California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) vs Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS)
Side-by-side pension health comparison from DOL and public plan data
California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) (C) and Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS) (B) are close on the PensionRisk rubric. Funding ratios sit at 67% and 70% respectively — within a few points of each other.
With grades this close, the comparison turns on plan-specific factors: status (active vs frozen), participant maturity, sponsor financial health, and multi-year trajectory rather than the headline composite.
Verdict
Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 66/100 (B) compared to California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) at 58/100 (C). Funding ratios differ by 2.8 percentage points (70.1% vs 67.3%). Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS) covers 327,000 participants.
| Metric | California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) | Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS) |
|---|---|---|
| Health Score Composite of funding ratio, trend, and PBGC risk | 58/100 (C) | 66/100 (B)* |
| Funding Ratio Assets as % of liabilities (100%+ is fully funded) | 67.3% | 70.1%* |
| Total Assets | $473.0B | $31.5B |
| Total Liabilities | $703.0B | $44.9B* |
| Unfunded Liability | $230.0B | $13.4B* |
| Participants | 2,050,000 | 327,000 |
| 1-Year Investment Return | 5.8%* | 5.5% |
| Plan Type | public | public |
| PBGC Risk Level | moderate | moderate |
| Sponsor | State of California | State of Texas |
Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 66/100 (B) compared to California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) at 58/100 (C). Funding ratios differ by 2.8 percentage points (70.1% vs 67.3%). Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS) covers 327,000 participants.
Explore More
Related Comparisons
- California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) vs California State Teachers Retirement System (CalSTRS)
- California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) vs University of California Retirement Plan
- California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) vs Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Association (LACERA)
- California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) vs San Francisco Employees Retirement System
- Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS) vs Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS)
- Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS) vs Texas County & District Retirement System (TCDRS)
- Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS) vs Texas Municipal Retirement System (TMRS)
- Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS) vs Houston Municipal Employees Pension System