PlainTeacher

School district · Arizona · LEAID 0400450

Agua Fria Union High School District (4289)

Agua Fria Union High School District (4289) sits in the highest third of Arizona districts on estimated teacher pay at $72,651 (above 86% of in-state peers with reliable estimates). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Agua Fria Union High School District (4289) come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).

$72,651
Est. avg teacher salary

Above benchmark

$14,979
Per-pupil spending
9,632
Students enrolled
86th
Pct. in AZ
$72,651

Agua Fria Union High School District (4289) sits in the highest third of Arizona districts on estimated teacher pay at $72,651 (above 86% of in-state peers with reliable estimates). Estimated average teacher salary is $72,651, near the national average of $70,245, serving 9,632 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • Upper-third pay in state: Agua Fria Union High School District (4289) sits in the highest third of Arizona districts on estimated teacher pay at $72,651 (above 86% of in-state peers with reliable estimates).
  • 86th percentile for Arizona
  • 64th percentile nationally
  • 25% of spending reaches instructional salaries
  • Arizona ranks #29 of 49 on the salary estimate and #16 of 49 on enrollment in the same reliable-district pool.
  • Agua Fria Union High School District (4289) ranks #19 of 152 Arizona districts by estimated teacher salary and #61 of 152 by per-pupil spending. Safford Unified District (4218) pay #1 at $99,366 is not Red Mesa Unified District (4159) spending #1 at $38,950 per pupil
  • +34.8% estimated-basis panel FY2019→FY2023 (not applied to the FTE figure above)

Keep this district in your shortlist

Save it in this browser, then return when PlainTeacher adds a newer public-data release. No account or personal details required.

View saved

Instructional payroll mix vs Arizona median

Among 213 Arizona districts that break out F-33 program salary totals, Agua Fria Union High School District (4289)'s instructional payroll puts 9.5% into vocational programs , 7.8 points above the state median of 1.7%. That heavier vocational share usually means career/technical programs claim more of the teacher-salary pool than at a typical Arizona peer.

Program Agua Fria AZ median Gap
Regular program 76.7% 84.0% -7.3 pp
Special education 13.1% 10.8% +2.3 pp
Vocational programs 9.5% 1.7% +7.8 pp
Other programs 0.8% 0.0% +0.8 pp

Shares are of this district's reported F-33 teacher-salary program totals (Z35–Z38), compared with the median share across 213 in-state peers with a positive program sum. NCES LEAID 0400450 · FY2023.

LEAID 0400450 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023

Agua Fria F-33 compensation desk

SALARY-HIGH +14% vs state RANK-ST-MID P86 in state RANK-NAT-MID P64 national PPE-MID $15K/pupil ENR-MID 9,632 students INSTR-LOW 25% instr BASIS-FTE FTE-reported PHOTO-NEAR Near Alhambra FY-2023-MID FY2023 book

FY2023: $72,651 estimated average teacher salary · P86 in Arizona · P64 nationally · 25% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Alhambra (+$256est. salary).

Salary neighbourhood chart for Agua Fria

Salary neighbourhood · Agua Fria

Agua Fria already leads most of its in-state peer set; the chart plots it against the top and bottom pay poles for context (NCES F-33 FY2023, not a full state reprint).

est. salary
Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey As of FY2023
Appropriate use & corrections
National salary distribution for Agua Fria

Agua Fria Union High School District (4289)'s estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$72,651 Top 36% higher than 64% of 10,684 US districts

Show national distribution $30,000–$40,000: 155 US districts (1%). Below this entry. $40,000–$50,000: 1,360 US districts (13%). Below this entry. $50,000–$60,000: 2,382 US districts (22%). Below this entry. $60,000–$70,000: 2,402 US districts (22%). Below this entry. $70,000–$80,000: 1,633 US districts (15%). This entry sits in this band. $80,000–$90,000: 1,097 US districts (10%). Above this entry. $90,000–$100,000: 662 US districts (6%). Above this entry. $100,000–$110,000: 371 US districts (3%). Above this entry. $110,000–$120,000: 249 US districts (2%). Above this entry. $120,000–$130,000: 156 US districts (1%). Above this entry. $130,000–$140,000: 112 US districts (1%). Above this entry. $140,000–$150,000: 57 US districts (1%). Above this entry. $150,000–$160,000: 25 US districts (0%). Above this entry. $160,000–$170,000: 13 US districts (0%). Above this entry. $170,000–$180,000: 10 US districts (0%). Above this entry. $180,000–$190,000: 0 US districts (0%). Above this entry. This district $30,000 $190,000 every reliable-salary US district, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $10K-wide band; taller bars hold more US districts. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, FY2023 · FY2023

