroll Data Warehouse, CPRA) / ingested Jul 4, 2026

The Air Resources Board is a government agency that delivers public services and programs within its jurisdiction.

In 2025, this agency had 2,051 employees with median total compensation of $116,073; the highest distinct record was $283,957.

Year: 2025
Total payroll: $223.9M
Employees: 2,051
Median total: $116,073
Highest record: $283,957

What the records show

Compensation analytics

These summaries compare pay within the agency before listing individual records.

Salary distribution

-$159,504$193,675+

Hover a bar for its range; click to filter the list below.

How 2025 total compensation is spread across the 2,051 employees. Each bar is a pay range; taller bars mean more people earn in that range. The amber line marks the median ($116,073) — half earn less, half more. The far-right bar collects the highest earners.

Average pay composition

Base — $106,830 (98%)
Overtime — $82 (0%)
Other — $2,263 (2%)
Benefits — $0 (0%)

What an average paycheck here is made of — base salary versus overtime, other pay (bonuses, allowances), and benefits. A large overtime or other-pay share means take-home often exceeds base salary.

Pay percentiles

10th

25th

Median

75th

90th

$45,372

$78,615

$116,073

$141,136

$162,362

The pay ladder for this department. Someone at the 90th percentile earns $162,362 — more than 90% of the department; the 10th percentile earns $45,372. The shaded band is the middle half of employees (25th–75th percentile).

Largest job titles

Air Pollution Specialist

622 · $118,941

Air Resources Engineer

341 · $124,862

Air Resources Supervisor I

192 · $162,087

Staff Air Pollution Specialist

142 · $149,024

Associate Governmental Program Analyst

106 · $76,928

The most common job titles in this department by headcount, with the median total compensation for each. Click a title to see everyone who holds it.

Trend

Year over year

How this department's total payroll, headcount, and median pay changed across the 3 published years.

Year	Total payroll	Employees	Median pay
2023	$197.9M —	1,887 —	$114,755 —
2024	$218.2M ▲ 10.2%	2,080 ▲ 10.2%	$112,700 ▼ 1.8%
2025	$223.9M ▲ 2.6%	2,051 ▼ 1.4%	$116,073 ▲ 3.0%

Record list

Employees

Page 4

Michael Benjamin

C.E.A./Air Resources Board

2025 total comp

$164,974

Base pay: $143,440
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $21,534
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $164,974
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: M01
Work county: Sacramento
Middle name: T

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $18,470
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 6737107500001
Salary Total: $17,916
Total Pay: $164,974

At Air Resources Board, Michael Benjamin serves as a C.E.A.. They work full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $164,974. Their bargaining unit is M01.

Biswajit Poddar

Information Technology Manager II/Air Resources Board

2025 total comp

$164,777

Base pay: $161,207
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $3,570
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $164,777
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: M01
Work county: Sacramento

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $13,842
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 6738601406003
Salary Total: $13,427
Total Pay: $164,777

Biswajit Poddar is a Information Technology Manager II at Air Resources Board. They work full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $164,777. They are represented by M01.

Thomas Johnston

Senior Industrial Hygienist/Air Resources Board

2025 total comp

$164,752

Base pay: $164,352
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $400
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $164,752
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: S10
Work county: Sacramento
Middle name: S

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $14,203
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 6738103852001
Salary Total: $13,777
Total Pay: $164,752

Thomas Johnston holds the role of Senior Industrial Hygienist at Air Resources Board. Their status is full-time. In 2025, their total compensation was $164,752. They are represented by S10.

Ryan Atencio

Staff Air Pollution Specialist/Air Resources Board

2025 total comp

$164,708

Base pay: $164,358
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $350
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $164,708
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R09
Work county: Los Angeles
Middle name: M

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $13,173
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 6731103875004
Salary Total: $13,702
Total Pay: $164,708

Ryan Atencio is a Staff Air Pollution Specialist at Air Resources Board. They work full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $164,708. They are represented by R09.

Lindsay Buckley

Communications Director/Air Resources Board/Air Resources Board

2025 total comp

$164,348

Base pay: $160,927
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $3,421
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $164,348
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: E99
Work county: Sacramento
Middle name: K

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $14,163
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 6730109770001
Salary Total: $13,738
Total Pay: $164,348

At Air Resources Board, Lindsay Buckley serves as a Communications Director/Air Resources Board. They work full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $164,348. Union affiliation: E99.