Wage & Benefits Parity

Service contracts require supplier employees be given wages and benefits of equivalent value to those provided to SX and EX bargaining unit employees performing the same or similar work at the location where the work is being performed or the nearest University location if there are not bargaining unit employees performing the same or similar work at UC Santa Cruz. This is an hourly composite rate of labor and benefits.

Suppliers who provide benefits to their employees can use the cost of those benefits, in addition to the wage rate, to match or exceed the UC wage and benefit parity rate. In no case can the wage rate be less than UC’s Fair Work/Fair Wage minimum. 

UC Office of the President provides the wage and benefits parity rates for all SX and EX job titles annually. The relevant wage and benefit parity rate is determined by Staff HR Compensation during the contracting out approval process. During the procurement process, the supplier is required to sign a Wage & Benefits Parity Appendix which contains the minimum hourly rate they must pay their employee.

Please use this link to view the 2024 wage and benefit parity rates for the UC Santa Cruz. These rates will affect services from June 1, 2024 through May 31, 2025.

Please use this link to view the 2025 wage and benefit parity rates for the UC Santa Cruz.These rates that will affect services from June 1, 2025 through May 31, 2026.

Note: Wage and benefits parity does not apply to contracts for Skilled Crafts (K7) services.