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School district · Massachusetts · LEAID 2503270

Cambridge

Cambridge spends $57,204 per pupil, in the highest third among comparable Massachusetts districts with a reliable figure. Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Cambridge come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).

$99,989
Est. avg teacher salary

Well above benchmark

$57,204
Per-pupil spending
6,627
Students enrolled
88th
Pct. in MA
$99,989

Cambridge spends $57,204 per pupil, in the highest third among comparable Massachusetts districts with a reliable figure. Estimated average teacher salary is $99,989, above the national average of $70,245, serving 6,627 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • High per-pupil spending: Cambridge spends $57,204 per pupil, in the highest third among comparable Massachusetts districts with a reliable figure.
  • 88th percentile for Massachusetts
  • 91st percentile nationally
  • 25% of spending reaches instructional salaries
  • Massachusetts ranks #9 of 49 on the salary estimate and #17 of 49 on enrollment in the same reliable-district pool.
  • Cambridge ranks #33 of 288 Massachusetts districts by estimated teacher salary and #2 of 288 by per-pupil spending. Boston pay #1 at $121,260 is not Watertown spending #1 at $60,947 per pupil

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Instructional payroll mix vs Massachusetts median

Among 318 Massachusetts districts that break out F-33 program salary totals, Cambridge's instructional payroll puts 73.8% into regular program , 5.9 points below the state median of 79.6%. The mix below is the district's own F-33 program split against the in-state median, not a quality score.

Program Cambridge MA median Gap
Regular program 73.8% 79.6% -5.9 pp
Special education 22.7% 18.8% +4.0 pp
Vocational programs 3.5% 0.0% +3.5 pp

Shares are of this district's reported F-33 teacher-salary program totals (Z35–Z38), compared with the median share across 318 in-state peers with a positive program sum. NCES LEAID 2503270 · FY2023.

LEAID 2503270 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023

Cambridge F-33 compensation desk

SALARY-HIGH +18% vs state RANK-ST-MID P88 in state RANK-NAT-TOP P91 national PPE-HIGH $57K/pupil ENR-MID 6,627 students INSTR-LOW 25% instr BASIS-FTE FTE-reported PHOTO-NEAR Near Medfield FY-2023-MID FY2023 book

FY2023: $99,989 estimated average teacher salary · P88 in Massachusetts · P91 nationally · 25% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Brockton ($518est. salary).

Salary neighbourhood chart for Cambridge

Salary neighbourhood · Cambridge

Cambridge 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 Cambridge

Cambridge's estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$99,989 Top 9% higher than 91% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $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. Cambridge $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

Cambridge in Massachusetts's upper-third pay band

Same 288 districts with a usable salary and a comparable per-pupil figure (NCES F-33 FY2023)

est. avg salary

What this shows Cambridge ranks #33 of 288 Massachusetts districts by estimated teacher salary and #2 of 288 by per-pupil spending. Boston pay #1 at $121,260 is not Watertown spending #1 at $60,947 per pupil

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

The same districts by per-pupil spending

Cambridge is marked; a high spending bar is not a high pay bar

per pupil

What this shows Watertown leads spending at $60,947 per pupil; Boston leads pay.

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

What stands out about Cambridge

  • It ranks in the top 10% of US districts for estimated teacher pay, higher than 91% of the 10,684 reliable-salary districts nationally.
  • Its per-pupil spending of $57,204 is among the highest in the nation.

Massachusetts prices absorb part of this salary

Nominal district estimate
$99,989.463

The FY2023 salary estimate shown in the hero.

Massachusetts price level
107.7 / 100

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

National-price equivalent
$92,862

-7% versus the nominal figure.

Prices in Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts 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 Cambridge

What the Numbers Say About Cambridge

Cambridge is a small-to-mid-sized school district in Massachusetts, serving 6,627 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $57,204. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $99,989, placing the district in the high-investment tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 2503270 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.

Relative to the Massachusetts statewide average of $84,560, teacher pay in Cambridge runs meaningfully above the state benchmark, a 18.2% gap, and above the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (42.3% differential). Among enrolling districts in Massachusetts, it pays more than 88% of them. Massachusetts itself ranks #9 of 49 nationally on average teacher compensation, which shapes the funding ceiling districts operate under.

On the budget side, Cambridge reports $379.1M in total expenditure against $320.5M 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 $56.0M, special-education teacher pay is $17.2M.

How does Cambridge compare?

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

Cambridge $99,989
Boston $121,260
Massachusetts avg $84,560
National avg $70,245

Cambridge pays -17.5% less than Boston · per-pupil $57,204 vs $45,516

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 Massachusetts districts

On pay, Cambridge sits closest to Medfield; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Watertown. 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. Medfield
  2. Hanover
  3. Hingham
  4. Burlington
  5. Brockton
  6. Scituate
  7. Lexington
  8. Needham
  9. Worcester
  10. Billerica
  11. Newton
Closest on per-pupil investment
  1. Watertown
  2. Waltham
  3. Westwood
  4. Stoneham
  5. Amesbury
  6. Gloucester
  7. Brookline
  8. Somerville
  9. Swampscott
  10. Sharon
  11. Randolph

Similar estimated teacher pay

Similar per-pupil investment

Out-of-state districts near Cambridge's pay band

Two out-of-state peer sets for Cambridge: closest on enrollment (6,627 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($99,989 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

$320.5M
Total Revenue
$379.1M
Total Expenditure
$95.9M
Instruction Salaries
25% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$56.0M
Regular Program
$17.2M
Special Education
$2.7M
Vocational

The teacher salaries behind this page's average are the ones NCES reports for 3 programs in Cambridge: the regular program, special education and vocational programs. It reports no separate figure for other programs. Together they are 79% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 21% pays instructional aides, paraprofessionals, substitutes and other instructional staff who are not counted as teachers here.

Massachusetts Teacher Pay Overview

The highest average among comparably sized Massachusetts districts belongs to Boston at $121,260. Cambridge sits in the upper quarter of that field at 31 of 272, nearer the ceiling than the floor. Because Massachusetts prices run above the national average, this salary is worth less than the same number elsewhere; New York and Washington are the states it can be compared with directly on BEA's price parity.

View all Massachusetts districts →

Other Massachusetts Districts

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

Haverhill
$79,640
7,775 students
Taunton
$81,643
7,905 students
Natick
$91,362
5,346 students
Braintree
$93,663
5,305 students
Fitchburg
$74,793
5,167 students
Acton-Boxborough
$96,079
5,133 students

This is a sample of 6 from 289 Massachusetts districts with enrollment and salary data reliable enough to compare in the NCES CCD F-33 survey.

Frequently Asked Questions about Cambridge
What is the average teacher salary in Cambridge?

The average teacher salary in Cambridge is $99,989 (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 Cambridge teacher pay compare to the Massachusetts average?

Cambridge pays 18.2% more than the Massachusetts state average of $84,560. The district's average is $99,989.

How does Cambridge teacher pay compare to the national average?

Cambridge pays 42.3% above the national average of $70,245. The district average is $99,989.

What is the per-pupil spending in Cambridge?

Cambridge spends approximately $57,204 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

What percentage of Cambridge's budget goes to teacher salaries?

Instructional salaries account for 25% of Cambridge's total expenditure of $379.1M (NCES FY2023).

Next read for Cambridge
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. Cambridge'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.