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School district · Arizona · LEAID 0400212

Benson Unified School District (79226)

Benson Unified School District (79226) is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Arizona districts (1,368 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Benson Unified School District (79226) come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).

$51,334
Est. avg teacher salary

Well below benchmark

$12,444
Per-pupil spending
1,368
Students enrolled
5th
Pct. in AZ
$51,334

Benson Unified School District (79226) is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Arizona districts (1,368 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Estimated average teacher salary is $51,334, below the national average of $70,245, serving 1,368 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • Smaller enrollment scale: Benson Unified School District (79226) is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Arizona districts (1,368 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort).
  • 5th percentile for Arizona
  • 18th percentile nationally
  • 31% 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.
  • Benson Unified School District (79226) ranks #144 of 152 Arizona districts by estimated teacher salary and #112 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
  • +11.2% estimated-basis panel FY2019→FY2023 (not applied to the FTE figure above)

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Instructional payroll mix vs Arizona median

Among 213 Arizona districts that break out F-33 program salary totals, Benson Unified School District (79226)'s instructional payroll puts 6.7% into vocational programs , 5.0 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 Benson Unified AZ median Gap
Regular program 81.4% 84.0% -2.6 pp
Special education 12.0% 10.8% +1.2 pp
Vocational programs 6.7% 1.7% +5.0 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 0400212 · FY2023.

LEAID 0400212 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023

Benson Unified F-33 compensation desk

SALARY-LOW -20% vs state RANK-ST-LOW P5 in state RANK-NAT-LOW P18 national PPE-LOW $12K/pupil ENR-SMALL 1,368 students INSTR-LOW 31% instr BASIS-FTE FTE-reported PHOTO-NEAR Near Heber-Overgaard FY-2023-LIGHT FY2023 book

FY2023: $51,334 estimated average teacher salary · P5 in Arizona · P18 nationally · 31% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Sahuarita ($3,856est. salary).

Salary neighbourhood chart for Benson Unified

Salary neighbourhood · Benson Unified

Benson Unified trails 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 Benson Unified

Benson Unified School District (79226)'s estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$51,334 18th percentile higher than 18% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$70,000: 2,402 US districts (22%). Above this entry. $70,000–$80,000: 1,633 US districts (15%). Above this entry. $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

Benson Unified in Arizona's lower-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 Benson Unified School District (79226) ranks #144 of 152 Arizona districts by estimated teacher salary and #112 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

Benson Unified School District (79226) 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 Benson Unified School District (79226)

  • Estimated teacher pay here moved +11.2% between FY2019 and FY2023, trailing Arizona's statewide +25.8% by 14.6 points, a growth rate faster than 23% of the 199 Arizona districts with a comparable FY2019 baseline.
  • Enrolment grew 7.2% here, from 1,276 students in FY2019 to 1,368 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
$51,334.279

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
$50,956

-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 Benson Unified School District (79226)

What the Numbers Say About Benson Unified School District (79226)

Benson Unified School District (79226) is a small school district in Arizona, serving 1,368 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $12,444. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $51,334, placing the district in the lower-spending tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 0400212 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.

Relative to the Arizona statewide average of $63,921, teacher pay in Benson Unified School District (79226) runs materially below the state benchmark, a 19.7% gap, and below the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (26.9% differential). Among enrolling districts in Arizona, it pays more than 5% 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, Benson Unified School District (79226) reports $17.0M in total expenditure against $19.2M in revenue, with instructional salaries accounting for 31% of spending, a compensation-to-budget ratio that signals how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $3.2M, special-education teacher pay is $0.5M.

How does Benson Unified School District (79226) compare?

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

Benson Unified School District (79226) $51,334
Mesa Unified District (4235) $67,420
Arizona avg $63,921
National avg $70,245

Benson Unified School District (79226) pays -23.9% less than Mesa Unified District (4235) · per-pupil $12,444 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, Benson Unified School District (79226) sits closest to Heber-Overgaard Unified District (4392); on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Bullhead City School District (4378). 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. Heber-Overgaard Unified District (4392)
  2. Clarkdale-Jerome Elementary District (4486)
  3. Cottonwood-Oak Creek Elementary District (4487)
  4. Prescott Unified District (4466)
  5. Catalina Foothills Unified District (4410)
  6. Payson Unified District (4209)
  7. Mayer Unified School District (4473)
  8. Fountain Hills Unified District (4247)
  9. Riverside Elementary District (4257)
  10. Eloy Elementary District (4448)
  11. Oracle Elementary District (4444)
Closest on per-pupil investment
  1. Bullhead City School District (4378)
  2. Safford Unified District (4218)
  3. Buckeye Union High School District (4284)
  4. St Johns Unified District (4153)
  5. Cottonwood-Oak Creek Elementary District (4487)
  6. Sierra Vista Unified District (4175)
  7. Fowler Elementary District (4273)
  8. Catalina Foothills Unified District (4410)
  9. Union Elementary District (4277)
  10. Red Rock Elementary District (4447)
  11. Round Valley Unified District (4155)

Similar estimated teacher pay

Similar per-pupil investment

Out-of-state districts near Benson Unified School District (79226)'s smaller enrollment

Two out-of-state peer sets for Benson Unified School District (79226): closest on enrollment (1,368 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($51,334 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

$19.2M
Total Revenue
$17.0M
Total Expenditure
$5.4M
Instruction Salaries
31% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$3.2M
Regular Program
$0.5M
Special Education
$0.3M
Vocational

The teacher salaries behind this page's average are the ones NCES reports for 3 programs in Benson Unified School District (79226): the regular program, special education and vocational programs. It reports no separate figure for other programs. Together they are 74% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 26% 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. Placed 123 of 128, Benson Unified School District (79226) is in the lower quarter, where a state-average comparison flatters the district rather than describing it. 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

Smaller-district sample from 153 Arizona peers; bar length shows pay magnitude within this enrollment band.

Sedona-Oak Creek JUSD #9 (4467)
$61,025
728 students
Bisbee Unified District (4169)
$57,044
685 students
Williams Unified District (4193)
$68,647
644 students
Fort Thomas Unified District (4221)
$70,518
620 students
Sanders Unified District (4156)
$70,891
616 students
Continental Elementary District (4416)
$60,081
602 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 Benson Unified School District (79226)
What is the average teacher salary in Benson Unified School District (79226)?

The average teacher salary in Benson Unified School District (79226) is $51,334 (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 Benson Unified School District (79226) teacher pay compare to the Arizona average?

Benson Unified School District (79226) pays 19.7% less than the Arizona state average of $63,921. The district's average is $51,334.

How does Benson Unified School District (79226) teacher pay compare to the national average?

Benson Unified School District (79226) pays 26.9% below the national average of $70,245. The district average is $51,334.

What is the per-pupil spending in Benson Unified School District (79226)?

Benson Unified School District (79226) spends approximately $12,444 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

What percentage of Benson Unified School District (79226)'s budget goes to teacher salaries?

Instructional salaries account for 31% of Benson Unified School District (79226)'s total expenditure of $17.0M (NCES FY2023).

Next read for Benson Unified School District (79226)
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

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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. Benson Unified School District (79226)'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.