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School district · California · LEAID 0624230

McFarland Unified

McFarland Unified is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable California districts (3,408 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for McFarland Unified come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).

$100,767
Est. avg teacher salary

Below benchmark

$24,977
Per-pupil spending
3,408
Students enrolled
32nd
Pct. in CA
$100,767

McFarland Unified is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable California districts (3,408 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Estimated average teacher salary is $100,767, above the national average of $70,245, serving 3,408 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • Smaller enrollment scale: McFarland Unified is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable California districts (3,408 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort).
  • 32nd percentile for California
  • 91st percentile nationally
  • 20% 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.
  • McFarland Unified ranks #506 of 750 California districts by estimated teacher salary and #139 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
  • +17.3% 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, McFarland Unified's instructional payroll puts 6.4% into special education , 4.4 points below the state median of 10.8%. Special-education salary is a thinner slice of instructional pay here than at the median California district, not a judgment of need, only of how F-33 codes the payroll.

Program McFarland Unified CA median Gap
Regular program 87.2% 85.8% +1.4 pp
Special education 6.4% 10.8% -4.4 pp
Vocational programs 2.8% 0.0% +2.8 pp
Other programs 3.6% 0.4% +3.2 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 0624230 · FY2023.

LEAID 0624230 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023

McFarland Unified F-33 compensation desk

SALARY-BELOW -9% vs state RANK-ST-LOW P32 in state RANK-NAT-TOP P91 national PPE-HIGH $25K/pupil ENR-MID 3,408 students INSTR-LOW 20% instr BASIS-FTE FTE-reported PHOTO-NEAR Near Monterey FY-2023-MID FY2023 book

FY2023: $100,767 estimated average teacher salary · P32 in California · P91 nationally · 20% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: West (+$1,335est. salary).

Salary neighbourhood chart for McFarland Unified

Salary neighbourhood · McFarland Unified

McFarland 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 McFarland Unified

McFarland Unified's estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$100,767 Top 9% higher than 91% 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. McFarland 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

McFarland 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 McFarland Unified ranks #506 of 750 California districts by estimated teacher salary and #139 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

McFarland 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 McFarland Unified

  • It ranks in the top 10% of US districts for estimated teacher pay, higher than 91% of the 10,684 reliable-salary districts nationally.
  • Estimated teacher pay here moved +17.3% between FY2019 and FY2023, trailing California's statewide +25.3% by 8.0 points, a growth rate faster than 23% of the 856 California districts with a comparable FY2019 baseline.

California prices absorb part of this salary

Nominal district estimate
$100,766.839

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
$89,814

-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 McFarland Unified

What the Numbers Say About McFarland Unified

McFarland Unified is a small-to-mid-sized school district in California, serving 3,408 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $24,977. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $100,767, placing the district in the high-investment tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 0624230 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.

Relative to the California statewide average of $110,546, teacher pay in McFarland Unified runs materially below the state benchmark, a 8.8% gap, and above the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (43.5% differential). Among enrolling districts in California, it pays more than 32% 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, McFarland Unified reports $85.1M in total expenditure against $88.5M in revenue, with instructional salaries accounting for 20% of spending, a compensation-to-budget ratio that signals how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $12.7M, special-education teacher pay is $0.9M.

How does McFarland Unified compare?

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

McFarland Unified $100,767
Los Angeles Unified $103,820
California avg $110,546
National avg $70,245

McFarland Unified pays -2.9% less than Los Angeles Unified · per-pupil $24,977 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, McFarland Unified sits closest to Monterey Peninsula Unified; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Goleta Union Elementary. 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. Monterey Peninsula Unified
  2. Cutler-Orosi Joint Unified
  3. Plumas Lake Elementary
  4. Red Bluff Joint Union High
  5. Orland Joint Unified
  6. Rim of the World Unified
  7. Cascade Union Elementary
  8. Wasco Union Elementary
  9. Hollister
  10. Redding Elementary
  11. Paradise Unified
Closest on per-pupil investment
  1. Goleta Union Elementary
  2. Manhattan Beach Unified
  3. Selma Unified
  4. National Elementary
  5. Cucamonga Elementary
  6. Los Altos Elementary
  7. Taft Union High
  8. Cutler-Orosi Joint Unified
  9. Bellflower Unified
  10. Pixley Union Elementary
  11. Lindsay Unified

Similar estimated teacher pay

Similar per-pupil investment

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

Two out-of-state peer sets for McFarland Unified: closest on enrollment (3,408 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($100,767 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

$88.5M
Total Revenue
$85.1M
Total Expenditure
$17.2M
Instruction Salaries
20% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$12.7M
Regular Program
$0.9M
Special Education
$0.4M
Vocational
$0.5M
Other Programs

The teacher salaries behind this page's average are the ones NCES reports for 4 programs in McFarland 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 85% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 15% 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. McFarland Unified places 476 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.

Newman-Crows Landing Unified
$99,630
3,186 students
Lafayette Elementary
$110,805
3,177 students
Lemon Grove
$131,550
3,170 students
Lake Tahoe Unified
$110,939
3,648 students
Sonoma Valley Unified
$120,759
3,156 students
Southern Kern Unified
$101,499
3,663 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 McFarland Unified
What is the average teacher salary in McFarland Unified?

The average teacher salary in McFarland Unified is $100,767 (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 McFarland Unified teacher pay compare to the California average?

McFarland Unified pays 8.8% less than the California state average of $110,546. The district's average is $100,767.

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

McFarland Unified pays 43.5% above the national average of $70,245. The district average is $100,767.

What is the per-pupil spending in McFarland Unified?

McFarland Unified spends approximately $24,977 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

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

Instructional salaries account for 20% of McFarland Unified's total expenditure of $85.1M (NCES FY2023).

Next read for McFarland 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. McFarland 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.