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School district · California · LEAID 0600068

Golden Valley Unified

Golden Valley Unified is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable California districts (2,566 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Golden Valley Unified come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).

$86,652
Est. avg teacher salary

Well below benchmark

$14,530
Per-pupil spending
2,566
Students enrolled
9th
Pct. in CA
$86,652

Golden Valley Unified is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable California districts (2,566 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Estimated average teacher salary is $86,652, above the national average of $70,245, serving 2,566 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • Smaller enrollment scale: Golden Valley Unified is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable California districts (2,566 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort).
  • 9th percentile for California
  • 82nd percentile nationally
  • 31% 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.
  • Golden Valley Unified ranks #679 of 750 California districts by estimated teacher salary and #718 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
  • +17.0% 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, Golden Valley Unified's instructional payroll puts 4.4% into vocational programs , 4.4 points above the state median of 0.0%. That heavier vocational share usually means career/technical programs claim more of the teacher-salary pool than at a typical California peer.

Program Golden Valley CA median Gap
Regular program 82.8% 85.8% -3.0 pp
Special education 10.5% 10.8% -0.3 pp
Vocational programs 4.4% 0.0% +4.4 pp
Other programs 2.3% 0.4% +1.9 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 0600068 · FY2023.

LEAID 0600068 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023

Golden Valley F-33 compensation desk

SALARY-LOW -22% vs state RANK-ST-LOW P9 in state RANK-NAT-MID P82 national PPE-MID $15K/pupil ENR-MID 2,566 students INSTR-LOW 31% instr BASIS-FTE FTE-reported PHOTO-NEAR Near McKinleyville FY-2023-MID FY2023 book

FY2023: $86,652 estimated average teacher salary · P9 in California · P82 nationally · 31% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Modesto ($6,859est. salary).

Salary neighbourhood chart for Golden Valley

Salary neighbourhood · Golden Valley

Golden Valley 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 Golden Valley

Golden Valley Unified's estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$86,652 Top 18% higher than 82% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $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. Golden Valley 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

Golden Valley 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 Golden Valley Unified ranks #679 of 750 California districts by estimated teacher salary and #718 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

Golden Valley 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 Golden Valley Unified

  • Estimated teacher pay here moved +17.0% between FY2019 and FY2023, trailing California's statewide +25.3% by 8.2 points, a growth rate faster than 22% of the 856 California districts with a comparable FY2019 baseline.
  • Enrolment grew 27.9% here, from 2,007 students in FY2019 to 2,566 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.

California prices absorb part of this salary

Nominal district estimate
$86,652.434

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
$77,234

-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 Golden Valley Unified

What the Numbers Say About Golden Valley Unified

Golden Valley Unified is a small-to-mid-sized school district in California, serving 2,566 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $14,530. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $86,652, placing the district in the moderately funded tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 0600068 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.

Relative to the California statewide average of $110,546, teacher pay in Golden Valley Unified runs materially below the state benchmark, a 21.6% gap, and above the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (23.4% differential). Among enrolling districts in California, it pays more than 9% 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, Golden Valley Unified reports $37.3M in total expenditure against $52.4M 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 $8.4M, special-education teacher pay is $1.1M.

How does Golden Valley Unified compare?

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

Golden Valley Unified $86,652
Los Angeles Unified $103,820
California avg $110,546
National avg $70,245

Golden Valley Unified pays -16.5% less than Los Angeles Unified · per-pupil $14,530 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, Golden Valley Unified sits closest to McKinleyville Union Elementary; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Glendora 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. McKinleyville Union Elementary
  2. West Sonoma County Union High
  3. Yosemite Unified
  4. Sierra Sands Unified
  5. Upper Lake Unified
  6. Rio Bravo-Greeley Union Elementary
  7. Vineland Elementary
  8. Pierce Joint Unified
  9. Calaveras Unified
  10. Northern Humboldt Union High
  11. Santa Ynez Valley Union High
Closest on per-pupil investment
  1. Glendora Unified
  2. Union Hill Elementary
  3. Spreckels Union Elementary
  4. Placer Hills Union Elementary
  5. Rosedale Union Elementary
  6. Westside Union Elementary
  7. Sundale Union Elementary
  8. Pioneer Union Elementary
  9. Susanville Elementary
  10. Travis Unified
  11. Antelope Elementary

Similar estimated teacher pay

Similar per-pupil investment

Out-of-state districts near Golden Valley Unified's smaller enrollment

Two out-of-state peer sets for Golden Valley Unified: closest on enrollment (2,566 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($86,652 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

$52.4M
Total Revenue
$37.3M
Total Expenditure
$11.5M
Instruction Salaries
31% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$8.4M
Regular Program
$1.1M
Special Education
$0.4M
Vocational
$0.2M
Other Programs

The teacher salaries behind this page's average are the ones NCES reports for 4 programs in Golden Valley 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 88% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 12% 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. Placed 604 of 644, Golden Valley Unified is in the lower quarter, where a state-average comparison flatters the district rather than describing it. 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.

Cabrillo Unified
$101,465
2,723 students
Taft City
$90,558
2,402 students
Delhi Unified
$119,800
2,392 students
San Marino Unified
$113,941
2,747 students
Pacifica
$75,573
2,750 students
San Lorenzo Valley Unified
$101,635
2,379 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 Golden Valley Unified
What is the average teacher salary in Golden Valley Unified?

The average teacher salary in Golden Valley Unified is $86,652 (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 Golden Valley Unified teacher pay compare to the California average?

Golden Valley Unified pays 21.6% less than the California state average of $110,546. The district's average is $86,652.

How does Golden Valley Unified teacher pay compare to the national average?

Golden Valley Unified pays 23.4% above the national average of $70,245. The district average is $86,652.

What is the per-pupil spending in Golden Valley Unified?

Golden Valley Unified spends approximately $14,530 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

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

Instructional salaries account for 31% of Golden Valley Unified's total expenditure of $37.3M (NCES FY2023).

Next read for Golden Valley 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. Golden Valley 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.