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School district · Arizona · LEAID 0407240

Safford Unified District (4218)

Safford Unified District (4218) sits in the highest third of Arizona districts on estimated teacher pay at $99,366 (above 99% of in-state peers with reliable estimates). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Safford Unified District (4218) come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).

$99,366
Est. avg teacher salary

Well above benchmark

$12,556
Per-pupil spending
2,885
Students enrolled
99th
Pct. in AZ
$99,366

Safford Unified District (4218) sits in the highest third of Arizona districts on estimated teacher pay at $99,366 (above 99% of in-state peers with reliable estimates). Estimated average teacher salary is $99,366, above the national average of $70,245, serving 2,885 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • Upper-third pay in state: Safford Unified District (4218) sits in the highest third of Arizona districts on estimated teacher pay at $99,366 (above 99% of in-state peers with reliable estimates).
  • 99th percentile for Arizona
  • 90th percentile nationally
  • 35% of spending reaches instructional salaries
  • Arizona ranks #29 of 49 on the salary estimate and #16 of 49 on enrollment in the same reliable-district pool.
  • Safford Unified District (4218) ranks #1 of 152 Arizona districts by estimated teacher salary and #109 of 152 by per-pupil spending. Safford Unified District (4218) pay #1 at $99,366 is not Red Mesa Unified District (4159) spending #1 at $38,950 per pupil
  • +39.7% estimated-basis panel FY2019→FY2023 (not applied to the FTE figure above)

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Instructional payroll mix vs Arizona median

Among 213 Arizona districts that break out F-33 program salary totals, Safford Unified District (4218)'s instructional payroll puts 16.0% into special education , 5.2 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 Arizona peer.

Program Safford Unified AZ median Gap
Regular program 80.6% 84.0% -3.4 pp
Special education 16.0% 10.8% +5.2 pp
Vocational programs 3.5% 1.7% +1.8 pp

Shares are of this district's reported F-33 teacher-salary program totals (Z35–Z38), compared with the median share across 213 in-state peers with a positive program sum. NCES LEAID 0407240 · FY2023.

LEAID 0407240 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023

Safford Unified F-33 compensation desk

SALARY-HIGH +55% vs state RANK-ST-TOP P99 in state RANK-NAT-TOP P90 national PPE-LOW $13K/pupil ENR-MID 2,885 students INSTR-LOW 35% instr BASIS-FTE FTE-reported PHOTO-NEAR Near Chinle FY-2023-MID FY2023 book

FY2023: $99,366 estimated average teacher salary · P99 in Arizona · P90 nationally · 35% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Cartwright ($12,662est. salary).

Salary neighbourhood chart for Safford Unified

Salary neighbourhood · Safford Unified

Safford Unified 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).

est. salary
Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey As of FY2023
Appropriate use & corrections
National salary distribution for Safford Unified

Safford Unified District (4218)'s estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$99,366 Top 10% higher than 90% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $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. This district $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

Safford Unified in Arizona's upper-third pay band

Same 152 districts with a usable salary and a comparable per-pupil figure (NCES F-33 FY2023)

est. avg salary

What this shows Safford Unified District (4218) ranks #1 of 152 Arizona districts by estimated teacher salary and #109 of 152 by per-pupil spending. Safford Unified District (4218) pay #1 at $99,366 is not Red Mesa Unified District (4159) spending #1 at $38,950 per pupil

Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, FY2023 As of FY2023

The same districts by per-pupil spending

Safford Unified District (4218) is marked; a high spending bar is not a high pay bar

per pupil

What this shows Red Mesa Unified District (4159) leads spending at $38,950 per pupil; Safford Unified District (4218) leads pay.

Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, FY2023 As of FY2023

What stands out about Safford Unified District (4218)

  • It ranks in the top 10% of US districts for estimated teacher pay, higher than 90% of the 10,684 reliable-salary districts nationally.
  • Estimated teacher pay here rose +39.7% between FY2019 and FY2023, outpacing Arizona's statewide +25.8% by 13.9 points, a growth rate faster than 80% of the 199 Arizona districts with a comparable FY2019 baseline.

Arizona sits close to national prices

Nominal district estimate
$99,366.327

The FY2023 salary estimate shown in the hero.

Arizona price level
100.7 / 100

BEA all-items regional price parity; 100 is the U.S. average.

National-price equivalent
$98,634

-1% versus the nominal figure.

Prices in Arizona sit close to the national average, so the nominal and national-price figures tell nearly the same story here. That is not true in the most and least expensive states.

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 Arizona 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 Safford Unified District (4218)

What the Numbers Say About Safford Unified District (4218)

Safford Unified District (4218) is a small-to-mid-sized school district in Arizona, serving 2,885 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $12,556. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $99,366, placing the district in the lower-spending tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 0407240 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.

