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School district · California · LEAID 0607500

Carlsbad Unified

Carlsbad Unified is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable California districts (10,942 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Carlsbad Unified come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).

$107,274
Est. avg teacher salary

Near benchmark

$18,557
Per-pupil spending
10,942
Students enrolled
46th
Pct. in CA
$107,274

Carlsbad Unified is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable California districts (10,942 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Estimated average teacher salary is $107,274, above the national average of $70,245, serving 10,942 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • Smaller enrollment scale: Carlsbad Unified is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable California districts (10,942 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort).
  • 46th percentile for California
  • 93rd 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.
  • Carlsbad Unified ranks #394 of 750 California districts by estimated teacher salary and #497 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
  • +23.6% 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, Carlsbad Unified's instructional payroll puts 79.9% into regular program , 5.9 points below the state median of 85.8%. The mix below is the district's own F-33 program split against the in-state median, not a quality score.

Program Carlsbad Unified CA median Gap
Regular program 79.9% 85.8% -5.9 pp
Special education 15.4% 10.8% +4.6 pp
Vocational programs 2.3% 0.0% +2.3 pp
Other programs 2.5% 0.4% +2.1 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 0607500 · FY2023.

LEAID 0607500 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023

Carlsbad Unified F-33 compensation desk

SALARY-INLINE Near state avg RANK-ST-LOW P46 in state RANK-NAT-TOP P93 national PPE-MID $19K/pupil ENR-LARGE 10.9K students INSTR-LOW 28% instr BASIS-FTE FTE-reported PHOTO-NEAR Near Hanford FY-2023-MID FY2023 book

FY2023: $107,274 estimated average teacher salary · P46 in California · P93 nationally · 28% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Mt. ($1,138est. salary).

Salary neighbourhood chart for Carlsbad Unified

Salary neighbourhood · Carlsbad Unified

Carlsbad Unified sits mid-pack among in-state peers; the chart brackets it between the top and bottom pay poles (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 Carlsbad Unified

Carlsbad Unified's estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$107,274 Top 7% higher than 93% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $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. Carlsbad 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

Carlsbad Unified in California's lower-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 Carlsbad Unified ranks #394 of 750 California districts by estimated teacher salary and #497 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

Carlsbad 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 Carlsbad Unified

  • It ranks in the top 10% of US districts for estimated teacher pay, higher than 93% of the 10,684 reliable-salary districts nationally.

California prices absorb part of this salary

Nominal district estimate
$107,273.777

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
$95,614

-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 Carlsbad Unified

What the Numbers Say About Carlsbad Unified

Carlsbad Unified is a mid-sized school district in California, serving 10,942 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $18,557. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $107,274, placing the district in the moderately funded tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 0607500 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.

Relative to the California statewide average of $110,546, teacher pay in Carlsbad Unified runs slightly below the state benchmark, a 3.0% gap, and above the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (52.7% differential). Among enrolling districts in California, it pays more than 46% 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, Carlsbad Unified reports $203.1M in total expenditure against $214.0M 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 $41.6M, special-education teacher pay is $8.0M.

How does Carlsbad Unified compare?

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

Carlsbad Unified $107,274
Los Angeles Unified $103,820
California avg $110,546
National avg $70,245

Carlsbad Unified pays +3.3% more than Los Angeles Unified · per-pupil $18,557 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, Carlsbad Unified sits closest to Hanford Elementary; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Konocti 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. Hanford Elementary
  2. Tulare Joint Union High
  3. Center Joint Unified
  4. Pleasant Valley
  5. Kerman Unified
  6. Natomas Unified
  7. Duarte Unified
  8. Selma Unified
  9. Bassett Unified
  10. Chico Unified
  11. Livermore Valley Joint Unified
Closest on per-pupil investment
  1. Konocti Unified
  2. Tracy Joint Unified
  3. Newark Unified
  4. Monrovia Unified
  5. Claremont Unified
  6. Lowell Joint
  7. Alta Loma Elementary
  8. Glendale Unified
  9. Burton Elementary
  10. Marysville Joint Unified
  11. Union Elementary

Similar estimated teacher pay

Similar per-pupil investment

Out-of-state districts near Carlsbad Unified's smaller enrollment

Two out-of-state peer sets for Carlsbad Unified: closest on enrollment (10,942 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($107,274 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

$214.0M
Total Revenue
$203.1M
Total Expenditure
$57.7M
Instruction Salaries
28% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$41.6M
Regular Program
$8.0M
Special Education
$1.2M
Vocational
$1.3M
Other Programs

The teacher salaries behind this page's average are the ones NCES reports for 4 programs in Carlsbad 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 90% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 10% 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. Carlsbad Unified places 382 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

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

Baldwin Park Unified
$124,439
10,217 students
Yuba City Unified
$98,184
11,677 students
Perris Union High
$122,089
11,712 students
Marysville Joint Unified
$104,483
10,166 students
Menifee Union
$116,084
11,807 students
Beaumont Unified
$115,640
11,812 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 Carlsbad Unified
What is the average teacher salary in Carlsbad Unified?

The average teacher salary in Carlsbad Unified is $107,274 (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 Carlsbad Unified teacher pay compare to the California average?

Carlsbad Unified pays 3.0% less than the California state average of $110,546. The district's average is $107,274.

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

Carlsbad Unified pays 52.7% above the national average of $70,245. The district average is $107,274.

What is the per-pupil spending in Carlsbad Unified?

Carlsbad Unified spends approximately $18,557 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

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

Instructional salaries account for 28% of Carlsbad Unified's total expenditure of $203.1M (NCES FY2023).

Next read for Carlsbad 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. Carlsbad 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.