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School district · California · LEAID 0641190

Vista Unified

Vista Unified is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable California districts (18,794 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for Vista Unified come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).

$120,342
Est. avg teacher salary

Above benchmark

$21,469
Per-pupil spending
18,794
Students enrolled
72nd
Pct. in CA
$120,342

Vista Unified is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable California districts (18,794 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Estimated average teacher salary is $120,342, above the national average of $70,245, serving 18,794 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • Smaller enrollment scale: Vista Unified is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable California districts (18,794 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort).
  • 72nd percentile for California
  • 97th percentile nationally
  • 31% 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.
  • Vista Unified ranks #195 of 750 California districts by estimated teacher salary and #310 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
  • +23.1% 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, Vista Unified's instructional payroll puts 75.8% into regular program , 10.0 points below the state median of 85.8%. The mix below is the district's own F-33 program split against the in-state median, not a quality score.

Program Vista Unified CA median Gap
Regular program 75.8% 85.8% -10.0 pp
Special education 18.7% 10.8% +7.9 pp
Vocational programs 1.3% 0.0% +1.3 pp
Other programs 4.2% 0.4% +3.8 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 0641190 · FY2023.

LEAID 0641190 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023

Vista Unified F-33 compensation desk

SALARY-ABOVE +9% vs state RANK-ST-MID P72 in state RANK-NAT-TOP P97 national PPE-MID $21K/pupil ENR-LARGE 18.8K students INSTR-LOW 31% instr BASIS-FTE FTE-reported PHOTO-NEAR Near Etiwanda FY-2023-MID FY2023 book

FY2023: $120,342 estimated average teacher salary · P72 in California · P97 nationally · 31% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Irvine ($407est. salary).

Salary neighbourhood chart for Vista Unified

Salary neighbourhood · Vista Unified

Vista Unified 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 Vista Unified

Vista Unified's estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$120,342 Top 3% higher than 97% 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%). Below this entry. $120,000–$130,000: 156 US districts (1%). This entry sits in this band. $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. Vista 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, FY2023 · FY2023

What stands out about Vista 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.
  • Enrolment fell from 20,732 to 18,794 students (9.3% 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.

California prices absorb part of this salary

Nominal district estimate
$120,341.664

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
$107,261

-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 Vista Unified

What the Numbers Say About Vista Unified

Vista Unified is a mid-sized school district in California, serving 18,794 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $21,469. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $120,342, placing the district in the high-investment tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 0641190 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.

Relative to the California statewide average of $110,546, teacher pay in Vista Unified runs meaningfully above the state benchmark, a 8.9% gap, and above the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (71.3% differential). Among enrolling districts in California, it pays more than 72% 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, Vista Unified reports $403.5M in total expenditure against $449.8M in revenue, with instructional salaries accounting for 31% of spending, a compensation-to-budget ratio that signals how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $80.8M, special-education teacher pay is $19.9M.

How does Vista Unified compare?

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

Vista Unified $120,342
Los Angeles Unified $103,820
California avg $110,546
National avg $70,245

Vista Unified pays +15.9% more than Los Angeles Unified · per-pupil $21,469 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, Vista Unified sits closest to Etiwanda Elementary; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Salinas City Elementary. 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. Etiwanda Elementary
  2. Lancaster Elementary
  3. Alta Loma Elementary
  4. ABC Unified
  5. Glendora Unified
  6. Redlands Unified
  7. Pomona Unified
  8. Oxnard
  9. Irvine Unified
  10. Moreno Valley Unified
  11. Grossmont Union High
Closest on per-pupil investment
  1. Salinas City Elementary
  2. Lynwood Unified
  3. Vallejo City Unified
  4. Jefferson Elementary
  5. Acalanes Union High
  6. Culver City Unified
  7. Anaheim Union High
  8. West Covina Unified
  9. El Rancho Unified
  10. Hacienda la Puente Unified
  11. Escondido Union High

Similar estimated teacher pay

Similar per-pupil investment

Out-of-state districts near Vista Unified's smaller enrollment

Two out-of-state peer sets for Vista Unified: closest on enrollment (18,794 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($120,342 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

$449.8M
Total Revenue
$403.5M
Total Expenditure
$124.5M
Instruction Salaries
31% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$80.8M
Regular Program
$19.9M
Special Education
$1.4M
Vocational
$4.4M
Other Programs

The teacher salaries behind this page's average are the ones NCES reports for 4 programs in Vista 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 86% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 14% 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. Vista Unified places 193 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.

Torrance Unified
$115,460
21,636 students
Tustin Unified
$132,773
21,694 students
Simi Valley Unified
$101,004
15,878 students
Oceanside Unified
$118,154
15,839 students
Central Unified
$108,431
15,735 students
Antelope Valley Union High
$113,669
22,001 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 Vista Unified
What is the average teacher salary in Vista Unified?

The average teacher salary in Vista Unified is $120,342 (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 Vista Unified teacher pay compare to the California average?

Vista Unified pays 8.9% more than the California state average of $110,546. The district's average is $120,342.

How does Vista Unified teacher pay compare to the national average?

Vista Unified pays 71.3% above the national average of $70,245. The district average is $120,342.

What is the per-pupil spending in Vista Unified?

Vista Unified spends approximately $21,469 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

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

Instructional salaries account for 31% of Vista Unified's total expenditure of $403.5M (NCES FY2023).

Next read for Vista 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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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. Vista Unified'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.