School district · California · LEAID 0629370
Pacific Grove Unified
Pacific Grove Unified is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable California districts (1,772 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Pacific Grove Unified come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).
- $143,143
- Est. avg teacher salary
- $30,024
- Per-pupil spending
- 1,772
- Students enrolled
- 94th
- Pct. in CA
Well above benchmark
Pacific Grove Unified is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable California districts (1,772 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Estimated average teacher salary is $143,143, above the national average of $70,245, serving 1,772 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).
- Smaller enrollment scale: Pacific Grove Unified is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable California districts (1,772 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort).
- 94th percentile for California
- 99th percentile nationally
- 34% 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.
- Pacific Grove Unified ranks #31 of 750 California districts by estimated teacher salary and #60 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
- +11.0% estimated-basis panel FY2019→FY2021 (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.
Instructional payroll mix vs California median
Among 954 California districts that break out F-33 program salary totals, Pacific Grove Unified's instructional payroll puts 13.2% into special education , 2.5 points above the state median of 10.8%. That heavier special-education share usually means more of the teacher-salary pool is tied to IEP-driven staffing than at a typical California peer.
| Program | Pacific Grove | CA median | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular program | 85.0% | 85.8% | -0.8 pp |
| Special education | 13.2% | 10.8% | +2.5 pp |
| Other programs | 1.6% | 0.4% | +1.2 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 0629370 · FY2023.
LEAID 0629370 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023
Pacific Grove F-33 compensation desk
FY2023: $143,143 estimated average teacher salary · P94 in California · P99 nationally · 34% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Santa ($32est. salary).
Salary neighbourhood chart for Pacific Grove
Salary neighbourhood · Pacific Grove
Pacific Grove already leads 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).
- Modesto · low pole
Modesto · low pole
$79,793 est. salary
- Garden · near
Garden · near
$142,592 est. salary
- Santa · near
Santa · near
$143,111 est. salary
- Pacific
Pacific · this district
$143,143 est. salary
- San · top pay
San · top pay
$147,163 est. salary
Appropriate use & corrections
National salary distribution for Pacific Grove
Pacific Grove Unified's estimated salary vs. every US district
NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only
$143,143 Top 1% higher than 99% of 10,684 US districts
Show national distribution
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
Pacific Grove in California's upper-third pay band
Same 750 districts with a usable salary and a comparable per-pupil figure (NCES F-33 FY2023)
- Calaveras County Office of Education
Calaveras County Office of Education
$178,519 est. avg salary
- Pacific Grove Unified
Pacific Grove Unified
$143,143 est. avg salary
- Beverly Hills Unified
Beverly Hills Unified
$123,673 est. avg salary
What this shows Pacific Grove Unified ranks #31 of 750 California districts by estimated teacher salary and #60 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
The same districts by per-pupil spending
Pacific Grove Unified is marked; a high spending bar is not a high pay bar
- Beverly Hills Unified
Beverly Hills Unified
$61,843 per pupil
- Calaveras County Office of Education
Calaveras County Office of Education
$50,753 per pupil
- Pacific Grove Unified
Pacific Grove Unified
$30,024 per pupil
What this shows Beverly Hills Unified leads spending at $61,843 per pupil; Calaveras County Office of Education leads pay.
What stands out about Pacific Grove Unified
- It ranks in the top 5% of US districts for estimated teacher pay, higher than 99% of the 10,684 reliable-salary districts nationally.
- This is a contracting district: 2,035 students in FY2019 down to 1,899 in FY2021, a 6.7% decline. Enrolment drives most state funding formulas, so the finance figures below describe a budget under downward pressure rather than a steady state.
- Its per-pupil spending of $30,024 is among the highest in the nation.
California prices absorb part of this salary
- Nominal district estimate
- $143,142.937
- California price level
- 112.2 / 100
- National-price equivalent
- $127,584
The FY2023 salary estimate shown in the hero.
BEA all-items regional price parity; 100 is the U.S. average.
-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 Pacific Grove Unified
What the Numbers Say About Pacific Grove Unified
Pacific Grove Unified is a small school district in California, serving 1,772 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $30,024. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $143,143, placing the district in the high-investment tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 0629370 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.
Relative to the California statewide average of $110,546, teacher pay in Pacific Grove Unified runs meaningfully above the state benchmark, a 29.5% gap, and above the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (103.8% differential). Among enrolling districts in California, it pays more than 94% 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, Pacific Grove Unified reports $53.2M in total expenditure against $55.7M in revenue, with instructional salaries accounting for 34% of spending, a compensation-to-budget ratio that signals how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $13.0M, special-education teacher pay is $2.0M.
How does Pacific Grove Unified compare?
Estimated average teacher salary versus a peer district, the California average, and the national average. Pick any in-state district to compare.
Pacific Grove Unified pays +37.9% more than Los Angeles Unified · per-pupil $30,024 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, Pacific Grove Unified sits closest to South Whittier Elementary; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Healdsburg Unified. 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.
Similar estimated teacher pay
Similar per-pupil investment
Out-of-state districts near Pacific Grove Unified's smaller enrollment
Two out-of-state peer sets for Pacific Grove Unified: closest on enrollment (1,772 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($143,143 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
Instructional Salary by Program
The teacher salaries behind this page's average are the ones NCES reports for 4 programs in Pacific Grove 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 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. Pacific Grove Unified sits in the upper quarter of that field at 34 of 644, nearer the ceiling than the floor. 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.
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 Pacific Grove Unified
What is the average teacher salary in Pacific Grove Unified?
The average teacher salary in Pacific Grove Unified is $143,143 (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 Pacific Grove Unified teacher pay compare to the California average?
Pacific Grove Unified pays 29.5% more than the California state average of $110,546. The district's average is $143,143.
How does Pacific Grove Unified teacher pay compare to the national average?
Pacific Grove Unified pays 103.8% above the national average of $70,245. The district average is $143,143.
What is the per-pupil spending in Pacific Grove Unified?
Pacific Grove Unified spends approximately $30,024 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.
What percentage of Pacific Grove Unified's budget goes to teacher salaries?
Instructional salaries account for 34% of Pacific Grove Unified's total expenditure of $53.2M (NCES FY2023).
Next read for Pacific Grove 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
| Publisher | PlainTeacher |
| Sources | Public official public datasets |