Annual salary
$72,692
California · salary schedule · 2026-27
Santa Ana Unified salary schedule, 2026-27
Annual certificated salary schedule A-1, 187 workdays (2026-27). The grid below is the schedule as published, every cell; pick a class and step to see the annual, monthly and per-day figure and the next five steps.
- Santa Ana Unified's 2026-27 salary schedule starts at $72,692 (Class I (BA), step 1) and tops out at $142,258 (Class IV (Masters/Doctorate), step 26), per Santa Ana Unified School District (effective ).
- A teacher on the bachelor's column (Class I (BA)) starts at $72,692 and reaches $78,357 at the top of that column.
- On the master's column (Class IV (Masters/Doctorate)) the range is $74,695 to $142,258.
- The schedule is built on 187 work days, which makes the starting cell about $388.73 per day.
- The grid has 4 class columns and 15 step rows; the highest cell is reached at step 26.
- Santa Ana Unified enrolled 38,031 students in 2023-24, the 15th-largest district in California by NCES enrollment.
Annual certificated salary schedule A-1, 187 workdays (2026-27)
| Step \ Class | Class I (BA) | Class II (BA + 24 units) | Class III (BA +45 units) | Class IV (Masters/Doctorate) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $72,692 | $72,692 | $72,692 | $74,695 |
| 2 | $72,692 | $72,692 | $73,616 | $78,061 |
| 3 | $72,692 | $72,692 | $77,301 | $81,570 |
| 4 | $72,692 | $76,042 | $81,158 | $85,244 |
| 5 | $72,692 | $79,842 | $85,220 | $89,082 |
| 6 | $74,983 | $83,832 | $89,478 | $93,093 |
| 7 | $78,357 | $88,024 | $93,950 | $97,276 |
| 8 | $92,428 | $98,638 | $101,655 | |
| 9 | $97,044 | $103,580 | $106,227 | |
| 10 | $101,892 | $108,757 | $111,009 | |
| 11 | $114,202 | $116,008 | ||
| 12 | $121,293 | |||
| 16 | $128,278 | |||
| 21 | $137,463 | |||
| 26 | $142,258 |
highest celllowest cell15 step rows x 4 class columnshover or tap a cell to trace its row and column
Find my cell
Per month (12)
$6,057.67
Per work day
$388.73 / 187 days
Next 5 steps in this class
| Step | Salary | vs. selected |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | $72,692 | +$0 |
| 3 | $72,692 | +$0 |
| 4 | $72,692 | +$0 |
| 5 | $72,692 | +$0 |
| 6 | $74,983 | +$2,291 |
Worked example as rendered: Class I (BA), step 1 = $72,692 a year, $6,057.67 a month spread over 12 months, $388.73 per work day on a 187-day year. Monthly and daily figures are arithmetic on the published annual cell, before any supplement, stipend or deduction.
Schedule A-1, salary based on 187 workdays; 2.5% salary increase effective 7/1/26; board approved June 16, 2026.
Class I is for all teachers who do not hold a full preliminary, clear or general credential (new hires since 7/1/08); the document says 'maximum Step 5' yet prints Steps 6-7 for Class I.
Doctorate holders receive an additional 1% stipend on Class IV, not included.
Longer work-year schedules (A-2 to A-6: 192-225 days) are published separately and not included.
- Soft spot: Class I note says maximum Step 5 but the grid prints values at Steps 6 and 7; published as printed.
- Soft spot: Independent check: 2024-25 J-90 cells x 1.025 reproduce this grid (70,919 -> 72,692; 138,788 -> 142,258), consistent with no 2025-26 change plus the 2.5% 7/1/26 raise.
How this schedule moves
On the Class I (BA) column a teacher moves from $72,692 at step 1 to $78,357 at step 7: 6 step increases worth $944 each on average, 8% in total.
The largest single increase on that column is $3,374, between step 6 and step 7.
4 of the 6 step moves on that column carry no increase: the schedule prints the same figure for consecutive steps.
A master's degree is worth $2,003 more than a bachelor's at the first step (2.8%) and $63,901 more at the top of the column (81.6%).
The highest-paid column, Class IV (Masters/Doctorate), starts at $74,695 and tops out at $142,258, 82% above the top of the Class I (BA) column.
Among the 825 California district schedules indexed here, Santa Ana Unified's starting pay ranks 60th and its top cell ranks 81st; 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 98th percentile and the top cell at the 96th percentile.
Column by column
| Class | First step | Top | Step moves to top | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class I (BA) | $72,692 | $78,357 | 6 | 8% |
| Class II (BA + 24 units) | $72,692 | $101,892 | 9 | 40% |
| Class III (BA +45 units) | $72,692 | $114,202 | 10 | 57% |
| Class IV (Masters/Doctorate) | $74,695 | $142,258 | 14 | 90% |
Against California districts of similar size
| District | Students | Year | Starting | Master's start | Top cell |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Ana Unified | 38,031 | 2026-27 | $72,692 | $74,695 | $142,258 |
| Sacramento City Unified | 38,268 | 2024-25 | $61,429 | – | $132,487 |
| Garden Grove Unified | 37,763 | 2024-25 | $72,504 | – | $141,634 |
| Irvine Unified | 37,731 | 2024-25 | $59,726 | – | $137,884 |
| San Juan Unified | 38,488 | 2025-26 | $60,000 | – | $126,000 |
| Riverside Unified | 38,855 | 2026-27 | $74,796 | – | $144,274 |
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 Santa Ana Unified?
$72,692 on the class Class I (BA) at step 1 of the 2026-27 schedule (Santa Ana Unified School District). The lowest cell on the whole grid is $72,692 (Class I (BA)).
What is the top of the Santa Ana Unified salary schedule?
$142,258, at step 26 on Class IV (Masters/Doctorate) (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 Santa Ana Unified salary schedule?
On the Class I (BA) column the top figure, $78,357, is reached at step 7, 6 step increases after step 1 (2026-27 schedule).
How much more does a master's degree pay in Santa Ana Unified?
$2,003 more at the first step: $74,695 on Class IV (Masters/Doctorate) against $72,692 on Class I (BA) (2026-27 schedule).
Other California districts with schedules
- Sacramento City Unifiedstarts $61,429
- Garden Grove Unifiedstarts $72,504
- Irvine Unifiedstarts $59,726
- San Juan Unifiedstarts $60,000
- Riverside Unifiedstarts $74,796
- Capistrano Unifiedstarts $66,197
- Sweetwater Union Highstarts $58,029
- Poway Unifiedstarts $58,959
- Stockton Unifiedstarts $62,306
- Oakland Unifiedstarts $62,696
See every California district on the California page. Compare this district on the comparison pages or the rankings.