Relative to the Arizona statewide average of $63,921, teacher pay in Safford Unified District (4218) runs meaningfully above the state benchmark, a 55.5% gap, and above the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (41.5% differential). Among enrolling districts in Arizona, it pays more than 99% of them. Arizona itself ranks #29 of 49 nationally on average teacher compensation, which shapes the funding ceiling districts operate under.

On the budget side, Safford Unified District (4218) reports $36.2M in total expenditure against $37.9M in revenue, with instructional salaries accounting for 35% of spending, a compensation-to-budget ratio that signals how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $10.0M, special-education teacher pay is $2.0M.

How does Safford Unified District (4218) compare?

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

Safford Unified District (4218) $99,366
Mesa Unified District (4235) $67,420
Arizona avg $63,921
National avg $70,245

Safford Unified District (4218) pays +47.4% more than Mesa Unified District (4235) · per-pupil $12,556 vs $14,903

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 Arizona districts

On pay, Safford Unified District (4218) sits closest to Chinle Unified District (4158); on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Buckeye Union High School District (4284). 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. Chinle Unified District (4158)
  2. Gadsden Elementary District (4505)
  3. Coolidge Unified District (4442)
  4. Casa Grande Union High School District (4453)
  5. Yuma Union High School District (4507)
  6. Mohave Valley Elementary District (4379)
  7. Buckeye Union High School District (4284)
  8. Kayenta Unified School District #27 (4396)
  9. Alhambra Elementary District (4280)
  10. Round Valley Unified District (4155)
  11. Agua Fria Union High School District (4289)
Closest on per-pupil investment
  1. Buckeye Union High School District (4284)
  2. St Johns Unified District (4153)
  3. Bullhead City School District (4378)
  4. Benson Unified School District (79226)
  5. Casa Grande Elementary District (4446)
  6. Round Valley Unified District (4155)
  7. Mingus Union High School District (4488)
  8. Cottonwood-Oak Creek Elementary District (4487)
  9. Wickenburg Unified District (4236)
  10. Pendergast Elementary District (4283)
  11. Sierra Vista Unified District (4175)

Similar estimated teacher pay

Similar per-pupil investment

Out-of-state districts near Safford Unified District (4218)'s smaller enrollment

Two out-of-state peer sets for Safford Unified District (4218): closest on enrollment (2,885 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($99,366 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

$37.9M
Total Revenue
$36.2M
Total Expenditure
$12.6M
Instruction Salaries
35% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$10.0M
Regular Program
$2.0M
Special Education
$0.4M
Vocational

The teacher salaries behind this page's average are the ones NCES reports for 3 programs in Safford Unified District (4218): the regular program, special education and vocational programs. It reports no separate figure for other programs. Together they are 99% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 1% pays instructional aides, paraprofessionals, substitutes and other instructional staff who are not counted as teachers here.

Arizona Teacher Pay Overview

No comparably sized Arizona district reports a higher average than Safford Unified District (4218), so this page is the state's ceiling rather than a point on the way to it. Only the state ceiling itself: among the 128 districts of comparable size, Safford Unified District (4218) is paid at the very top of the state, and the state average sits well below it. On BEA's price parity Arizona sits near the national average, so its salaries need less adjustment than most; Virginia and Colorado are its nearest price peers.

View all Arizona districts →

Other Arizona Districts

Smaller-district sample from 153 Arizona peers; bar length shows pay magnitude within this enrollment band.

Colorado River Union High School District (4381)
$44,473
1,906 students
Winslow Unified District (4387)
$62,876
1,862 students
Thatcher Unified District (4219)
$55,913
1,849 students
Cottonwood-Oak Creek Elementary District (4487)
$52,123
1,799 students
Holbrook Unified District (4389)
$68,463
1,790 students
Casa Grande Union High School District (4453)
$79,375
4,002 students

This is a sample of 6 from 153 Arizona districts with enrollment and salary data reliable enough to compare in the NCES CCD F-33 survey.

Frequently Asked Questions about Safford Unified District (4218)
What is the average teacher salary in Safford Unified District (4218)?

The average teacher salary in Safford Unified District (4218) is $99,366 (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 Safford Unified District (4218) teacher pay compare to the Arizona average?

Safford Unified District (4218) pays 55.5% more than the Arizona state average of $63,921. The district's average is $99,366.

How does Safford Unified District (4218) teacher pay compare to the national average?

Safford Unified District (4218) pays 41.5% above the national average of $70,245. The district average is $99,366.

What is the per-pupil spending in Safford Unified District (4218)?

Safford Unified District (4218) spends approximately $12,556 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

What percentage of Safford Unified District (4218)'s budget goes to teacher salaries?

Instructional salaries account for 35% of Safford Unified District (4218)'s total expenditure of $36.2M (NCES FY2023).

Next read for Safford Unified District (4218)
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. Safford Unified District (4218)'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.