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School district · California · LEAID 0622710

Los Angeles Unified

From the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2022): Los Angeles Unified pays an estimated average teacher salary of $122,209, alongside per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget figures.

$122,209
Est. avg teacher salary
$25,983
Per-pupil spending
434,178
Students enrolled
63rd
Pct. in CA
$122,209

Los Angeles Unified (California) reports an estimated average teacher salary of $122,209, slightly below the California average and above the national average, from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 fiscal survey (FY2022). It serves 434,178 students.

  • 63rd percentile for California
  • 94th percentile nationally
  • 24% of spending reaches instructional salaries
  • +22.1% since FY2019

Avg Teacher Salary

$122,209

Estimated from instructional expenditure / FTE

Per-Pupil Spending

$25,983

Total expenditure / enrollment

Student Enrollment

434,178 students

Salary vs State Average 98.6%

1.4% below California average

Nationally, Los Angeles Unified's estimated average out-pays 94% of the 11,460 US school districts with reliable F-33 salary data, placing it in the top quartile of districts on this estimate. (A relative position on the F-33 figure, which runs above survey-reported salaries.)

Los Angeles Unified's estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$122,209 Top 6% higher than 94% of 11,460 US districts

$30,000–$40,000: 66 US districts (1%). Below this entry. $40,000–$50,000: 375 US districts (3%). Below this entry. $50,000–$60,000: 1,529 US districts (13%). Below this entry. $60,000–$70,000: 2,648 US districts (23%). Below this entry. $70,000–$80,000: 2,442 US districts (21%). Below this entry. $80,000–$90,000: 1,413 US districts (12%). Below this entry. $90,000–$100,000: 1,023 US districts (9%). Below this entry. $100,000–$110,000: 736 US districts (6%). Below this entry. $110,000–$120,000: 486 US districts (4%). Below this entry. $120,000–$130,000: 301 US districts (3%). This entry sits in this band. $130,000–$140,000: 183 US districts (2%). Above this entry. $140,000–$150,000: 122 US districts (1%). Above this entry. $150,000–$160,000: 68 US districts (1%). Above this entry. $160,000–$170,000: 42 US districts (0%). Above this entry. $170,000–$180,000: 26 US districts (0%). Above this entry. $180,000–$190,000: 0 US districts (0%). Above this entry. Los Angeles 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, FY2022 · FY2022

What stands out about Los Angeles Unified

  • It ranks in the top 10% of US districts for estimated teacher pay, higher than 94% of the 11,460 reliable-salary districts nationally.
  • With 434,178 students, it is the 2nd-largest school district by enrollment among the 13,138 US districts reporting enrollment data.
  • A district of this scale typically enrolls more students than several entire states' worth of smaller districts combined, which is part of why the per-pupil and per-teacher figures here should be read as an aggregate across many schools rather than a single-campus estimate.
  • Its total annual revenue of $12.51B puts it among just 2 US districts operating a budget of this size or larger, out of the 13,138 districts in the NCES CCD F-33 survey, a scale that brings dedicated budget offices, multi-year capital planning, and district-wide procurement contracts that a small district's single-person business office cannot replicate.
  • Its per-pupil spending of $25,983 is among the highest in the nation.

What the Numbers Say About Los Angeles Unified

Los Angeles Unified is a large urban school district in California, serving 434,178 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $25,983. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from instructional expenditure variable Z33 divided by teacher FTE, is $122,209, placing the district in the high-investment tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 0622710 references the FY2022 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.

Relative to the California statewide average of $123,951, teacher pay in Los Angeles Unified runs slightly below the state benchmark, a 1.4% gap, and above the national instructional-salary estimate of $85,759 (42.5% differential). Among enrolling districts in California, it pays more than 63% of them.

Budget figures show Los Angeles Unified reporting $11281.3M in total expenditure against $12512.9M in revenue, with instructional salaries accounting for 24% of spending, a compensation-to-budget ratio that signals how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $1831.1M, special-education teacher pay is $326.6M.

How does Los Angeles Unified compare?

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

Los Angeles Unified $122,209
San Diego Unified $138,603
California avg $123,951
National avg $85,759

Los Angeles Unified pays -11.8% less than San Diego Unified · per-pupil $25,983 vs $26,968

Estimated from NCES F-33 instructional salary expenditure (FY2022). Service entities excluded; estimates assume a 15:1 ratio.

Revenue & Expenditure

$12512.9M
Total Revenue
$11281.3M
Total Expenditure
$2675.6M
Instruction Salaries
24% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$1831.1M
Regular Program
$326.6M
Special Education
$8.8M
Vocational
$88.1M
Other Programs

Other California Districts

Fresno Unified
$127,843
69,654 students
Long Beach Unified
$135,094
66,863 students
Elk Grove Unified
$119,373
62,022 students
Corona-Norco Unified
$135,838
50,783 students
San Francisco Unified
$148,142
49,146 students
San Bernardino City Unified
$128,440
46,363 students

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average teacher salary in Los Angeles Unified?

The average teacher salary in Los Angeles Unified is $122,209 (NCES CCD FY2022). This is based on total instructional salary expenditure divided by the district's REPORTED teacher headcount (NCES CCD Staff Universe Survey).

How does Los Angeles Unified teacher pay compare to the California average?

Los Angeles Unified pays 1.4% less than the California state average of $123,951. The district's average is $122,209.

How does Los Angeles Unified teacher pay compare to the national average?

Los Angeles Unified pays 42.5% above the national average of $85,759. The district average is $122,209.

What is the per-pupil spending in Los Angeles Unified?

Los Angeles Unified spends approximately $25,983 per student annually (NCES FY2022). This includes instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

How many students are enrolled in Los Angeles Unified?

Los Angeles Unified has 434,178 students enrolled according to NCES CCD FY2022 data.

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

Instructional salaries account for 24% of Los Angeles Unified's total expenditure of $11281.3M (NCES FY2022).

Where does this teacher salary data come from?

This data is sourced from two NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) surveys, Fiscal Year 2022: the F-33 Local Education Agency Finance Survey (instructional expenditure, variable Z33) and the Staff Universe Survey (reported teacher headcount). Salary figures divide the former by the latter, falling back to an enrollment-based estimate only when a district has no reported headcount. These are district-level aggregates, not individual salary records.

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 Editorial

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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. Los Angeles Unified's salary and finance figures are computed directly from its FY2022 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 FY2022.