School district · California · LEAID 0637200
Sonoma Valley Unified
Sonoma Valley Unified is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable California districts (3,156 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Sonoma Valley Unified come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).
- $120,759
- Est. avg teacher salary
- $35,547
- Per-pupil spending
- 3,156
- Students enrolled
- 74th
- Pct. in CA
Above benchmark
Sonoma Valley Unified is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable California districts (3,156 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Estimated average teacher salary is $120,759, above the national average of $70,245, serving 3,156 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).
- Smaller enrollment scale: Sonoma Valley Unified is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable California districts (3,156 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort).
- 74th percentile for California
- 97th percentile nationally
- 20% 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.
- Sonoma Valley Unified ranks #185 of 750 California districts by estimated teacher salary and #29 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
- +38.5% 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, Sonoma Valley Unified's instructional payroll puts 3.0% into vocational programs , 3.0 points above the state median of 0.0%. That heavier vocational share usually means career/technical programs claim more of the teacher-salary pool than at a typical California peer.
| Program | Sonoma Valley | CA median | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular program | 84.4% | 85.8% | -1.4 pp |
| Special education | 11.2% | 10.8% | +0.5 pp |
| Vocational programs | 3.0% | 0.0% | +3.0 pp |
| Other programs | 1.4% | 0.4% | +1.0 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 0637200 · FY2023.
LEAID 0637200 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023
Sonoma Valley F-33 compensation desk
FY2023: $120,759 estimated average teacher salary · P74 in California · P97 nationally · 20% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Capistrano (+$420est. salary).
Salary neighbourhood chart for Sonoma Valley
Salary neighbourhood · Sonoma Valley
Sonoma Valley 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
- Moreno · near
Moreno · near
$119,858 est. salary
- Irvine · near
Irvine · near
$119,935 est. salary
- Sonoma · this district
Sonoma · this district
$120,759 est. salary
- Capistrano · near
Capistrano · near
$121,180 est. salary
- San · top pay
San · top pay
$147,163 est. salary
Appropriate use & corrections
National salary distribution for Sonoma Valley
Sonoma Valley Unified's estimated salary vs. every US district
NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only
$120,759 Top 3% higher than 97% 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
What stands out about Sonoma Valley Unified
- It ranks in the top 5% of US districts for estimated teacher pay, higher than 97% of the 10,684 reliable-salary districts nationally.
- Estimated teacher pay here rose +38.5% between FY2019 and FY2023, outpacing California's statewide +25.3% by 13.2 points, a growth rate faster than 88% of the 856 California districts with a comparable FY2019 baseline.
- Enrolment fell from 3,855 to 3,156 students (18.1% 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 $35,547 is among the highest in the nation.
California prices absorb part of this salary
- Nominal district estimate
- $120,759.117
- California price level
- 112.2 / 100
- National-price equivalent
- $107,633
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 Sonoma Valley Unified
What the Numbers Say About Sonoma Valley Unified
Sonoma Valley Unified is a small-to-mid-sized school district in California, serving 3,156 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $35,547. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $120,759, placing the district in the high-investment tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 0637200 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.
Relative to the California statewide average of $110,546, teacher pay in Sonoma Valley Unified runs meaningfully above the state benchmark, a 9.2% gap, and above the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (71.9% differential). Among enrolling districts in California, it pays more than 74% 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, Sonoma Valley Unified reports $112.2M in total expenditure against $94.4M in revenue, with instructional salaries accounting for 20% of spending, a compensation-to-budget ratio that signals how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $15.7M, special-education teacher pay is $2.1M.
How does Sonoma Valley Unified compare?
Estimated average teacher salary versus a peer district, the California average, and the national average. Pick any in-state district to compare.
Sonoma Valley Unified pays +16.3% more than Los Angeles Unified · per-pupil $35,547 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, Sonoma Valley Unified sits closest to Novato Unified; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Carmel 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 Sonoma Valley Unified's smaller enrollment
Two out-of-state peer sets for Sonoma Valley Unified: closest on enrollment (3,156 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($120,759 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 Sonoma Valley 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 83% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 17% 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. Sonoma Valley Unified places 183 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.
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 Sonoma Valley Unified
What is the average teacher salary in Sonoma Valley Unified?
The average teacher salary in Sonoma Valley Unified is $120,759 (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 Sonoma Valley Unified teacher pay compare to the California average?
Sonoma Valley Unified pays 9.2% more than the California state average of $110,546. The district's average is $120,759.
How does Sonoma Valley Unified teacher pay compare to the national average?
Sonoma Valley Unified pays 71.9% above the national average of $70,245. The district average is $120,759.
What is the per-pupil spending in Sonoma Valley Unified?
Sonoma Valley Unified spends approximately $35,547 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.
What percentage of Sonoma Valley Unified's budget goes to teacher salaries?
Instructional salaries account for 20% of Sonoma Valley Unified's total expenditure of $112.2M (NCES FY2023).
Next read for Sonoma Valley 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
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| Sources | Public official public datasets |