2026-27 · State salary guide
California teacher salary schedules 2026-27
- Average salary
- $103,552NEA 2024-25
- Starting salary
- $59,424NEA 2024-25
- State minimum
- Not publishedSee state terms
- Districts sourced
- 10Official schedules
California teachers averaged $103,552 in 2024-25, the highest in the nation per NEA, and the average starting salary was $59,424.
California teachers averaged $103,552 in 2024-25, the highest in the nation per NEA, and the average starting salary was $59,424. The state sets no minimum teacher salary schedule, so pay is bargained district by district. Among the ten largest districts, credentialed starting pay for 2025-26 or 2026-27 ranges from about $59,000 (Elk Grove) to about $79,000 (Corona-Norco), and top printed salaries run from about $120,000 to $148,000 with units and longevity.
Last verified · View sources
Compare district salaries
Annual base pay, by education level. Years and contract terms can differ; open each schedule before comparing.
Select a column heading to sort. Scroll the table horizontally for more columns. — means not supplied.
10 districts shown
The district picture
Starting pay to top pay
Largest districts included in this guide, sorted by published top pay. Starting pay is the bachelor’s entry rate; top pay is the highest published maximum across degree lanes.
Schedule not published
View district chart data
| District | Year | BA start | Top pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corona-Norco Unified | 2026-27 | $79,380 | $148,405 |
| Long Beach Unified | 2026-27 | $74,069 | $139,095 |
| Capistrano Unified | 2025-26 | $66,197 | $135,076 |
| San Diego Unified | 2026-27 | $62,503 | $132,292 |
| Los Angeles Unified | 2026-27 | $75,311 | $131,378 |
| San Francisco Unified | 2026-27 | $77,499 | $127,941 |
| San Juan Unified | 2025-26 | $60,000 | $126,000 |
| Elk Grove Unified | 2026-27 | $59,221 | $119,878 |
| Fresno Unified | 2026-27 | $69,251 | $119,769 |
| San Bernardino City Unified | 2025-26 | Not published | Not published |
Experience & progression
How pay grows by step
Bachelor’s lane · 5 districts with numeric step data
- San Diego Unified2026-27
- Fresno Unified2026-27
- Elk Grove Unified2026-27
- Long Beach Unified2026-27
- San Francisco Unified2026-27
View step progression data
| District | Step | Annual pay |
|---|---|---|
| San Diego Unified | 1 | $62,503 |
| San Diego Unified | 2 | $64,849 |
| San Diego Unified | 3 | $67,291 |
| San Diego Unified | 4 | $69,831 |
| San Diego Unified | 5 | $72,473 |
| San Diego Unified | 6 | $75,218 |
| San Diego Unified | 7 | $78,077 |
| San Diego Unified | 8 | $81,046 |
| San Diego Unified | 9 | $84,132 |
| San Diego Unified | 10 | $87,345 |
| San Diego Unified | 11 | $90,683 |
| San Diego Unified | 12 | $90,683 |
| San Diego Unified | 13 | $90,683 |
| San Diego Unified | 14 | $90,683 |
| San Diego Unified | 15 | $90,683 |
| San Diego Unified | 16 | $93,875 |
| San Diego Unified | 17 | $98,778 |
| San Diego Unified | 76 | $101,980 |
| Fresno Unified | 1 | $69,251 |
| Fresno Unified | 2 | $69,778 |
| Fresno Unified | 3 | $73,516 |
| Fresno Unified | 4 | $77,254 |
| Fresno Unified | 5 | $80,993 |
| Fresno Unified | 6 | $84,731 |
| Fresno Unified | 7 | $88,469 |
| Elk Grove Unified | 1 | $59,221 |
| Elk Grove Unified | 2 | $59,221 |
| Elk Grove Unified | 3 | $59,221 |
| Elk Grove Unified | 4 | $59,221 |
| Elk Grove Unified | 5 | $59,221 |
| Elk Grove Unified | 6 | $60,392 |
| Elk Grove Unified | 7 | $62,337 |
| Elk Grove Unified | 8 | $62,337 |
| Elk Grove Unified | 9 | $62,337 |
| Elk Grove Unified | 10 | $62,337 |
| Elk Grove Unified | 11 | $62,337 |
| Elk Grove Unified | 12 | $62,337 |
| Elk Grove Unified | 13 | $62,337 |
| Elk Grove Unified | 14 | $62,412 |
| Elk Grove Unified | 15 | $63,115 |
| Elk Grove Unified | 16 | $64,465 |
