Annual salary
$66,293.35
California · salary schedule · 2026-27
Santa Monica-Malibu Unified salary schedule, 2026-27
Certificated teaching/counseling salary schedule (2026-27). The grid below is the schedule as published, every cell; pick a group and step to see the annual, monthly and per-day figure and the next five steps.
- Santa Monica-Malibu Unified's 2026-27 salary schedule starts at $66,293.35 (Group I (BA+0-13), step 1) and tops out at $133,262.03 (Group VI (BA+70), step 18), per Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (effective ).
- The schedule is built on 184 work days, which makes the starting cell about $360.29 per day.
- The grid has 6 group columns and 18 step rows; the highest cell is reached at step 18.
- Santa Monica-Malibu Unified enrolled 8,641 students in 2023-24, the 179th-largest district in California by NCES enrollment.
Certificated teaching/counseling salary schedule (2026-27)
Official sourceDocumentSanta Monica-Malibu Unified School DistrictSchool year2026-27EffectiveWork days184
| Step \ Group | Group I (BA+0-13) | Group II (BA+14-27) | Group III (BA+28-41) | Group IV (BA+42-55) | Group V (BA+56-69) | Group VI (BA+70) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $66,293.35 | $66,293.35 | $66,293.35 | $70,152.64 | $74,486.28 | $78,819.94 |
| 2 | $66,293.35 | $66,293.35 | $68,540.96 | $72,874.63 | $77,208.28 | $81,544.02 |
| 3 | $66,293.35 | $66,929.31 | $71,260.91 | $75,596.63 | $79,928.20 | $84,263.94 |
| 4 | $66,293.35 | $69,649.24 | $73,984.97 | $78,316.55 | $82,652.29 | $86,985.94 |
| 5 | $68,037.60 | $72,371.24 | $76,704.90 | $81,038.56 | $85,374.29 | $89,705.86 |
| 6 | $70,759.59 | $75,093.24 | $79,426.91 | $83,762.63 | $88,094.21 | $92,429.95 |
| 7 | $73,479.52 | $77,815.24 | $82,146.84 | $86,482.55 | $90,816.21 | $95,149.88 |
| 8 | $76,203.60 | $80,535.17 | $84,868.83 | $89,204.55 | $93,538.21 | $97,871.87 |
| 9 | $78,923.52 | $83,257.17 | $87,592.91 | $91,924.49 | $96,260.21 | $100,591.80 |
| 10 | $81,645.53 | $85,981.24 | $90,312.82 | $94,646.48 | $98,980.14 | $103,315.88 |
| 11 | $84,365.45 | $88,699.09 | $93,034.84 | $97,368.49 | $101,702.13 | $106,037.88 |
| 12 | $87,089.51 | $91,423.18 | $95,754.76 | $100,090.48 | $104,422.08 | $108,757.81 |
| 13 | $108,757.81 | |||||
| 14 | $108,757.81 | |||||
| 15 | $112,842.88 | |||||
| 16 | $112,842.88 | |||||
| 17 | $112,842.88 | |||||
| 18 | $133,262.03 |
highest celllowest cell18 step rows x 6 group columnshover or tap a cell to trace its row and column
Find my cell
Per month (12)
$5,524.45
Per work day
$360.29 / 184 days
Next 5 steps in this group
| Step | Salary | vs. selected |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | $66,293.35 | +$0.00 |
| 3 | $66,293.35 | +$0.00 |
| 4 | $66,293.35 | +$0.00 |
| 5 | $68,037.60 | +$1,744.25 |
| 6 | $70,759.59 | +$4,466.24 |
Worked example as rendered: Group I (BA+0-13), step 1 = $66,293.35 a year, $5,524.45 a month spread over 12 months, $360.29 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.
Appendix B-1, effective July 1, 2026 (2% increase), adopted by the Board of Education 7/16/2026, updated 8/1/2026.
Annual figures based on a 184-day work year; the document also prints daily rates (not shown).
Steps 13-18 exist only in Group VI and include career increments ($4,085.07 at step 15, $20,419.15 at step 18).
Degree increments excluded: master's $2,530.46, doctorate $4,746.24; also special ed, SLP, NBPTS and immersion stipends.
How this schedule moves
On the Group I (BA+0-13) column a teacher moves from $66,293.35 at step 1 to $87,089.51 at step 12: 11 step increases worth $1,891 each on average, 31% in total.
The largest single increase on that column is $2,724, between step 7 and step 8.
3 of the 11 step moves on that column carry no increase: the schedule prints the same figure for consecutive steps.
The highest-paid column, Group VI (BA+70), starts at $78,819.94 and tops out at $133,262.03, 53% above the top of the Group I (BA+0-13) column.
Among the 825 California district schedules indexed here, Santa Monica-Malibu Unified's starting pay ranks 175th and its top cell ranks 181st; 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 93rd percentile and the top cell at the 92nd percentile.
Column by column
| Group | First step | Top | Step moves to top | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group I (BA+0-13) | $66,293.35 | $87,089.51 | 11 | 31% |
| Group II (BA+14-27) | $66,293.35 | $91,423.18 | 11 | 38% |
| Group III (BA+28-41) | $66,293.35 | $95,754.76 | 11 | 44% |
| Group IV (BA+42-55) | $70,152.64 | $100,090.48 | 11 | 43% |
| Group V (BA+56-69) | $74,486.28 | $104,422.08 | 11 | 40% |
| Group VI (BA+70) | $78,819.94 | $133,262.03 | 17 | 69% |
Against California districts of similar size
| District | Students | Year | Starting | Master's start | Top cell |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Monica-Malibu Unified | 8,641 | 2026-27 | $66,293.35 | – | $133,262.03 |
| Campbell Union High | 8,613 | 2024-25 | $78,089 | – | $149,081 |
| Oak Grove Elementary | 8,714 | 2024-25 | $66,630 | – | $123,563 |
| Sequoia Union High | 8,553 | 2024-25 | $86,466 | – | $160,056 |
| San Leandro Unified | 8,741 | 2025-26 | $91,812 | – | $164,482 |
| Yucaipa-Calimesa Joint Unified | 8,529 | 2024-25 | $61,555 | – | $132,067 |
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 salary on the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified schedule?
$66,293.35 at step 1 on Group I (BA+0-13), per the 2026-27 schedule (Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District).
What is the top of the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified salary schedule?
$133,262.03, at step 18 on Group VI (BA+70) (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 Monica-Malibu Unified salary schedule?
On the Group I (BA+0-13) column the top figure, $87,089.51, is reached at step 12, 11 step increases after step 1 (2026-27 schedule).
Other California districts with schedules
- Campbell Union Highstarts $78,089
- Oak Grove Elementarystarts $66,630
- Sequoia Union Highstarts $86,466
- San Leandro Unifiedstarts $91,812
- Yucaipa-Calimesa Joint Unifiedstarts $61,555
- Lincoln Unifiedstarts $64,949
- Evergreen Elementarystarts $69,821
- San Mateo Union Highstarts $82,756
- Davis Joint Unifiedstarts $56,837
- Los Alamitos Unifiedstarts $60,397
See every California district on the California page. Compare this district on the comparison pages or the rankings.