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School district · California · LEAID 0629610

Palo Alto Unified

Palo Alto Unified's estimated average teacher salary is $179,503; per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget data come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2022).

$179,503
Est. avg teacher salary
$31,590
Per-pupil spending
10,463
Students enrolled
100th
Pct. in CA
$179,503

Palo Alto Unified (California) reports an estimated average teacher salary of $179,503, meaningfully above the California average and above the national average, from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 fiscal survey (FY2022). It serves 10,463 students.

  • 100th percentile for California
  • 100th percentile nationally
  • 35% of spending reaches instructional salaries

Avg Teacher Salary

$179,503

Estimated from instructional expenditure / FTE

Per-Pupil Spending

$31,590

Total expenditure / enrollment

Student Enrollment

10,463 students

Salary vs State Average 100.0%

44.8% above California average

Nationally, Palo Alto Unified's estimated average out-pays 100% of the 11,460 US school districts with reliable F-33 salary data, placing it in the top quartile of districts on this estimate. (A relative position on the F-33 figure, which runs above survey-reported salaries.)

Palo Alto Unified's estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$179,503 Top 1% higher than 100% of 11,460 US districts

$30,000–$40,000: 66 US districts (1%). Below this entry. $40,000–$50,000: 375 US districts (3%). Below this entry. $50,000–$60,000: 1,529 US districts (13%). Below this entry. $60,000–$70,000: 2,648 US districts (23%). Below this entry. $70,000–$80,000: 2,442 US districts (21%). Below this entry. $80,000–$90,000: 1,413 US districts (12%). Below this entry. $90,000–$100,000: 1,023 US districts (9%). Below this entry. $100,000–$110,000: 736 US districts (6%). Below this entry. $110,000–$120,000: 486 US districts (4%). Below this entry. $120,000–$130,000: 301 US districts (3%). Below this entry. $130,000–$140,000: 183 US districts (2%). Below this entry. $140,000–$150,000: 122 US districts (1%). Below this entry. $150,000–$160,000: 68 US districts (1%). Below this entry. $160,000–$170,000: 42 US districts (0%). Below this entry. $170,000–$180,000: 26 US districts (0%). This entry sits in this band. $180,000–$190,000: 0 US districts (0%). Above this entry. Palo Alto 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, FY2022 · FY2022

What stands out about Palo Alto Unified

  • It ranks in the top 5% of US districts for estimated teacher pay, the highest estimate among the 11,460 reliable-salary districts nationally.
  • Its per-pupil spending of $31,590 is among the highest in the nation.

What the Numbers Say About Palo Alto Unified

Palo Alto Unified is a mid-sized school district in California, serving 10,463 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $31,590. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from instructional expenditure variable Z33 divided by teacher FTE, is $179,503, placing the district in the high-investment tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 0629610 references the FY2022 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.

Relative to the California statewide average of $123,951, teacher pay in Palo Alto Unified runs meaningfully above the state benchmark, a 44.8% gap, and above the national instructional-salary estimate of $85,759 (109.3% differential). It pays the most of any enrolling district in California.

Palo Alto Unified reports $330.5M in total expenditure on the budget side against $346.2M in revenue, where instructional salaries make up 35% of spending, a ratio reflecting how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $83.0M, special-education teacher pay is $13.5M.

How does Palo Alto Unified compare?

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

Palo Alto Unified $179,503
Los Angeles Unified $122,209
California avg $123,951
National avg $85,759

Palo Alto Unified pays +46.9% more than Los Angeles Unified · per-pupil $31,590 vs $25,983

Estimated from NCES F-33 instructional salary expenditure (FY2022). Service entities excluded; estimates assume a 15:1 ratio.

Data-derived comparison paths

Find comparable California districts

These are not simply nearby districts: each group is selected from the same NCES FY2022 dataset using a matching salary or per-pupil-investment signal and a comparable enrollment range.

Similar estimated teacher pay

Salary-nearest districts to Palo Alto Unified, with enrollment kept within a comparable band.

Similar per-pupil investment

Spending-nearest districts to Palo Alto Unified, with salary and enrollment reliability checks applied.

Revenue & Expenditure

$346.2M
Total Revenue
$330.5M
Total Expenditure
$114.5M
Instruction Salaries
35% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$83.0M
Regular Program
$13.5M
Special Education
$1.2M
Vocational
$0.3M
Other Programs

Other California Districts

Carlsbad Unified
$114,513
10,992 students
Menifee Union Elementary
$119,604
11,017 students
Marysville Joint Unified
$115,766
9,895 students
Lucia Mar Unified
$104,462
9,793 students
Covina-Valley Unified
$129,649
11,164 students
Merced Union High
$104,989
11,177 students

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average teacher salary in Palo Alto Unified?

Palo Alto Unified's average teacher salary is $179,503, per NCES CCD FY2022 data -- total instructional salary expenditure divided by the district's own reported teacher headcount.

How does Palo Alto Unified teacher pay compare to the California average?

Palo Alto Unified pays 44.8% more than the California state average of $123,951. The district's average is $179,503.

How does Palo Alto Unified teacher pay compare to the national average?

Palo Alto Unified pays 109.3% above the national average of $85,759. The district average is $179,503.

What is the per-pupil spending in Palo Alto Unified?

Palo Alto Unified spends approximately $31,590 per student annually (NCES FY2022). This includes instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

How many students are enrolled in Palo Alto Unified?

Palo Alto Unified has 10,463 students enrolled according to NCES CCD FY2022 data.

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

Instructional salaries account for 35% of Palo Alto Unified's total expenditure of $330.5M (NCES FY2022).

Where does this teacher salary data come from?

This data is sourced from two NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) surveys, Fiscal Year 2022: the F-33 Local Education Agency Finance Survey (instructional expenditure, variable Z33) and the Staff Universe Survey (reported teacher headcount). Salary figures divide the former by the latter, falling back to an enrollment-based estimate only when a district has no reported headcount. These are district-level aggregates, not individual salary records.

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 Editorial

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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. Palo Alto Unified's salary and finance figures are computed directly from its FY2022 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 FY2022.