| Elk Grove Unified | 17 | $65,822 |
| Elk Grove Unified | 18 | $67,172 |
| Elk Grove Unified | 19 | $70,472 |
| Elk Grove Unified | 20 | $70,472 |
| Elk Grove Unified | 21 | $70,472 |
| Elk Grove Unified | 22 | $73,186 |
| Long Beach Unified | 1 | $74,069 |
| Long Beach Unified | 2 | $74,071 |
| Long Beach Unified | 3 | $74,073 |
| Long Beach Unified | 4 | $74,075 |
| Long Beach Unified | 5 | $74,130 |
| Long Beach Unified | 6 | $77,463 |
| Long Beach Unified | 7 | $80,796 |
| Long Beach Unified | 8 | $84,128 |
| Long Beach Unified | 9 | $87,461 |
| Long Beach Unified | 10 | $90,794 |
| Long Beach Unified | 11 | $94,126 |
| Long Beach Unified | 12 | $98,315 |
| San Francisco Unified | 1 | $77,499 |
| San Francisco Unified | 2 | $78,391 |
| San Francisco Unified | 3 | $79,277 |
| San Francisco Unified | 4 | $80,171 |
| San Francisco Unified | 5 | $81,057 |
| San Francisco Unified | 6 | $81,943 |
| San Francisco Unified | 7 | $82,835 |
| San Francisco Unified | 8 | $83,724 |
| San Francisco Unified | 9 | $84,614 |
| San Francisco Unified | 10 | $85,501 |
| San Francisco Unified | 11 | $86,901 |
| San Francisco Unified | 12 | $89,618 |
| San Francisco Unified | 13 | $92,333 |
The wider picture
Salary in context
View salary context data
| Measure | Amount | Context |
|---|---|---|
| California average | $103,552 | NEA 2024-25 |
| State minimum | Not published | See state minimum terms below |
| National average | Not published | Reporting year not published |
Before you compare offers
Match the school year, degree lane and credited experience. The published maximum is not a promise of starting placement. Confirm contract days, supplements and eligibility in each district’s official schedule.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I find California district salary schedules?
Use the district comparison table on this page to open a district guide and its official salary schedule. Each source is linked with a verification date.
Does a master’s degree change the salary?
Check the master’s lane in the district’s published schedule. Degree supplements and placement rules vary; a missing value here does not mean there is no additional pay.
Sources and last checked
- Largest & Smallest Public School Districts (CalEdFacts), 2025-26 · California Department of Education
- Educator Pay and Student Spending: How Does Your State Rank? · National Education Association
- LAUSD T Table salary schedule, Jul-Dec 2026 · Los Angeles Unified School District
- San Diego Unified Teachers (SDEA) salary schedule 2026-27 · San Diego Unified School District
- Fresno Unified Schedule A 2026-27 · Fresno Unified School District
- Elk Grove Unified EGEA Schedule #10 2026-27 · Elk Grove Unified School District
- Long Beach Unified Schedule A4 2026-27 · Long Beach Unified School District
- SFUSD UESF certificated salary schedules · San Francisco Unified School District
- San Juan Unified TK-12 salary schedule 2025-26 · San Juan Unified School District
- Corona-Norco Unified Certificated Basic 2026-27 · Corona-Norco Unified School District
- San Bernardino City Unified SBTA Appendix A 2025-26 · San Bernardino City Unified School District
- Capistrano Unified certificated salary schedule 2025-26 · Capistrano Unified School District
- Los Angeles Unified: source · Los Angeles Unified
- San Diego Unified: source · San Diego Unified
- Fresno Unified: source · Fresno Unified
- Elk Grove Unified: source · Elk Grove Unified
- Long Beach Unified: source · Long Beach Unified
- San Francisco Unified: salary schedule · San Francisco Unified
- San Juan Unified: source · San Juan Unified
- Corona-Norco Unified: source · Corona-Norco Unified
- San Bernardino City Unified: source · San Bernardino City Unified
- Capistrano Unified: source · Capistrano Unified
Last verified
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