School district · California · LEAID 0637500
South Pasadena Unified
South Pasadena Unified is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable California districts (4,622 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for South Pasadena Unified come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).
- $111,372
- Est. avg teacher salary
- $17,954
- Per-pupil spending
- 4,622
- Students enrolled
- 54th
- Pct. in CA
Near benchmark
South Pasadena Unified is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable California districts (4,622 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Estimated average teacher salary is $111,372, above the national average of $70,245, serving 4,622 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).
- Smaller enrollment scale: South Pasadena Unified is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable California districts (4,622 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort).
- 54th percentile for California
- 95th percentile nationally
- 29% 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.
- South Pasadena Unified ranks #331 of 750 California districts by estimated teacher salary and #543 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
- +14.0% 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, South Pasadena Unified's instructional payroll puts 2.0% into vocational programs , 2.0 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 | South Pasadena | CA median | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular program | 86.9% | 85.8% | +1.1 pp |
| Special education | 10.5% | 10.8% | -0.3 pp |
| Vocational programs | 2.0% | 0.0% | +2.0 pp |
| Other programs | 0.6% | 0.4% | +0.2 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 0637500 · FY2023.
LEAID 0637500 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023
South Pasadena F-33 compensation desk
FY2023: $111,372 estimated average teacher salary · P54 in California · P95 nationally · 29% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Kern (+$117est. salary).
Salary neighbourhood chart for South Pasadena
Salary neighbourhood · South Pasadena
South Pasadena sits mid-pack among in-state peers; the chart brackets it between the top and bottom pay poles (NCES F-33 FY2023, not a full state reprint).
- Modesto · low pole
Modesto · low pole
$79,793 est. salary
- Poway · near
Poway · near
$110,670 est. salary
- South · this district
South · this district
$111,372 est. salary
- Kern · near
Kern · near
$111,489 est. salary
- Fontana · near
Fontana · near
$111,833 est. salary
- San · top pay
San · top pay
$147,163 est. salary
Appropriate use & corrections
National salary distribution for South Pasadena
South Pasadena Unified's estimated salary vs. every US district
NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only
$111,372 Top 5% higher than 95% 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
South Pasadena in California's lower-third pay band
Same 750 districts with a usable salary and a comparable per-pupil figure (NCES F-33 FY2023)
- Calaveras County Office of Education
Calaveras County Office of Education
$178,519 est. avg salary
- Beverly Hills Unified
Beverly Hills Unified
$123,673 est. avg salary
- South Pasadena Unified
South Pasadena Unified
$111,372 est. avg salary
What this shows South Pasadena Unified ranks #331 of 750 California districts by estimated teacher salary and #543 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
The same districts by per-pupil spending
South Pasadena Unified is marked; a high spending bar is not a high pay bar
- Beverly Hills Unified
Beverly Hills Unified
$61,843 per pupil
- Calaveras County Office of Education
Calaveras County Office of Education
$50,753 per pupil
- South Pasadena Unified $17,954
South Pasadena Unified
$17,954 per pupil
What this shows Beverly Hills Unified leads spending at $61,843 per pupil; Calaveras County Office of Education leads pay.
What stands out about South Pasadena Unified
- It ranks in the top 10% of US districts for estimated teacher pay, higher than 95% of the 10,684 reliable-salary districts nationally.
- Estimated teacher pay here moved +14.0% between FY2019 and FY2023, trailing California's statewide +25.3% by 11.3 points, a growth rate faster than 15% of the 856 California districts with a comparable FY2019 baseline.
California prices absorb part of this salary
- Nominal district estimate
- $111,371.916
- California price level
- 112.2 / 100
- National-price equivalent
- $99,266
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 South Pasadena Unified
What the Numbers Say About South Pasadena Unified
South Pasadena Unified is a small-to-mid-sized school district in California, serving 4,622 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $17,954. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $111,372, placing the district in the moderately funded tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 0637500 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.
Relative to the California statewide average of $110,546, teacher pay in South Pasadena Unified runs roughly in line with the state benchmark, a 0.7% gap, and above the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (58.5% differential). Among enrolling districts in California, it pays more than 54% 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, South Pasadena Unified reports $83.0M in total expenditure against $95.8M in revenue, with instructional salaries accounting for 29% of spending, a compensation-to-budget ratio that signals how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $18.6M, special-education teacher pay is $2.2M.
How does South Pasadena Unified compare?
Estimated average teacher salary versus a peer district, the California average, and the national average. Pick any in-state district to compare.
South Pasadena Unified pays +7.3% more than Los Angeles Unified · per-pupil $17,954 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, South Pasadena Unified sits closest to Oakdale Joint Unified; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Walnut Valley 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 South Pasadena Unified's smaller enrollment
Two out-of-state peer sets for South Pasadena Unified: closest on enrollment (4,622 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($111,372 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 South Pasadena 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 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. South Pasadena Unified places 324 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 South Pasadena Unified
What is the average teacher salary in South Pasadena Unified?
The average teacher salary in South Pasadena Unified is $111,372 (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 South Pasadena Unified teacher pay compare to the California average?
South Pasadena Unified pays 0.7% more than the California state average of $110,546. The district's average is $111,372.
How does South Pasadena Unified teacher pay compare to the national average?
South Pasadena Unified pays 58.5% above the national average of $70,245. The district average is $111,372.
What is the per-pupil spending in South Pasadena Unified?
South Pasadena Unified spends approximately $17,954 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.
What percentage of South Pasadena Unified's budget goes to teacher salaries?
Instructional salaries account for 29% of South Pasadena Unified's total expenditure of $83.0M (NCES FY2023).
Next read for South Pasadena 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 |