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School district · California · LEAID 0607440

Capistrano Unified

Capistrano Unified spends $16,469 per pupil, in the lowest third among comparable California districts with a reliable figure. Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Capistrano Unified come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).

$121,180
Est. avg teacher salary

Above benchmark

$16,469
Per-pupil spending
41,749
Students enrolled
75th
Pct. in CA
$121,180

Capistrano Unified spends $16,469 per pupil, in the lowest third among comparable California districts with a reliable figure. Estimated average teacher salary is $121,180, above the national average of $70,245, serving 41,749 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • Lower per-pupil spending: Capistrano Unified spends $16,469 per pupil, in the lowest third among comparable California districts with a reliable figure.
  • 75th percentile for California
  • 97th percentile nationally
  • 38% 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.
  • Capistrano Unified ranks #178 of 750 California districts by estimated teacher salary and #649 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
  • +42.6% 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, Capistrano Unified's instructional payroll puts 14.8% into special education , 4.1 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 Capistrano Unified CA median Gap
Regular program 83.6% 85.8% -2.2 pp
Special education 14.8% 10.8% +4.1 pp
Other programs 1.2% 0.4% +0.8 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 0607440 · FY2023.

LEAID 0607440 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023

Capistrano Unified F-33 compensation desk

SALARY-ABOVE +10% vs state RANK-ST-MID P75 in state RANK-NAT-TOP P97 national PPE-MID $16K/pupil ENR-LARGE 41.7K students INSTR-MID 38% instr BASIS-FTE FTE-reported PHOTO-NEAR Near Grossmont FY-2023-HEAVY FY2023 book

FY2023: $121,180 estimated average teacher salary · P75 in California · P97 nationally · 38% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Irvine ($1,245est. salary).

Salary neighbourhood chart for Capistrano Unified

Salary neighbourhood · Capistrano Unified

Capistrano Unified 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 Capistrano Unified

Capistrano Unified's estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$121,180 Top 3% higher than 97% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $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. Capistrano Unified $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

Capistrano Unified 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 Capistrano Unified ranks #178 of 750 California districts by estimated teacher salary and #649 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

Capistrano Unified 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 Capistrano Unified

  • It ranks in the top 5% of US districts for estimated teacher pay, higher than 97% of the 10,684 reliable-salary districts nationally.
  • Estimated teacher pay here rose +42.6% between FY2019 and FY2023, outpacing California's statewide +25.3% by 17.3 points, a growth rate faster than 91% of the 856 California districts with a comparable FY2019 baseline.
  • Enrolment fell from 47,135 to 41,749 students (11.4% 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.

California prices absorb part of this salary

Nominal district estimate
$121,179.506

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
$108,008

-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 Capistrano Unified

What the Numbers Say About Capistrano Unified

Capistrano Unified is a mid-sized school district in California, serving 41,749 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $16,469. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $121,180, placing the district in the moderately funded tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 0607440 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.

Relative to the California statewide average of $110,546, teacher pay in Capistrano Unified runs meaningfully above the state benchmark, a 9.6% gap, and above the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (72.5% differential). Among enrolling districts in California, it pays more than 75% 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, Capistrano Unified reports $687.6M in total expenditure against $862.9M in revenue, with instructional salaries accounting for 38% of spending, a compensation-to-budget ratio that signals how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $188.0M, special-education teacher pay is $33.4M.

How does Capistrano Unified compare?

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

Capistrano Unified $121,180
Los Angeles Unified $103,820
California avg $110,546
National avg $70,245

Capistrano Unified pays +16.7% more than Los Angeles Unified · per-pupil $16,469 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, Capistrano Unified sits closest to Grossmont Union High; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Rocklin 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.

Closest on estimated pay
  1. Grossmont Union High
  2. Oxnard
  3. Redlands Unified
  4. Oxnard Union High
  5. ABC Unified
  6. Lancaster Elementary
  7. Etiwanda Elementary
  8. Vista Unified
  9. Perris Union High
  10. Porterville Unified
  11. Pomona Unified
Closest on per-pupil investment
  1. Rocklin Unified
  2. Menifee Union
  3. Corona-Norco Unified
  4. Temecula Valley Unified
  5. San Ramon Valley Unified
  6. Murrieta Valley Unified
  7. Fairfield-Suisun Unified
  8. Burbank Unified
  9. Poway Unified
  10. Lake Elsinore Unified
  11. Panama-Buena Vista Union

Similar estimated teacher pay

Similar per-pupil investment

Out-of-state districts near Capistrano Unified's enrollment scale

Two out-of-state peer sets for Capistrano Unified: closest on enrollment (41,749 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($121,180 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

$862.9M
Total Revenue
$687.6M
Total Expenditure
$258.7M
Instruction Salaries
38% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$188.0M
Regular Program
$33.4M
Special Education
$0.8M
Vocational
$2.7M
Other Programs

The teacher salaries behind this page's average are the ones NCES reports for 4 programs in Capistrano Unified: the regular program, special education, vocational programs and other programs. Every program category NCES breaks out separately carries a figure here. Together they are 87% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 13% 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. Capistrano Unified places 177 of 644 comparably sized districts, squarely in the middle band the state average actually represents. 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

Large-district sample from 776 California peers with reliable NCES data; bar length shows pay magnitude within this slice.

Bakersfield City
$115,727
28,835 students
Visalia Unified
$108,709
28,827 students
Anaheim Union High
$118,755
27,706 students
Lodi Unified
$109,617
27,260 students
Temecula Valley Unified
$123,735
26,510 students
Desert Sands Unified
$123,996
26,379 students

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 Capistrano Unified
What is the average teacher salary in Capistrano Unified?

The average teacher salary in Capistrano Unified is $121,180 (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 Capistrano Unified teacher pay compare to the California average?

Capistrano Unified pays 9.6% more than the California state average of $110,546. The district's average is $121,180.

How does Capistrano Unified teacher pay compare to the national average?

Capistrano Unified pays 72.5% above the national average of $70,245. The district average is $121,180.

What is the per-pupil spending in Capistrano Unified?

Capistrano Unified spends approximately $16,469 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

What percentage of Capistrano Unified's budget goes to teacher salaries?

Instructional salaries account for 38% of Capistrano Unified's total expenditure of $687.6M (NCES FY2023).

Next read for Capistrano Unified
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. Capistrano Unified'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.