Rankings · California
Highest paying school districts in California
Ranked from the districts' own published salary schedules, not from survey averages or self-reported figures. Every row links to that district's full step-and-lane grid and the document it was read from.
- The highest starting bachelor's salary among the 825 indexed California district schedules is Mountain View-Los Altos Union High at $106,025 (2024-25).
- The highest single cell on any indexed California grid is Mountain View-Los Altos Union High at $205,547.
- This ranks the 825 California districts whose published schedule is indexed here, out of 989 districts in the state. A district that is not indexed is not ranked.
Highest starting salary on the bachelor's column
| District | Year | Starting | Column | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Mountain View-Los Altos Union High | 2024-25 | $106,025 | BA | 4,406 |
| 2. San Leandro Unified | 2025-26 | $91,812 | Col. I: BA to 44 | 8,741 |
| 3. Fremont Unified | 2026-27 | $89,112 | C: BA | 33,063 |
| 4. Sequoia Union High | 2024-25 | $86,466 | BA | 8,553 |
| 5. Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High | 2024-25 | $85,896 | BA | 3,183 |
| 6. Portola Valley Elementary | 2024-25 | $85,145 | BA | 504 |
| 7. San Francisco Unified | 2026-27 | $83,278 | B6: Bachelors Degree and less than 30 additional semester units | 48,736 |
| 8. Santa Clara County Office of Education | 2025-26 | $83,120.50 | B BA Degree | 1,408 |
| 9. Sunnyvale | 2025-26 | $82,706 | B: Reg. Cred. B.A. plus 45 sem. hrs. | 5,618 |
| 10. Campbell Union | 2024-25 | $82,477 | BA TO 29 | 6,183 |
| 11. Hayward Unified | 2024-25 | $82,468 | BA | 17,631 |
| 12. Menlo Park City Elementary | 2024-25 | $79,286 | BA | 2,730 |
| 13. Campbell Union High | 2024-25 | $78,089 | BA | 8,613 |
| 14. Hillsborough City Elementary | 2024-25 | $77,220 | BA | 1,263 |
| 15. Milpitas Unified | 2024-25 | $76,899 | BA | 10,199 |
| 16. Arcadia Unified | 2024-25 | $76,742 | BA | 8,988 |
| 17. Tamalpais Union High | 2024-25 | $75,619 | BA CRED | 4,730 |
| 18. Riverside Unified | 2026-27 | $74,796 | A: BA to 44 | 38,855 |
| 19. Beverly Hills Unified | 2024-25 | $74,743 | BA | 3,074 |
| 20. Laguna Beach Unified | 2024-25 | $74,634 | BA WHOLE YR | 2,386 |
| 21. San Dieguito Union High | 2026-27 | $74,434 | Range 1: BA only | 12,364 |
| 22. Reed Union Elementary | 2024-25 | $74,432 | BA | 1,048 |
| 23. Mill Valley Elementary | 2024-25 | $74,335 | BA | 2,282 |
| 24. Los Alamitos Unified | 2024-25 | $74,293 | BA | 8,931 |
| 25. Mark West Union Elementary | 2024-25 | $73,473 | BA | 1,342 |
Highest cell anywhere on the schedule
The top of a schedule is normally the most senior step of the highest education column, so this is what a long-serving teacher with the most credits can reach, not a typical salary.
| District | Year | Top cell | Column | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Mountain View-Los Altos Union High | 2024-25 | $205,547 | BA+75 | 4,406 |
| 2. Saint Helena Unified | 2024-25 | $185,413 | BA+90 | 1,103 |
| 3. Fremont Union High | 2026-27 | $181,287 | IV (AB + 75) | 9,646 |
| 4. Laguna Beach Unified | 2024-25 | $173,453 | MA+60+24 HALF YR | 2,386 |
| 5. Santa Clara Unified | 2024-25 | $171,568 | BA+60 | 14,236 |
| 6. Orange County Department of Education | 2026-27 | $168,848 | Range V: BA + 60 Incl MA | 2,551 |
| 7. Palo Alto Unified | 2024-25 | $168,598 | BA+90 | 10,271 |
| 8. Oxnard Union High | 2024-25 | $166,909 | BA+60+MA | 16,501 |
| 9. Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High | 2024-25 | $165,138 | BA+75 | 3,183 |
| 10. San Leandro Unified | 2025-26 | $164,482 | Col. VII: BA + 100 | 8,741 |
| 11. Central Union High | 2024-25 | $163,382 | MA+60 OR PHD | 4,023 |
| 12. Riverside County Office of Education | 2024-25 | $163,148 | BA+75+MA OR MA+30 SPED-220 DAYS | 1,469 |
| 13. Newport-Mesa Unified | 2025-26 | $162,589 | Column G (BA+75, Masters, Doctorate & Ntnl Board Certification) | 17,768 |
| 14. Brawley Union High | 2024-25 | $162,343 | MA | 2,022 |
| 15. Carmel Unified | 2024-25 | $162,162 | BA+75 | 2,159 |
| 16. Menlo Park City Elementary | 2024-25 | $161,960 | BA+90 | 2,730 |
| 17. Sequoia Union High | 2024-25 | $160,056 | BA+75 | 8,553 |
| 18. Portola Valley Elementary | 2024-25 | $160,041 | BA+90 | 504 |
| 19. Mountain View Whisman | 2026-27 | $160,001 | V BA +90 or 75 with MA | 4,591 |
| 20. Brawley Elementary | 2024-25 | $159,391 | MA | 3,901 |
| 21. Los Gatos Union Elementary | 2024-25 | $159,362 | BA+90 | 2,673 |
| 22. Calistoga Joint Unified | 2024-25 | $159,013 | BA+75+MA | 790 |
| 23. Chaffey Joint Union High | 2025-26 | $157,332 | Class F (BA + 75 or BA + 60/MA or MA + 30) | 22,628 |
| 24. San Mateo Union High | 2024-25 | $157,234 | BA+75 | 8,841 |
| 25. Ravenswood City Elementary | 2024-25 | $156,418 | STRAIGHT LINE SCHEDULE | 1,416 |
Coverage grows as more California schedules are parsed. See all 989 California districts, or the national rankings.