Agua Fria in Arizona's upper-third pay band

Same 152 districts with a usable salary and a comparable per-pupil figure (NCES F-33 FY2023)

est. avg salary

What this shows Agua Fria Union High School District (4289) ranks #19 of 152 Arizona districts by estimated teacher salary and #61 of 152 by per-pupil spending. Safford Unified District (4218) pay #1 at $99,366 is not Red Mesa Unified District (4159) spending #1 at $38,950 per pupil

Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, FY2023 As of FY2023

The same districts by per-pupil spending

Agua Fria Union High School District (4289) is marked; a high spending bar is not a high pay bar

per pupil

What this shows Red Mesa Unified District (4159) leads spending at $38,950 per pupil; Safford Unified District (4218) leads pay.

Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, FY2023 As of FY2023

What stands out about Agua Fria Union High School District (4289)

  • Estimated teacher pay here rose +34.8% between FY2019 and FY2023, outpacing Arizona's statewide +25.8% by 9.0 points, a growth rate faster than 75% of the 199 Arizona districts with a comparable FY2019 baseline.
  • Enrolment grew 20.9% here, from 7,964 students in FY2019 to 9,632 in FY2023, against a national picture where far more districts shrank than grew over the same period. Growth of this kind typically arrives before the funding that follows it, so per-pupil figures often dip while a district absorbs it.

Arizona sits close to national prices

Nominal district estimate
$72,651.413

The FY2023 salary estimate shown in the hero.

Arizona price level
100.7 / 100

BEA all-items regional price parity; 100 is the U.S. average.

National-price equivalent
$72,116

-1% versus the nominal figure.

Prices in Arizona sit close to the national average, so the nominal and national-price figures tell nearly the same story here. That is not true in the most and least expensive states.

Regional price parity: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2023 all-items RPP by state. The adjustment applies a statewide index to a district figure, so it captures how Arizona compares nationally, not how this district compares with others in its own state. Compare every state on this basis.

How this salary figure is calculated
Full NCES reading for Agua Fria Union High School District (4289)

What the Numbers Say About Agua Fria Union High School District (4289)

Agua Fria Union High School District (4289) is a small-to-mid-sized school district in Arizona, serving 9,632 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $14,979. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $72,651, placing the district in the moderately funded tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 0400450 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.

Relative to the Arizona statewide average of $63,921, teacher pay in Agua Fria Union High School District (4289) runs meaningfully above the state benchmark, a 13.7% gap, and near the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (3.4% differential). Among enrolling districts in Arizona, it pays more than 86% of them. Arizona itself ranks #29 of 49 nationally on average teacher compensation, which shapes the funding ceiling districts operate under.

On the budget side, Agua Fria Union High School District (4289) reports $144.3M in total expenditure against $131.0M in revenue, with instructional salaries accounting for 25% of spending, a compensation-to-budget ratio that signals how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $24.8M, special-education teacher pay is $4.2M.

How does Agua Fria Union High School District (4289) compare?

Estimated average teacher salary versus a peer district, the Arizona average, and the national average. Pick any in-state district to compare.

Agua Fria Union High School District (4289) $72,651
Mesa Unified District (4235) $67,420
Arizona avg $63,921
National avg $70,245

Agua Fria Union High School District (4289) pays +7.8% more than Mesa Unified District (4235) · per-pupil $14,979 vs $14,903

Derived from NCES F-33 teacher salary expenditure (Z35-Z38) and CCD Staff Universe teacher FTE (FY2023); a small minority use the documented fallback. Unreliable service entities are excluded.

Data-derived comparison paths

Find comparable Arizona districts

On pay, Agua Fria Union High School District (4289) sits closest to Alhambra Elementary District (4280); on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Paradise Valley Unified District (4241). These are not simply nearby districts: each group is selected from the same NCES FY2023 dataset using a matching salary or per-pupil-investment signal and a comparable enrollment range.

