PlainTeacher

School district · Arizona · LEAID 0404720

Maricopa Unified School District (4441)

Maricopa Unified School District (4441) sits in the lowest third of Arizona districts on estimated teacher pay at $56,764 (above only 18% of in-state peers with reliable estimates). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Maricopa Unified School District (4441) come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).

$56,764
Est. avg teacher salary

Below benchmark

$13,462
Per-pupil spending
8,539
Students enrolled
18th
Pct. in AZ
$56,764

Maricopa Unified School District (4441) sits in the lowest third of Arizona districts on estimated teacher pay at $56,764 (above only 18% of in-state peers with reliable estimates). Estimated average teacher salary is $56,764, below the national average of $70,245, serving 8,539 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • Lower-third pay in state: Maricopa Unified School District (4441) sits in the lowest third of Arizona districts on estimated teacher pay at $56,764 (above only 18% of in-state peers with reliable estimates).
  • 18th percentile for Arizona
  • 30th percentile nationally
  • 26% of spending reaches instructional salaries
  • Arizona ranks #29 of 49 on the salary estimate and #16 of 49 on enrollment in the same reliable-district pool.
  • Maricopa Unified School District (4441) ranks #124 of 152 Arizona districts by estimated teacher salary and #88 of 152 by per-pupil spending. Safford Unified District (4218) pay #1 at $99,366 is not Red Mesa Unified District (4159) spending #1 at $38,950 per pupil
  • +22.1% estimated-basis panel FY2019→FY2023 (not applied to the FTE figure above)

Keep this district in your shortlist

Save it in this browser, then return when PlainTeacher adds a newer public-data release. No account or personal details required.

View saved

Instructional payroll mix vs Arizona median

Among 213 Arizona districts that break out F-33 program salary totals, Maricopa Unified School District (4441)'s instructional payroll puts 79.6% into regular program , 4.4 points below the state median of 84.0%. The mix below is the district's own F-33 program split against the in-state median, not a quality score.

Program Maricopa Unified AZ median Gap
Regular program 79.6% 84.0% -4.4 pp
Special education 12.1% 10.8% +1.3 pp
Vocational programs 4.1% 1.7% +2.4 pp
Other programs 4.3% 0.0% +4.3 pp

Shares are of this district's reported F-33 teacher-salary program totals (Z35–Z38), compared with the median share across 213 in-state peers with a positive program sum. NCES LEAID 0404720 · FY2023.

LEAID 0404720 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023

Maricopa Unified F-33 compensation desk

SALARY-LOW -11% vs state RANK-ST-LOW P18 in state RANK-NAT-LOW P30 national PPE-LOW $13K/pupil ENR-MID 8,539 students INSTR-LOW 26% instr BASIS-FTE FTE-reported PHOTO-NEAR Near Cave FY-2023-MID FY2023 book

FY2023: $56,764 estimated average teacher salary · P18 in Arizona · P30 nationally · 26% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Yuma (+$52est. salary).

Salary neighbourhood chart for Maricopa Unified

Salary neighbourhood · Maricopa Unified

Maricopa Unified 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 Maricopa Unified

Maricopa Unified School District (4441)'s estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$56,764 30th percentile higher than 30% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$70,000: 2,402 US districts (22%). Above this entry. $70,000–$80,000: 1,633 US districts (15%). Above this entry. $80,000–$90,000: 1,097 US districts (10%). Above this entry. $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. This district $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

Maricopa Unified in Arizona's lower-third pay band

Same 152 districts with a usable salary and a comparable per-pupil figure (NCES F-33 FY2023)

est. avg salary

What this shows Maricopa Unified School District (4441) ranks #124 of 152 Arizona districts by estimated teacher salary and #88 of 152 by per-pupil spending. Safford Unified District (4218) pay #1 at $99,366 is not Red Mesa Unified District (4159) spending #1 at $38,950 per pupil

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

The same districts by per-pupil spending

Maricopa Unified School District (4441) is marked; a high spending bar is not a high pay bar

per pupil

What this shows Red Mesa Unified District (4159) leads spending at $38,950 per pupil; Safford Unified District (4218) leads pay.

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

What stands out about Maricopa Unified School District (4441)

  • Estimated teacher pay here moved +22.1% between FY2019 and FY2023, trailing Arizona's statewide +25.8% by 3.7 points, a growth rate faster than 47% of the 199 Arizona districts with a comparable FY2019 baseline.
  • Enrolment grew 23.0% here, from 6,942 students in FY2019 to 8,539 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.

Arizona sits close to national prices

Nominal district estimate
$56,764.398

The FY2023 salary estimate shown in the hero.

Arizona price level
100.7 / 100

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

National-price equivalent
$56,346

-1% versus the nominal figure.

Prices in Arizona sit close to the national average, so the nominal and national-price figures tell nearly the same story here. That is not true in the most and least expensive states.

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 Arizona 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 Maricopa Unified School District (4441)

What the Numbers Say About Maricopa Unified School District (4441)

Maricopa Unified School District (4441) is a small-to-mid-sized school district in Arizona, serving 8,539 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $13,462. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $56,764, placing the district in the lower-spending tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 0404720 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.

