School district · California · LEAID 0606330

Buellton Union Elementary

Buellton Union Elementary sits in the highest third of California districts on estimated teacher pay at $150,408 (above 96% of in-state peers with reliable estimates). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Buellton Union Elementary come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).

$150,408
Est. avg teacher salary

Well above benchmark

$35,655
Per-pupil spending
519
Students enrolled
96th
Pct. in CA
$150,408

Buellton Union Elementary sits in the highest third of California districts on estimated teacher pay at $150,408 (above 96% of in-state peers with reliable estimates). Estimated average teacher salary is $150,408, above the national average of $70,245, serving 519 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • Upper-third pay in state: Buellton Union Elementary sits in the highest third of California districts on estimated teacher pay at $150,408 (above 96% of in-state peers with reliable estimates).
  • 96th percentile for California
  • 100th percentile nationally
  • 28% of spending reaches instructional salaries
  • California ranks #2 of 49 on the salary estimate and #1 of 49 on enrollment in the same reliable-district pool.
  • Buellton Union Elementary ranks #19 of 750 California districts by estimated teacher salary and #28 of 750 by per-pupil spending. Calaveras County Office of Education pay #1 at $178,519 is not Beverly Hills Unified spending #1 at $61,843 per pupil
  • +27.5% estimated-basis panel FY2019→FY2023 (not applied to the FTE figure above)

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Instructional payroll mix vs California median

Among 954 California districts that break out F-33 program salary totals, Buellton Union Elementary's instructional payroll puts 42.1% into special education , 31.3 points above the state median of 10.8%. That heavier special-education share usually means more of the teacher-salary pool is tied to IEP-driven staffing than at a typical California peer.

Program Buellton Union CA median Gap
Regular program 57.9% 85.8% -27.9 pp
Special education 42.1% 10.8% +31.3 pp

Shares are of this district's reported F-33 teacher-salary program totals (Z35–Z38), compared with the median share across 954 in-state peers with a positive program sum. NCES LEAID 0606330 · FY2023.

LEAID 0606330 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023

Buellton Union F-33 compensation desk

SALARY-HIGH +36% vs state RANK-ST-TOP P96 in state RANK-NAT-TOP P100 national PPE-HIGH $36K/pupil ENR-SMALL 519 students INSTR-LOW 28% instr BASIS-FTE FTE-reported PHOTO-NEAR Near Seeley FY-2023-LIGHT FY2023 book

FY2023: $150,408 estimated average teacher salary · P96 in California · P100 nationally · 28% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: San ($3,245est. salary).

Salary neighbourhood chart for Buellton Union

Salary neighbourhood · Buellton Union

Buellton Union 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 Buellton Union

Buellton Union Elementary's estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$150,408 Top 1% higher than 100% 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%). Below this entry. $80,000–$90,000: 1,097 US districts (10%). Below this entry. $90,000–$100,000: 662 US districts (6%). Below this entry. $100,000–$110,000: 371 US districts (3%). Below this entry. $110,000–$120,000: 249 US districts (2%). Below this entry. $120,000–$130,000: 156 US districts (1%). Below this entry. $130,000–$140,000: 112 US districts (1%). Below this entry. $140,000–$150,000: 57 US districts (1%). Below this entry. $150,000–$160,000: 25 US districts (0%). This entry sits in this band. $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. Buellton Union Elementary $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

Buellton Union in California's upper-third pay band

Same 750 districts with a usable salary and a comparable per-pupil figure (NCES F-33 FY2023)

est. avg salary

What this shows Buellton Union Elementary ranks #19 of 750 California districts by estimated teacher salary and #28 of 750 by per-pupil spending. Calaveras County Office of Education pay #1 at $178,519 is not Beverly Hills Unified spending #1 at $61,843 per pupil

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

The same districts by per-pupil spending

Buellton Union Elementary is marked; a high spending bar is not a high pay bar

per pupil

What this shows Beverly Hills Unified leads spending at $61,843 per pupil; Calaveras County Office of Education leads pay.

