Compare · California vs Illinois
Los Angeles Unified vs Chicago Public Schools
Side by side from the two published grids: Certificated salary schedule (Form J-90, 2024-25) and 208-day teachers salary schedule, 2026-27 (CTU contract Appendix A-1A). Green marks the higher figure (fewer steps to the top counts as higher).
- Los Angeles Unified starts at $60,420 and tops out at $122,706 (2024-25); Chicago Public Schools starts at $69,730.69 and tops out at $131,796.65 (2026-27).
- Difference at the lowest cell: $9,310.69 in favor of Chicago Public Schools; at the highest cell: $9,090.65 in favor of Chicago Public Schools.
- The two schedules are for different school years, so part of any gap is timing; each page shows its own effective date.
Los Angeles Unified
California · 2024-25 · official document
Chicago Public Schools
Illinois · 2026-27 · official document
| Measure | Los Angeles Unified | Chicago Public Schools |
|---|---|---|
| School year | 2024-25 | 2026-27 |
| Effective date | January 1, 2025 | July 1, 2026 |
| Lowest cell (starting salary) | $60,420 | $69,730.69 |
| Bachelor's column start | $60,420 | – |
| Bachelor's column top | $76,034 | – |
| Master's column start | – | – |
| Master's column top | – | – |
| Highest cell | $122,706 | $131,796.65 |
| Steps to the highest cell | 30 | 25 |
| Columns x steps | 24 x 30 | 6 x 25 |
| Work days | 183 | 208 |
| Starting cell per work day | $330.16 | $335.24 |
| NCES enrollment 2023-24 | 419,929 | 322,809 |
Step ladder on the bachelor's (or lowest) column
Los Angeles Unified: BA NON-CRED. Chicago Public Schools: Lane 1. Rows are the 1st, 5th, 10th, 15th and 20th step rows of each grid and its last row; steps are labeled as each district labels them.
| Row | Los Angeles Unified | Chicago Public Schools |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1: $60,420 | 1: $69,730.69 |
| 2 | 5: $64,641 | 5: $75,222.59 |
| 3 | 10: $76,034 | 10: $89,871.54 |
| 4 | – | 15: $100,868.63 |
| 5 | – | 20: $113,585.39 |
| top row | – | 25: $117,306.97 |
Schedules differ in what they include (some districts fold supplements or pension pickups into the grid, some do not) and in the length of the work year, so a cell-to-cell comparison is a starting point, not a ranking of total pay. More: all comparisons, rankings.