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School district · California · LEAID 0634320

San Diego Unified

San Diego Unified's estimated average teacher salary is $138,603; per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget data come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2022).

$138,603
Est. avg teacher salary
$26,968
Per-pupil spending
94,996
Students enrolled
88th
Pct. in CA
$138,603

San Diego Unified (California) reports an estimated average teacher salary of $138,603, meaningfully above the California average and above the national average, from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 fiscal survey (FY2022). It serves 94,996 students.

  • 88th percentile for California
  • 98th percentile nationally
  • 23% of spending reaches instructional salaries
  • +24.3% since FY2019

Avg Teacher Salary

$138,603

Estimated from instructional expenditure / FTE

Per-Pupil Spending

$26,968

Total expenditure / enrollment

Student Enrollment

94,996 students

Salary vs State Average 100.0%

11.8% above California average

Nationally, San Diego Unified's estimated average out-pays 98% 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.)

San Diego Unified's estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$138,603 Top 2% higher than 98% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $140,000–$150,000: 122 US districts (1%). Above this entry. $150,000–$160,000: 68 US districts (1%). Above this entry. $160,000–$170,000: 42 US districts (0%). Above this entry. $170,000–$180,000: 26 US districts (0%). Above this entry. $180,000–$190,000: 0 US districts (0%). Above this entry. San Diego 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 San Diego Unified

  • It ranks in the top 5% of US districts for estimated teacher pay, higher than 98% of the 11,460 reliable-salary districts nationally.
  • With 94,996 students, it is the 29th-largest school district by enrollment among the 13,138 US districts reporting enrollment data.
  • A district of this scale typically enrolls more students than several entire states' worth of smaller districts combined, which is part of why the per-pupil and per-teacher figures here should be read as an aggregate across many schools rather than a single-campus estimate.
  • Its total annual revenue of $2.54B puts it among just 17 US districts operating a budget of this size or larger, out of the 13,138 districts in the NCES CCD F-33 survey, a scale that brings dedicated budget offices, multi-year capital planning, and district-wide procurement contracts that a small district's single-person business office cannot replicate.
  • Its per-pupil spending of $26,968 is among the highest in the nation.

What the Numbers Say About San Diego Unified

San Diego Unified is a large urban school district in California, serving 94,996 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $26,968. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from instructional expenditure variable Z33 divided by teacher FTE, is $138,603, placing the district in the high-investment tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 0634320 references the FY2022 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.

Relative to the California statewide average of $123,951, teacher pay in San Diego Unified runs meaningfully above the state benchmark, a 11.8% gap, and above the national instructional-salary estimate of $85,759 (61.6% differential). Among enrolling districts in California, it pays more than 88% of them.

On the budget side, San Diego Unified reports $2561.8M in total expenditure against $2543.2M in revenue, where instructional salaries make up 23% of spending, a ratio reflecting how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $374.5M, special-education teacher pay is $109.9M.

How does San Diego Unified compare?

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

San Diego Unified $138,603
Los Angeles Unified $122,209
California avg $123,951
National avg $85,759

San Diego Unified pays +13.4% more than Los Angeles Unified · per-pupil $26,968 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 San Diego Unified, with enrollment kept within a comparable band.

Similar per-pupil investment

Spending-nearest districts to San Diego Unified, with salary and enrollment reliability checks applied.

Revenue & Expenditure

$2543.2M
Total Revenue
$2561.8M
Total Expenditure
$594.5M
Instruction Salaries
23% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$374.5M
Regular Program
$109.9M
Special Education
$13.0M
Vocational
$37.1M
Other Programs

Other California Districts

Capistrano Unified
$124,899
42,646 students
Kern High
$117,758
42,521 students
Santa Ana Unified
$161,300
41,794 students
Riverside Unified
$127,462
39,584 students
Sacramento City Unified
$121,108
39,450 students
Garden Grove Unified
$145,835
38,529 students

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average teacher salary in San Diego Unified?

The average teacher salary in San Diego Unified is $138,603 (NCES CCD FY2022). This is based on total instructional salary expenditure divided by the district's REPORTED teacher headcount (NCES CCD Staff Universe Survey).

How does San Diego Unified teacher pay compare to the California average?

San Diego Unified pays 11.8% more than the California state average of $123,951. The district's average is $138,603.

How does San Diego Unified teacher pay compare to the national average?

San Diego Unified pays 61.6% above the national average of $85,759. The district average is $138,603.

What is the per-pupil spending in San Diego Unified?

NCES FY2022 data puts San Diego Unified's per-student spending at approximately $26,968 annually, covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

How many students are enrolled in San Diego Unified?

San Diego Unified has 94,996 students enrolled according to NCES CCD FY2022 data.

What percentage of San Diego Unified's budget goes to teacher salaries?

Instructional salaries account for 23% of San Diego Unified's total expenditure of $2561.8M (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. San Diego 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.