Closest on estimated pay
  1. Alhambra Elementary District (4280)
  2. Fowler Elementary District (4273)
  3. Tempe Union High School District (4287)
  4. Apache Junction Unified District (4443)
  5. Tolleson Elementary District (4264)
  6. Avondale Elementary District (4272)
  7. Deer Valley Unified District (4246)
  8. Litchfield Elementary District (4281)
  9. Isaac Elementary District (4259)
  10. Buckeye Union High School District (4284)
  11. Phoenix Elementary District (4256)
Closest on per-pupil investment
  1. Paradise Valley Unified District (4241)
  2. Yuma Union High School District (4507)
  3. Scottsdale Unified District (4240)
  4. Alhambra Elementary District (4280)
  5. Creighton Elementary District (4263)
  6. Flagstaff Unified District (4192)
  7. Douglas Unified District (4174)
  8. Amphitheater Unified District (4406)
  9. Apache Junction Unified District (4443)
  10. Glendale Union High School District (4285)
  11. Osborn Elementary District (4262)

Similar estimated teacher pay

Similar per-pupil investment

Out-of-state districts near Agua Fria Union High School District (4289)'s pay band

Two out-of-state peer sets for Agua Fria Union High School District (4289): closest on enrollment (9,632 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($72,651 here). Rows stay link-disjoint so each axis is a distinct neighborhood.

Similar enrollment

Nearest other districts by NCES student count (floored at ≥200).

Similar estimated salary

Nearest other districts by F-33-derived average teacher salary, distinct from the enrollment row.

Enrollment and salaries from NCES CCD F-33; estimated teacher pay can diverge widely at the same student count because of state funding, cost of living, and local bargaining.

Revenue & Expenditure

$131.0M
Total Revenue
$144.3M
Total Expenditure
$36.5M
Instruction Salaries
25% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$24.8M
Regular Program
$4.2M
Special Education
$3.1M
Vocational
$0.2M
Other Programs

The teacher salaries behind this page's average are the ones NCES reports for 4 programs in Agua Fria Union High School District (4289): the regular program, special education, vocational programs and other programs. Every program category NCES breaks out separately carries a figure here. Together they are 89% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 11% pays instructional aides, paraprofessionals, substitutes and other instructional staff who are not counted as teachers here.

Arizona Teacher Pay Overview

The highest average among comparably sized Arizona districts belongs to Safford Unified District (4218) at $99,366. Agua Fria Union High School District (4289) sits in the upper quarter of that field at 17 of 128, nearer the ceiling than the floor. On BEA's price parity Arizona sits near the national average, so its salaries need less adjustment than most; Virginia and Colorado are its nearest price peers.

View all Arizona districts →

Other Arizona Districts

The bar behind each salary shows its magnitude within this Arizona sample (including Agua Fria). Hover or focus a value for the exact comparison.

Cave Creek Unified District (4244)
$56,813
4,475 students
Liberty Elementary District (4266)
$66,976
4,373 students
J O Combs Unified School District (4445)
$60,662
4,246 students
Casa Grande Union High School District (4453)
$79,375
4,002 students
Prescott Unified District (4466)
$52,624
3,807 students
Douglas Unified District (4174)
$68,263
3,726 students

This is a sample of 6 from 153 Arizona districts with enrollment and salary data reliable enough to compare in the NCES CCD F-33 survey.

Frequently Asked Questions about Agua Fria Union High School District (4289)
What is the average teacher salary in Agua Fria Union High School District (4289)?

The average teacher salary in Agua Fria Union High School District (4289) is $72,651 (NCES CCD FY2023), from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by the district's reported teacher headcount (NCES CCD Staff Universe Survey).

How does Agua Fria Union High School District (4289) teacher pay compare to the Arizona average?

Agua Fria Union High School District (4289) pays 13.7% more than the Arizona state average of $63,921. The district's average is $72,651.

How does Agua Fria Union High School District (4289) teacher pay compare to the national average?

Agua Fria Union High School District (4289) pays 3.4% above the national average of $70,245. The district average is $72,651.

What is the per-pupil spending in Agua Fria Union High School District (4289)?

Agua Fria Union High School District (4289) spends approximately $14,979 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

What percentage of Agua Fria Union High School District (4289)'s budget goes to teacher salaries?

Instructional salaries account for 25% of Agua Fria Union High School District (4289)'s total expenditure of $144.3M (NCES FY2023).

Next read for Agua Fria Union High School District (4289)
Disclaimer & data sources

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD). Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.

Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainTeacher

Cite, share, embed & editorial notes

Share this district data

Download a sourced data card or share the canonical district profile.

X Facebook LinkedIn WhatsApp Email
Embed this widget

Copy this snippet to embed a live-linked card on your own site.

Editorial standards & source notes

According to the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) F-33 Local Education Agency Finance Survey, PlainTeacher's figures are computed directly, no number is typed in by an editor. Agua Fria Union High School District (4289)'s salary and finance figures are computed directly from its FY2023 F-33 submission, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Data current as of FY2023.