PlainTeacher

School district · California · LEAID 0601330

Modesto City Schools

Modesto City Schools sits in the lowest third of California districts on estimated teacher pay at $79,793 (above only 4% of in-state peers with reliable estimates). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Modesto City Schools come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).

$79,793
Est. avg teacher salary

Well below benchmark

$21,862
Per-pupil spending
29,512
Students enrolled
4th
Pct. in CA
$79,793

Modesto City Schools sits in the lowest third of California districts on estimated teacher pay at $79,793 (above only 4% of in-state peers with reliable estimates). Estimated average teacher salary is $79,793, above the national average of $70,245, serving 29,512 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • Lower-third pay in state: Modesto City Schools sits in the lowest third of California districts on estimated teacher pay at $79,793 (above only 4% of in-state peers with reliable estimates).
  • 4th percentile for California
  • 74th percentile nationally
  • 29% 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.
  • Modesto City Schools ranks #722 of 750 California districts by estimated teacher salary and #286 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
  • +20.3% 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 California median

Among 954 California districts that break out F-33 program salary totals, Modesto City Schools's instructional payroll puts 75.3% into regular program , 10.5 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 Modesto City CA median Gap
Regular program 75.3% 85.8% -10.5 pp
Special education 14.0% 10.8% +3.3 pp
Vocational programs 4.4% 0.0% +4.4 pp
Other programs 6.3% 0.4% +5.9 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 0601330 · FY2023.

LEAID 0601330 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023

Modesto City F-33 compensation desk

SALARY-LOW -28% vs state RANK-ST-LOW P4 in state RANK-NAT-MID P74 national PPE-MID $22K/pupil ENR-LARGE 29.5K students INSTR-LOW 29% instr BASIS-EST Enroll-estimated PHOTO-NEAR Near Santa FY-2023-HEAVY FY2023 book

FY2023: $79,793 estimated average teacher salary · P4 in California · P74 nationally · 29% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: West (+$22,308est. salary).

Salary neighbourhood chart for Modesto City

Salary neighbourhood · Modesto City

Modesto City 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 Modesto City

Modesto City Schools's estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$79,793 Top 26% higher than 74% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $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. Modesto City Schools $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

Modesto City 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 Modesto City Schools ranks #722 of 750 California districts by estimated teacher salary and #286 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

Modesto City Schools 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 Modesto City Schools

  • Estimated teacher pay here moved +20.3% between FY2019 and FY2023, trailing California's statewide +25.3% by 4.9 points, a growth rate faster than 32% of the 856 California districts with a comparable FY2019 baseline.

California prices absorb part of this salary

Nominal district estimate
$79,793.474

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
$71,120

-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 Modesto City Schools

What the Numbers Say About Modesto City Schools

Modesto City Schools is a mid-sized school district in California, serving 29,512 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $21,862. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $79,793, placing the district in the high-investment tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 0601330 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.

Relative to the California statewide average of $110,546, teacher pay in Modesto City Schools runs materially below the state benchmark, a 27.8% gap, and above the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (13.6% differential). Among enrolling districts in California, it pays more than 4% 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, Modesto City Schools reports $645.2M in total expenditure against $689.5M in revenue, with instructional salaries accounting for 29% of spending, a compensation-to-budget ratio that signals how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $118.2M, special-education teacher pay is $22.0M.

How does Modesto City Schools compare?

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

Modesto City Schools $79,793
Los Angeles Unified $103,820
California avg $110,546
National avg $70,245

Modesto City Schools pays -23.1% less than Los Angeles Unified · per-pupil $21,862 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, Modesto City Schools sits closest to Santa Rosa City Schools; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Santa Maria Joint Union High. 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. Santa Rosa City Schools
  2. Vacaville Unified
  3. Apple Valley Unified
  4. Lammersville Joint Unified
  5. Yuba City Unified
  6. Lompoc Unified
  7. Lucia Mar Unified
  8. Ventura Unified
  9. Monterey Peninsula Unified
  10. Simi Valley Unified
  11. Fairfield-Suisun Unified
Closest on per-pupil investment
  1. Santa Maria Joint Union High
  2. Gilroy Unified
  3. Castro Valley Unified
  4. Downey Unified
  5. Hacienda la Puente Unified
  6. West Covina Unified
  7. Santa Barbara Unified
  8. Moreno Valley Unified
  9. Anaheim Union High
  10. Hemet Unified
  11. Escondido Union

Similar estimated teacher pay

Similar per-pupil investment

Out-of-state districts with similar lower pay

Two out-of-state peer sets for Modesto City Schools: closest on enrollment (29,512 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($79,793 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

$689.5M
Total Revenue
$645.2M
Total Expenditure
$185.8M
Instruction Salaries
29% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$118.2M
Regular Program
$22.0M
Special Education
$6.8M
Vocational
$9.9M
Other Programs

The teacher salaries behind this page's average are the ones NCES reports for 4 programs in Modesto City Schools: the regular program, special education, vocational programs and other programs. Every program category NCES breaks out separately carries a figure here. Together they are 84% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 16% 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 630 of 644, Modesto City Schools 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

The bar behind each salary shows its magnitude within this California sample (including Modesto City). Hover or focus a value for the exact comparison.

Moreno Valley Unified
$119,858
31,619 students
Lodi Unified
$109,617
27,260 students
Temecula Valley Unified
$123,735
26,510 students
Desert Sands Unified
$123,996
26,379 students
Fremont Unified
$135,613
33,057 students
West Contra Costa Unified
$102,101
25,626 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 Modesto City Schools
What is the average teacher salary in Modesto City Schools?

The estimated average teacher salary in Modesto City Schools is $79,793 (NCES CCD FY2023). Modesto City Schools reports staffing below the district level, so the figure uses reported teacher salary expenditure divided by an estimated teacher FTE (enrollment ÷ the national 15:1 ratio).

How does Modesto City Schools teacher pay compare to the California average?

Modesto City Schools pays 27.8% less than the California state average of $110,546. The district's average is $79,793.

How does Modesto City Schools teacher pay compare to the national average?

Modesto City Schools pays 13.6% above the national average of $70,245. The district average is $79,793.

What is the per-pupil spending in Modesto City Schools?

Modesto City Schools spends approximately $21,862 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

What percentage of Modesto City Schools's budget goes to teacher salaries?

Instructional salaries account for 29% of Modesto City Schools's total expenditure of $645.2M (NCES FY2023).

Next read for Modesto City Schools
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. Modesto City Schools'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.