Annual salary
$59,622
California · salary schedule · 2026-27
Berkeley Unified salary schedule, 2026-27
Certificated teacher salary schedule, Salary Schedule 17 Middle and High School (2026-27). The grid below is the schedule as published, every cell; pick a column and step to see the annual, monthly and per-day figure and the next five steps.
- Berkeley Unified's 2026-27 salary schedule starts at $59,622 (I: BA, step 1) and tops out at $125,923 (VII: BA + 84 / BA + 66 (incl. MA) / MA + 36, step 24), per Berkeley Unified School District (effective ).
- A teacher on the bachelor's column (I: BA) starts at $59,622 and reaches $76,947 at the top of that column.
- The schedule is built on 184 work days, which makes the starting cell about $324.03 per day.
- The grid has 7 column columns and 24 step rows; the highest cell is reached at step 24.
- Berkeley Unified enrolled 9,077 students in 2023-24, the 167th-largest district in California by NCES enrollment.
Certificated teacher salary schedule, Salary Schedule 17 Middle and High School (2026-27)
| Step \ Column | I: BA | II: BA + 24 | III: BA + 36 | IV: BA + 48 or MA | V: BA + 60 / BA + 42 (incl. MA) / MA + 12 | VI: BA + 72 / BA + 54 (incl. MA) / MA + 24 | VII: BA + 84 / BA + 66 (incl. MA) / MA + 36 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $59,622 | $72,856 | $74,970 | $77,141 | $77,141 | $77,141 | $77,141 |
| 2 | $61,751 | $74,970 | $77,141 | $79,381 | $81,684 | $81,684 | $81,684 |
| 3 | $63,594 | $77,141 | $79,381 | $81,684 | $84,051 | $86,491 | $86,491 |
| 4 | $65,490 | $77,141 | $81,684 | $84,051 | $86,491 | $88,999 | $91,581 |
| 5 | $67,332 | $77,141 | $84,051 | $86,491 | $88,999 | $91,579 | $94,233 |
| 6 | $68,334 | $77,141 | $84,051 | $88,999 | $91,579 | $94,233 | $96,971 |
| 7 | $69,247 | $77,141 | $84,051 | $91,579 | $94,233 | $96,971 | $99,782 |
| 8 | $70,140 | $77,141 | $84,051 | $91,579 | $96,971 | $99,782 | $102,672 |
| 9 | $71,064 | $77,896 | $84,051 | $91,579 | $99,878 | $102,773 | $105,754 |
| 10 | $71,892 | $78,724 | $84,637 | $91,579 | $102,873 | $105,855 | $108,923 |
| 11 | $71,892 | $78,724 | $84,637 | $91,579 | $105,962 | $109,030 | $112,192 |
| 12 | $71,892 | $78,724 | $84,637 | $91,579 | $107,918 | $110,989 | $114,152 |
| 13 | $71,892 | $78,724 | $84,637 | $91,579 | $107,918 | $110,989 | $114,152 |
| 14 | $73,616 | $80,447 | $86,359 | $93,299 | $109,877 | $112,944 | $116,108 |
| 15 | $73,616 | $80,447 | $86,359 | $93,299 | $109,877 | $112,944 | $116,108 |
| 16 | $75,228 | $82,057 | $87,971 | $94,912 | $111,830 | $114,902 | $118,065 |
| 17 | $75,228 | $82,057 | $87,971 | $94,912 | $111,830 | $114,902 | $118,065 |
| 18 | $76,947 | $83,778 | $89,412 | $96,631 | $113,791 | $116,859 | $120,018 |
| 19 | $76,947 | $83,778 | $89,692 | $96,631 | $113,791 | $116,859 | $120,018 |
| 20 | $76,947 | $83,778 | $89,692 | $96,631 | $115,741 | $118,817 | $121,978 |
| 21 | $76,947 | $83,778 | $89,692 | $96,631 | $115,741 | $118,817 | $121,978 |
| 22 | $76,947 | $83,778 | $89,692 | $96,631 | $117,702 | $120,770 | $123,935 |
| 23 | $76,947 | $83,778 | $89,692 | $96,631 | $117,702 | $120,770 | $123,935 |
| 24 | $76,947 | $83,778 | $89,692 | $96,631 | $119,589 | $122,707 | $125,923 |
highest celllowest cell24 step rows x 7 column columnshover or tap a cell to trace its row and column
Find my cell
Per month (12)
$4,968.50
Per work day
$324.03 / 184 days
Next 5 steps in this column
| Step | Salary | vs. selected |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | $61,751 | +$2,129 |
| 3 | $63,594 | +$3,972 |
| 4 | $65,490 | +$5,868 |
| 5 | $67,332 | +$7,710 |
| 6 | $68,334 | +$8,712 |
Worked example as rendered: I: BA, step 1 = $59,622 a year, $4,968.50 a month spread over 12 months, $324.03 per work day on a 184-day year. Monthly and daily figures are arithmetic on the published annual cell, before any supplement, stipend or deduction.