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

What stands out about Buellton Union Elementary

  • It ranks in the top 5% of US districts for estimated teacher pay, the highest estimate among the 10,684 reliable-salary districts nationally.
  • Enrolment fell from 612 to 519 students (15.2% down) across FY2019–FY2023 while the instructional salary pool per teacher went up. Districts on that path are usually holding staffing steady against a falling roll, which lifts the per-teacher figure without anyone getting a raise, so read this page's salary estimate alongside the enrolment line rather than on its own.
  • Its per-pupil spending of $35,655 is among the highest in the nation.

California prices absorb part of this salary

Nominal district estimate
$150,408.163

The FY2023 salary estimate shown in the hero.

California price level
112.2 / 100

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

National-price equivalent
$134,060

-11% versus the nominal figure.

Prices in California run above the national average, so this salary has roughly the buying power of the national-price equivalent above. Comparing it with a district in a cheaper state without this adjustment overstates its relative value.

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 California 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 Buellton Union Elementary

What the Numbers Say About Buellton Union Elementary

Buellton Union Elementary is a small school district in California, serving 519 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $35,655. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $150,408, placing the district in the high-investment tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 0606330 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.

Relative to the California statewide average of $110,546, teacher pay in Buellton Union Elementary runs meaningfully above the state benchmark, a 36.1% gap, and above the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (114.1% differential). Among enrolling districts in California, it pays more than 96% of them. California itself ranks #2 of 49 nationally on average teacher compensation, which shapes the funding ceiling districts operate under.

On the budget side, Buellton Union Elementary reports $18.5M in total expenditure against $24.5M in revenue, with instructional salaries accounting for 28% of spending, a compensation-to-budget ratio that signals how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $2.1M, special-education teacher pay is $1.6M.

How does Buellton Union Elementary compare?

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

Buellton Union Elementary $150,408
Los Angeles Unified $103,820
California avg $110,546
National avg $70,245

Buellton Union Elementary pays +44.9% more than Los Angeles Unified · per-pupil $35,655 vs $26,962

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 California districts

On pay, Buellton Union Elementary sits closest to Seeley Union Elementary; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Eastern Sierra Unified. 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.

Out-of-state districts near Buellton Union Elementary's smaller enrollment

Two out-of-state peer sets for Buellton Union Elementary: closest on enrollment (519 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($150,408 here). Rows stay link-disjoint so each axis is a distinct neighborhood.

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

$24.5M
Total Revenue
$18.5M
Total Expenditure
$5.1M
Instruction Salaries
28% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$2.1M
Regular Program
$1.6M
Special Education

The teacher salaries behind this page's average are the ones NCES reports for 2 programs in Buellton Union Elementary: the regular program and special education. It reports no separate figure for vocational programs and other programs. Together they are 72% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 28% pays instructional aides, paraprofessionals, substitutes and other instructional staff who are not counted as teachers here.

California Teacher Pay Overview

The highest average among comparably sized California districts belongs to San Bernardino County Office of Education at $178,265. Buellton Union Elementary sits in the upper quarter of that field at 22 of 644, nearer the ceiling than the floor. Because California prices run above the national average, this salary is worth less than the same number elsewhere; District of Columbia and Hawaii are the states it can be compared with directly on BEA's price parity.

View all California districts →

Other California Districts

Smaller-district sample from 776 California peers; bar length shows pay magnitude within this enrollment band.

This is a sample of 6 from 776 California districts with enrollment and salary data reliable enough to compare in the NCES CCD F-33 survey.

Frequently Asked Questions about Buellton Union Elementary
What is the average teacher salary in Buellton Union Elementary?

The average teacher salary in Buellton Union Elementary is $150,408 (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 Buellton Union Elementary teacher pay compare to the California average?

Buellton Union Elementary pays 36.1% more than the California state average of $110,546. The district's average is $150,408.

How does Buellton Union Elementary teacher pay compare to the national average?

Buellton Union Elementary pays 114.1% above the national average of $70,245. The district average is $150,408.

What is the per-pupil spending in Buellton Union Elementary?

Buellton Union Elementary spends approximately $35,655 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

What percentage of Buellton Union Elementary's budget goes to teacher salaries?

Instructional salaries account for 28% of Buellton Union Elementary's total expenditure of $18.5M (NCES FY2023).

Next read for Buellton Union Elementary
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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