Relative to the Arizona statewide average of $63,921, teacher pay in Maricopa Unified School District (4441) runs materially below the state benchmark, a 11.2% gap, and below the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (19.2% differential). Among enrolling districts in Arizona, it pays more than 18% of them. Arizona itself ranks #29 of 49 nationally on average teacher compensation, which shapes the funding ceiling districts operate under.

On the budget side, Maricopa Unified School District (4441) reports $115.0M in total expenditure against $127.1M in revenue, with instructional salaries accounting for 26% of spending, a compensation-to-budget ratio that signals how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $21.6M, special-education teacher pay is $3.3M.

How does Maricopa Unified School District (4441) compare?

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

Maricopa Unified School District (4441) $56,764
Mesa Unified District (4235) $67,420
Arizona avg $63,921
National avg $70,245

Maricopa Unified School District (4441) pays -15.8% less than Mesa Unified District (4235) · per-pupil $13,462 vs $14,903

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 Arizona districts

On pay, Maricopa Unified School District (4441) sits closest to Cave Creek Unified District (4244); on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Tempe Union High School District (4287). 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. Cave Creek Unified District (4244)
  2. Yuma Elementary District (4499)
  3. Laveen Elementary District (4276)
  4. Osborn Elementary District (4262)
  5. Florence Unified School District (4437)
  6. Tempe School District (4258)
  7. Flowing Wells Unified District (4405)
  8. Roosevelt Elementary District (4279)
  9. Casa Grande Elementary District (4446)
  10. Glendale Elementary District (4271)
  11. Santa Cruz Valley Unified District (4458)
Closest on per-pupil investment
  1. Tempe Union High School District (4287)
  2. Flowing Wells Unified District (4405)
  3. Coolidge Unified District (4442)
  4. Chino Valley Unified District (4474)
  5. Gilbert Unified District (4239)
  6. Payson Unified District (4209)
  7. Tolleson Union High School District (4288)
  8. Glendale Elementary District (4271)
  9. Kyrene Elementary District (4267)
  10. Queen Creek Unified District (4245)
  11. Show Low Unified District (4393)

Similar estimated teacher pay

Similar per-pupil investment

Out-of-state districts near Maricopa Unified School District (4441)'s smaller enrollment

Two out-of-state peer sets for Maricopa Unified School District (4441): closest on enrollment (8,539 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($56,764 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

$127.1M
Total Revenue
$115.0M
Total Expenditure
$30.3M
Instruction Salaries
26% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$21.6M
Regular Program
$3.3M
Special Education
$1.1M
Vocational
$1.2M
Other Programs

The teacher salaries behind this page's average are the ones NCES reports for 4 programs in Maricopa Unified School District (4441): 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.

Arizona Teacher Pay Overview

The highest average among comparably sized Arizona districts belongs to Safford Unified District (4218) at $99,366. Placed 106 of 128, Maricopa Unified School District (4441) is in the lower quarter, where a state-average comparison flatters the district rather than describing it. On BEA's price parity Arizona sits near the national average, so its salaries need less adjustment than most; Virginia and Colorado are its nearest price peers.

View all Arizona districts →

Other Arizona Districts

Smaller-district sample from 153 Arizona peers; bar length shows pay magnitude within this enrollment band.

Agua Fria Union High School District (4289)
$72,651
9,632 students
Alhambra Elementary District (4280)
$72,907
9,978 students
Roosevelt Elementary District (4279)
$57,711
7,094 students
Kingman Unified School District (79598)
$61,420
7,022 students
Tempe School District (4258)
$56,610
10,306 students
Litchfield Elementary District (4281)
$68,729
10,425 students

This is a sample of 6 from 153 Arizona districts with enrollment and salary data reliable enough to compare in the NCES CCD F-33 survey.

Frequently Asked Questions about Maricopa Unified School District (4441)
What is the average teacher salary in Maricopa Unified School District (4441)?

The average teacher salary in Maricopa Unified School District (4441) is $56,764 (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 Maricopa Unified School District (4441) teacher pay compare to the Arizona average?

Maricopa Unified School District (4441) pays 11.2% less than the Arizona state average of $63,921. The district's average is $56,764.

How does Maricopa Unified School District (4441) teacher pay compare to the national average?

Maricopa Unified School District (4441) pays 19.2% below the national average of $70,245. The district average is $56,764.

What is the per-pupil spending in Maricopa Unified School District (4441)?

Maricopa Unified School District (4441) spends approximately $13,462 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

What percentage of Maricopa Unified School District (4441)'s budget goes to teacher salaries?

Instructional salaries account for 26% of Maricopa Unified School District (4441)'s total expenditure of $115.0M (NCES FY2023).

Next read for Maricopa Unified School District (4441)
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

Cite, share, embed & editorial notes

Share this district data

Download a sourced data card or share the canonical district profile.

X Facebook LinkedIn WhatsApp Email
Embed this widget

Copy this snippet to embed a live-linked card on your own site.

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. Maricopa Unified School District (4441)'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.