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School district · California · LEAID 0634920

San Mateo-Foster City

San Mateo-Foster City is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable California districts (10,043 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for San Mateo-Foster City come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).

$118,618
Est. avg teacher salary

Above benchmark

$27,862
Per-pupil spending
10,043
Students enrolled
69th
Pct. in CA
$118,618

San Mateo-Foster City is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable California districts (10,043 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Estimated average teacher salary is $118,618, above the national average of $70,245, serving 10,043 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • Smaller enrollment scale: San Mateo-Foster City is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable California districts (10,043 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort).
  • 69th percentile for California
  • 96th percentile nationally
  • 23% 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.
  • San Mateo-Foster City ranks #221 of 750 California districts by estimated teacher salary and #80 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
  • +39.3% 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, San Mateo-Foster City's instructional payroll puts 90.2% into regular program , 4.4 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 San Mateo-Foster CA median Gap
Regular program 90.2% 85.8% +4.4 pp
Special education 9.7% 10.8% -1.1 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 0634920 · FY2023.

LEAID 0634920 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023

San Mateo-Foster F-33 compensation desk

SALARY-ABOVE +7% vs state RANK-ST-MID P69 in state RANK-NAT-TOP P96 national PPE-HIGH $28K/pupil ENR-LARGE 10.0K students INSTR-LOW 23% instr BASIS-FTE FTE-reported PHOTO-NEAR Near Santee FY-2023-MID FY2023 book

FY2023: $118,618 estimated average teacher salary · P69 in California · P96 nationally · 23% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Anaheim (+$137est. salary).

Salary neighbourhood chart for San Mateo-Foster

Salary neighbourhood · San Mateo-Foster

San Mateo-Foster 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 San Mateo-Foster

San Mateo-Foster City's estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$118,618 Top 4% higher than 96% 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%). Below this entry. $110,000–$120,000: 249 US districts (2%). This entry sits in this band. $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. San Mateo-Foster City $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

What stands out about San Mateo-Foster City

  • It ranks in the top 5% of US districts for estimated teacher pay, higher than 96% of the 10,684 reliable-salary districts nationally.
  • Estimated teacher pay here rose +39.3% between FY2019 and FY2023, outpacing California's statewide +25.3% by 14.0 points, a growth rate faster than 89% of the 856 California districts with a comparable FY2019 baseline.
  • Enrolment fell from 11,705 to 10,043 students (14.2% down) across FY2019–FY2023 while the instructional salary pool per teacher went up. Districts on that path are usually holding staffing steady against a falling roll, which lifts the per-teacher figure without anyone getting a raise, so read this page's salary estimate alongside the enrolment line rather than on its own.
  • Its per-pupil spending of $27,862 is among the highest in the nation.

California prices absorb part of this salary

Nominal district estimate
$118,617.596

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
$105,724

-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 San Mateo-Foster City

What the Numbers Say About San Mateo-Foster City

San Mateo-Foster City is a mid-sized school district in California, serving 10,043 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $27,862. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $118,618, placing the district in the high-investment tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 0634920 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.

Relative to the California statewide average of $110,546, teacher pay in San Mateo-Foster City runs meaningfully above the state benchmark, a 7.3% gap, and above the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (68.9% differential). Among enrolling districts in California, it pays more than 69% 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, San Mateo-Foster City reports $279.8M in total expenditure against $251.3M in revenue, with instructional salaries accounting for 23% of spending, a compensation-to-budget ratio that signals how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $53.4M, special-education teacher pay is $5.7M.

How does San Mateo-Foster City compare?

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

San Mateo-Foster City $118,618
Los Angeles Unified $103,820
California avg $110,546
National avg $70,245

San Mateo-Foster City pays +14.3% more than Los Angeles Unified · per-pupil $27,862 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, San Mateo-Foster City sits closest to Santee; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Dublin 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.

Closest on estimated pay
  1. Santee
  2. Colton Joint Unified
  3. Hacienda la Puente Unified
  4. Morgan Hill Unified
  5. Vallejo City Unified
  6. Anaheim Union High
  7. Arvin Union
  8. Campbell Union High
  9. Chino Valley Unified
  10. Newhall
  11. Bonita Unified
Closest on per-pupil investment
  1. Dublin Unified
  2. El Monte Union High
  3. Alhambra Unified
  4. Center Joint Unified
  5. Oxnard Union High
  6. Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High
  7. Dinuba Unified
  8. Tahoe-Truckee Unified
  9. Menlo Park City Elementary
  10. Garvey Elementary
  11. Del Mar Union Elementary

Similar estimated teacher pay

Similar per-pupil investment

Out-of-state districts near San Mateo-Foster City's smaller enrollment

Two out-of-state peer sets for San Mateo-Foster City: closest on enrollment (10,043 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($118,618 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

$251.3M
Total Revenue
$279.8M
Total Expenditure
$65.5M
Instruction Salaries
23% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$53.4M
Regular Program
$5.7M
Special Education
$0.1M
Other Programs

The teacher salaries behind this page's average are the ones NCES reports for 3 programs in San Mateo-Foster City: the regular program, special education and other programs. It reports no separate figure for vocational programs. Together they are 90% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 10% 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. San Mateo-Foster City places 217 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.

Rocklin Unified
$114,478
11,389 students
San Leandro Unified
$136,825
8,615 students
Oak Grove Elementary
$119,197
8,596 students
Upland Unified
$123,487
10,058 students
Fremont Union High
$151,790
9,978 students
Milpitas Unified
$133,270
9,955 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 San Mateo-Foster City
What is the average teacher salary in San Mateo-Foster City?

The average teacher salary in San Mateo-Foster City is $118,618 (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 San Mateo-Foster City teacher pay compare to the California average?

San Mateo-Foster City pays 7.3% more than the California state average of $110,546. The district's average is $118,618.

How does San Mateo-Foster City teacher pay compare to the national average?

San Mateo-Foster City pays 68.9% above the national average of $70,245. The district average is $118,618.

What is the per-pupil spending in San Mateo-Foster City?

San Mateo-Foster City spends approximately $27,862 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

What percentage of San Mateo-Foster City's budget goes to teacher salaries?

Instructional salaries account for 23% of San Mateo-Foster City's total expenditure of $279.8M (NCES FY2023).

Next read for San Mateo-Foster City
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. San Mateo-Foster City'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.