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School district · California · LEAID 0626100

Mountain Empire Unified

Mountain Empire Unified is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable California districts (1,823 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Mountain Empire Unified come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).

$106,199
Est. avg teacher salary

Below benchmark

$21,975
Per-pupil spending
1,823
Students enrolled
44th
Pct. in CA
$106,199

Mountain Empire Unified is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable California districts (1,823 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Estimated average teacher salary is $106,199, above the national average of $70,245, serving 1,823 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • Smaller enrollment scale: Mountain Empire Unified is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable California districts (1,823 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort).
  • 44th percentile for California
  • 93rd 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.
  • Mountain Empire Unified ranks #411 of 750 California districts by estimated teacher salary and #280 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
  • +29.2% 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, Mountain Empire Unified's instructional payroll puts 90.2% into regular program , 4.3 points above the state median of 85.8%. Regular-program teachers claim more of the instructional salary pool here than at the median California district.

Program Mountain Empire CA median Gap
Regular program 90.2% 85.8% +4.3 pp
Special education 8.2% 10.8% -2.6 pp
Vocational programs 1.6% 0.0% +1.6 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 0626100 · FY2023.

LEAID 0626100 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023

Mountain Empire F-33 compensation desk

SALARY-BELOW -4% vs state RANK-ST-LOW P44 in state RANK-NAT-TOP P93 national PPE-MID $22K/pupil ENR-SMALL 1,823 students INSTR-LOW 29% instr BASIS-FTE FTE-reported PHOTO-NEAR Near Dos FY-2023-LIGHT FY2023 book

FY2023: $106,199 estimated average teacher salary · P44 in California · P93 nationally · 29% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Mt. ($63est. salary).

Salary neighbourhood chart for Mountain Empire

Salary neighbourhood · Mountain Empire

Mountain Empire sits mid-pack among in-state peers; the chart brackets it between the top and bottom pay poles (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 Mountain Empire

Mountain Empire Unified's estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$106,199 Top 7% higher than 93% 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. Mountain Empire 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

Mountain Empire 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 Mountain Empire Unified ranks #411 of 750 California districts by estimated teacher salary and #280 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

Mountain Empire 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 Mountain Empire Unified

  • It ranks in the top 10% of US districts for estimated teacher pay, higher than 93% of the 10,684 reliable-salary districts nationally.
  • Estimated teacher pay here rose +29.2% between FY2019 and FY2023, outpacing California's statewide +25.3% by 4.0 points, a growth rate faster than 69% of the 856 California districts with a comparable FY2019 baseline.
  • Enrolment grew 7.5% here, from 1,696 students in FY2019 to 1,823 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
$106,199.305

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
$94,656

-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 Mountain Empire Unified

What the Numbers Say About Mountain Empire Unified

Mountain Empire Unified is a small school district in California, serving 1,823 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $21,975. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $106,199, placing the district in the high-investment tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 0626100 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.

Relative to the California statewide average of $110,546, teacher pay in Mountain Empire Unified runs slightly below the state benchmark, a 3.9% gap, and above the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (51.2% differential). Among enrolling districts in California, it pays more than 44% 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, Mountain Empire Unified reports $40.1M in total expenditure against $43.4M 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 $8.3M, special-education teacher pay is $0.7M.

How does Mountain Empire Unified compare?

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

Mountain Empire Unified $106,199
Los Angeles Unified $103,820
California avg $110,546
National avg $70,245

Mountain Empire Unified pays +2.3% more than Los Angeles Unified · per-pupil $21,975 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, Mountain Empire Unified sits closest to Dos Palos Oro Loma Joint Unified; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Burlingame 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. Dos Palos Oro Loma Joint Unified
  2. Soquel Union Elementary
  3. Valley Center-Pauma Unified
  4. Gustine Unified
  5. Gravenstein Union Elementary
  6. Emery Unified
  7. Hickman Community Charter
  8. Paso Robles Joint Unified
  9. Martinez Unified
  10. Mesa Union Elementary
  11. Benicia Unified
Closest on per-pupil investment
  1. Burlingame Elementary
  2. Willows Unified
  3. Lakeport Unified
  4. Fallbrook Union High
  5. Washington Unified
  6. San Ysidro Elementary
  7. Novato Unified
  8. Wright Elementary
  9. Atwater Elementary
  10. Wilsona Elementary
  11. Ukiah Unified

Similar estimated teacher pay

Similar per-pupil investment

Out-of-state districts near Mountain Empire Unified's smaller enrollment

Two out-of-state peer sets for Mountain Empire Unified: closest on enrollment (1,823 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($106,199 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

$43.4M
Total Revenue
$40.1M
Total Expenditure
$11.5M
Instruction Salaries
29% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$8.3M
Regular Program
$0.7M
Special Education
$0.1M
Vocational
$0.0M
Other Programs

The teacher salaries behind this page's average are the ones NCES reports for 4 programs in Mountain Empire 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 80% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 20% 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. Mountain Empire Unified places 397 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.

Kelseyville Unified
$84,113
1,833 students
Waterford Unified
$113,536
1,808 students
Red Bluff Union Elementary
$111,626
1,838 students
Savanna Elementary
$126,216
1,806 students
Wasco Union High
$103,803
1,853 students
Northern Humboldt Union High
$87,399
1,785 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 Mountain Empire Unified
What is the average teacher salary in Mountain Empire Unified?

The average teacher salary in Mountain Empire Unified is $106,199 (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 Mountain Empire Unified teacher pay compare to the California average?

Mountain Empire Unified pays 3.9% less than the California state average of $110,546. The district's average is $106,199.

How does Mountain Empire Unified teacher pay compare to the national average?

Mountain Empire Unified pays 51.2% above the national average of $70,245. The district average is $106,199.

What is the per-pupil spending in Mountain Empire Unified?

Mountain Empire Unified spends approximately $21,975 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

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

Instructional salaries account for 29% of Mountain Empire Unified's total expenditure of $40.1M (NCES FY2023).

Next read for Mountain Empire 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. Mountain Empire 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.