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School district · Arizona · LEAID 0408340

Tempe Union High School District (4287)

Tempe Union High School District (4287) sits in the highest third of Arizona districts on estimated teacher pay at $74,773 (above 89% of in-state peers with reliable estimates). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Tempe Union High School District (4287) come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).

$74,773
Est. avg teacher salary

Well above benchmark

$13,616
Per-pupil spending
12,664
Students enrolled
89th
Pct. in AZ
$74,773

Tempe Union High School District (4287) sits in the highest third of Arizona districts on estimated teacher pay at $74,773 (above 89% of in-state peers with reliable estimates). Estimated average teacher salary is $74,773, above the national average of $70,245, serving 12,664 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • Upper-third pay in state: Tempe Union High School District (4287) sits in the highest third of Arizona districts on estimated teacher pay at $74,773 (above 89% of in-state peers with reliable estimates).
  • 89th percentile for Arizona
  • 67th percentile nationally
  • 28% 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.
  • Tempe Union High School District (4287) ranks #16 of 152 Arizona districts by estimated teacher salary and #87 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
  • +16.5% 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, Tempe Union High School District (4287)'s instructional payroll puts 62.5% into regular program , 21.4 points below the state median of 84.0%. The mix below is the district's own F-33 program split against the in-state median, not a quality score.

Program Tempe Union AZ median Gap
Regular program 62.5% 84.0% -21.4 pp
Special education 13.6% 10.8% +2.8 pp
Vocational programs 8.0% 1.7% +6.4 pp
Other programs 15.8% 0.0% +15.8 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 0408340 · FY2023.

LEAID 0408340 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023

Tempe Union F-33 compensation desk

SALARY-HIGH +17% vs state RANK-ST-MID P89 in state RANK-NAT-MID P67 national PPE-LOW $14K/pupil ENR-LARGE 12.7K students INSTR-LOW 28% instr BASIS-FTE FTE-reported PHOTO-NEAR Near Alhambra FY-2023-MID FY2023 book

FY2023: $74,773 estimated average teacher salary · P89 in Arizona · P67 nationally · 28% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Alhambra ($1,866est. salary).

Salary neighbourhood chart for Tempe Union

Salary neighbourhood · Tempe Union

Tempe Union 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 Tempe Union

Tempe Union High School District (4287)'s estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$74,773 Top 33% higher than 67% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $80,000–$90,000: 1,097 US districts (10%). Above this entry. $90,000–$100,000: 662 US districts (6%). Above this entry. $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

Tempe Union 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 Tempe Union High School District (4287) ranks #16 of 152 Arizona districts by estimated teacher salary and #87 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

Tempe Union High School District (4287) 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 Tempe Union High School District (4287)

  • Estimated teacher pay here moved +16.5% between FY2019 and FY2023, trailing Arizona's statewide +25.8% by 9.3 points, a growth rate faster than 35% of the 199 Arizona districts with a comparable FY2019 baseline.

Arizona sits close to national prices

Nominal district estimate
$74,773.008

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
$74,222

-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 Tempe Union High School District (4287)

What the Numbers Say About Tempe Union High School District (4287)

Tempe Union High School District (4287) is a mid-sized school district in Arizona, serving 12,664 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $13,616. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $74,773, placing the district in the lower-spending tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 0408340 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.

Relative to the Arizona statewide average of $63,921, teacher pay in Tempe Union High School District (4287) runs meaningfully above the state benchmark, a 17.0% gap, and above the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (6.4% differential). Among enrolling districts in Arizona, it pays more than 89% 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, Tempe Union High School District (4287) reports $172.4M in total expenditure against $182.2M in revenue, with instructional salaries accounting for 28% of spending, a compensation-to-budget ratio that signals how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $27.6M, special-education teacher pay is $6.0M.

How does Tempe Union High School District (4287) compare?