BFT (Berkeley Federation of Teachers) Salary Schedule 17, Middle and High School, 184 days. The document also prints a daily rate beside each annual figure; those are omitted here.
Elementary teachers are on Salary Schedule 16 (185 days), which carries the same annual figures; counselors, speech-language pathologists, psychologists and early childhood teachers have their own schedules in the same document.
Column I is the entry column for Emergency/Pre-Intern/Intern credentials; Column II is the minimum entry column for Clear/Preliminary credentials. Column VII requires 18 units earned after 9/1/81.
Many columns hold flat across several steps (the district's own step structure).
- Soft spot: Posted July 2026 on the district HR page as the 2026-27 BFT schedule (file suffix -4, a revision); the BFT contract posted there is 2022-2025, so the successor agreement text was not read.
How this schedule moves
On the I: BA column a teacher moves from $59,622 at step 1 to $76,947 at step 18: 17 step increases worth $1,019 each on average, 29% in total.
The largest single increase on that column is $2,129, between step 1 and step 2.
11 of the 23 step moves on that column carry no increase: the schedule prints the same figure for consecutive steps.
The highest-paid column, VII: BA + 84 / BA + 66 (incl. MA) / MA + 36, starts at $77,141 and tops out at $125,923, 64% above the top of the I: BA column.
Among the 825 California district schedules indexed here, Berkeley Unified's starting pay ranks 419th and its top cell ranks 312th; the state medians are $59,726 to start and $120,047 at the top.
Across all 3,959 district grids indexed nationally, that starting figure sits at the 76th percentile and the top cell at the 88th percentile.
Column by column
| Column | First step | Top | Step moves to top | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I: BA | $59,622 | $76,947 | 17 | 29% |
| II: BA + 24 | $72,856 | $83,778 | 17 | 15% |
| III: BA + 36 | $74,970 | $89,692 | 18 | 20% |
| IV: BA + 48 or MA | $77,141 | $96,631 | 17 | 25% |
| V: BA + 60 / BA + 42 (incl. MA) / MA + 12 | $77,141 | $119,589 | 23 | 55% |
| VI: BA + 72 / BA + 54 (incl. MA) / MA + 24 | $77,141 | $122,707 | 23 | 59% |
| VII: BA + 84 / BA + 66 (incl. MA) / MA + 36 | $77,141 | $125,923 | 23 | 63% |
Against California districts of similar size
| District | Students | Year | Starting | Master's start | Top cell |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berkeley Unified | 9,077 | 2026-27 | $59,622 | – | $125,923 |
| Alameda Unified | 9,061 | 2024-25 | $68,272 | – | $124,990 |
| Greenfield Union | 9,021 | 2026-27 | $62,353 | – | $122,758 |
| Westside Union Elementary | 9,138 | 2024-25 | $64,194 | – | $132,656 |
| Arcadia Unified | 8,988 | 2024-25 | $76,742 | – | $152,165 |
| Santa Maria Joint Union High | 8,985 | 2024-25 | $60,030 | – | $130,373 |
Starting pay is the first step of the bachelor's column where the schedule has one, otherwise the lowest first-step cell. Enrollment is NCES 2023-24. Years differ where districts publish on different cycles.
Questions people ask
What is the starting teacher salary in Berkeley Unified?
$59,622 on the column I: BA at step 1 of the 2026-27 schedule (Berkeley Unified School District). The lowest cell on the whole grid is $59,622 (I: BA).
What is the top of the Berkeley Unified salary schedule?
$125,923, at step 24 on VII: BA + 84 / BA + 66 (incl. MA) / MA + 36 (2026-27). That is the highest published cell before any stipend, longevity or supplement not printed on the grid.
How long does it take to reach the top of the Berkeley Unified salary schedule?
On the I: BA column the top figure, $76,947, is reached at step 18, 17 step increases after step 1 (2026-27 schedule).
Other California districts with schedules
- Alameda Unifiedstarts $68,272
- Greenfield Unionstarts $62,353
- Westside Union Elementarystarts $64,194
- Arcadia Unifiedstarts $76,742
- Santa Maria Joint Union Highstarts $60,030
- Saugus Unionstarts $53,873
- Los Alamitos Unifiedstarts $60,397
- Monterey Peninsula Unifiedstarts $59,277
- Tulare Citystarts $70,227
- San Mateo Union Highstarts $82,756
See every California district on the California page. Compare this district on the comparison pages or the rankings.