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

Tempe Union High School District (4287) $74,773
Mesa Unified District (4235) $67,420
Arizona avg $63,921
National avg $70,245

Tempe Union High School District (4287) pays +10.9% more than Mesa Unified District (4235) · per-pupil $13,616 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, Tempe Union High School District (4287) sits closest to Alhambra Elementary District (4280); on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Chandler Unified District #80 (4242). 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. Alhambra Elementary District (4280)
  2. Buckeye Union High School District (4284)
  3. Agua Fria Union High School District (4289)
  4. Yuma Union High School District (4507)
  5. Fowler Elementary District (4273)
  6. Phoenix Union High School District (4286)
  7. Casa Grande Union High School District (4453)
  8. Avondale Elementary District (4272)
  9. Deer Valley Unified District (4246)
  10. Chandler Unified District #80 (4242)
  11. Gadsden Elementary District (4505)
Closest on per-pupil investment
  1. Chandler Unified District #80 (4242)
  2. Gilbert Unified District (4239)
  3. Maricopa Unified School District (4441)
  4. Casa Grande Union High School District (4453)
  5. Flowing Wells Unified District (4405)
  6. Tolleson Union High School District (4288)
  7. Glendale Elementary District (4271)
  8. Kyrene Elementary District (4267)
  9. Queen Creek Unified District (4245)
  10. Cartwright Elementary District (4282)
  11. Washington Elementary School District (4260)

Similar estimated teacher pay

Similar per-pupil investment

Out-of-state districts near Tempe Union High School District (4287)'s pay band

Two out-of-state peer sets for Tempe Union High School District (4287): closest on enrollment (12,664 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($74,773 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

$182.2M
Total Revenue
$172.4M
Total Expenditure
$47.9M
Instruction Salaries
28% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$27.6M
Regular Program
$6.0M
Special Education
$3.6M
Vocational
$7.0M
Other Programs

The teacher salaries behind this page's average are the ones NCES reports for 4 programs in Tempe Union High School District (4287): the regular program, special education, vocational programs and other programs. Every program category NCES breaks out separately carries a figure here. Together they are 92% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 8% pays instructional aides, paraprofessionals, substitutes and other instructional staff who are not counted as teachers here.

Arizona Teacher Pay Overview

The highest average among comparably sized Arizona districts belongs to Safford Unified District (4218) at $99,366. Tempe Union High School District (4287) sits in the upper quarter of that field at 14 of 128, nearer the ceiling than the floor. 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

The bar behind each salary shows its magnitude within this Arizona sample (including Tempe Union). Hover or focus a value for the exact comparison.

Sunnyside Unified District (4407)
$65,995
14,317 students
Litchfield Elementary District (4281)
$68,729
10,425 students
Tempe School District (4258)
$56,610
10,306 students
Alhambra Elementary District (4280)
$72,907
9,978 students
Agua Fria Union High School District (4289)
$72,651
9,632 students
Glendale Elementary District (4271)
$57,913
9,236 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 Tempe Union High School District (4287)
What is the average teacher salary in Tempe Union High School District (4287)?

The average teacher salary in Tempe Union High School District (4287) is $74,773 (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 Tempe Union High School District (4287) teacher pay compare to the Arizona average?

Tempe Union High School District (4287) pays 17.0% more than the Arizona state average of $63,921. The district's average is $74,773.

How does Tempe Union High School District (4287) teacher pay compare to the national average?

Tempe Union High School District (4287) pays 6.4% above the national average of $70,245. The district average is $74,773.

What is the per-pupil spending in Tempe Union High School District (4287)?

Tempe Union High School District (4287) spends approximately $13,616 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

What percentage of Tempe Union High School District (4287)'s budget goes to teacher salaries?

Instructional salaries account for 28% of Tempe Union High School District (4287)'s total expenditure of $172.4M (NCES FY2023).

Next read for Tempe Union High School District (4287)
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. Tempe Union High School District (4287)'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.