Merced County teacher salaries by district, 2024-25
The average salary on teacher schedules in Merced County is $104,127 across 17 reporting districts, $575 above the California average. Sort, filter and search every one of them below.
What is the average teacher salary in Merced County?
- Median district
- $91,682
- Half the county's districts pay a lower average
- Districts reporting
- 17
- 16 in the table below
- Full-time equivalents
- 2,684
- on teacher schedules in the county
What stands out in Merced County teacher salaries
Depending on the district, the average salary runs from $64,793 to $116,246.
That's the full range among the 13 Merced County districts with at least 20 full-time equivalents.
Pay roughly doubles from the first step to the top.
Across the county's districts, the typical lowest salary is $62,461 and the typical top salary is $120,985.
Atwater Elementary reported the largest raise on last year: 4%.
Of the 14 districts that reported a raise above 0%, the median was 1.3%.2
Which Merced County districts have the highest teacher salaries?
By average salary, starting salary and the top of the scale, among districts with at least 20 full-time equivalents.
Highest average salary
- Merced City Elementary536 full-time equivalents$116,246
- Winton94 full-time equivalents$107,836
- Livingston Union125 full-time equivalents$106,475
- Merced Union High576 full-time equivalents$105,766
- Los Banos Unified482 full-time equivalents$104,811
- Delhi Unified137 full-time equivalents$104,564
- Atwater Elementary262 full-time equivalents$101,887
- Planada Elementary56 full-time equivalents$97,680
- Gustine Unified91 full-time equivalents$91,682
- McSwain Union Elementary48 full-time equivalents$87,889
Merced County average, $104,127
Highest starting salary, full credential
- Winton$72,381
- Livingston Union$71,663
- Atwater Elementary$71,177
- Delhi Unified$69,713
- Merced Union High$69,345
Highest salary on the schedule
- Winton$139,927
- Merced City Elementary$137,063
- Atwater Elementary$136,158
- Delhi Unified$132,831
- Livingston Union$132,827
How much do teacher salaries vary across Merced County?
All 17 reporting districts by average salary. The middle district pays $91,682, $2,891 below the middle California district's $94,573.
Middle district: $91,682
Each bar counts the districts whose average salary falls in a $5,000 band. The dashed line marks the median district.
Compare teacher salaries in every Merced County district
Average, lowest and highest salary on each district's teacher schedule. Click a column to sort it.
Showing all 16 districts, highest average salary first.
| Merced City Elementary | $116,246 | $68,682 | $137,063 | 0% | 536 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winton | $107,836 | $67,960 | $139,927 | 2% | 94 |
| Livingston Union | $106,475 | $71,663 | $132,827 | 1.07% | 125 |
| Merced Union High | $105,766 | $69,345 | $131,810 | 1.1% | 576 |
| Los Banos Unified | $104,811 | $62,638 | $132,073 | 2% | 482 |
| Delhi Unified | $104,564 | $69,713 | $132,831 | 1% | 137 |
| Atwater Elementary | $101,887 | $61,122 | $136,158 | 4% | 262 |
| Planada Elementary | $97,680 | $66,635 | $121,811 | 1.07% | 56 |
| Gustine Unified | $91,682 | $59,677 | $112,214 | 0.86% | 91 |
| McSwain Union Elementary | $87,889 | $61,142 | $120,159 | 3.5% | 48 |
| Merced County Office of Education | $87,397 | $64,222 | $118,139 | 3.5% | 194 |
| Le Grand Union Elementary | $86,910 | $62,283 | $106,088 | 1.5% | 17 |
| Le Grand Union High | $82,084 | $58,862 | $108,706 | 0.5% | 25 |
| El Nido Elementary | $76,381 | $58,041 | $94,001 | 2% | 10 |
| Ballico-Cressey Elementary | $64,793 | $54,349 | $99,485 | 1% | 22 |
| Plainsburg Union Elementary | $64,549 | $41,344 | $96,430 | 0% | 5 |
No district matches. Clear the search or pick another county or size.
A raise of 0% can also mean the district left that question blank; the state's file doesn't tell the two apart. Districts without a link have fewer than 20 full-time equivalents, too few for a page of their own. Districts with fewer than 5 are left out to protect privacy.
Questions about teacher pay in Merced County
What is the average teacher salary in Merced County?
$104,127 a year in 2024-25: the average across everyone on the teacher salary schedules of 17 reporting districts in Merced County. That's $575 above the California average of $103,552. The median Merced County district pays $91,682 on average.
Which Merced County school district pays teachers the most?
Among districts with at least 20 full-time equivalents, Merced City Elementary has the highest average salary, $116,246, followed by Winton ($107,836) and Livingston Union ($106,475).
Which Merced County school district pays teachers the least?
Among districts with at least 20 full-time equivalents, Ballico-Cressey Elementary has the lowest average salary, $64,793, followed by Le Grand Union High ($82,084) and Merced County Office of Education ($87,397).
How much do teachers earn on the first step in Merced County?
Across the county's districts, the median lowest salary on the schedule is $62,461 and the median top salary is $120,985. In some districts the first step is for teachers who don't yet hold a full credential; each district page shows which column it is.
How much did teacher pay in Merced County rise last year?
Of the 14 districts that reported a raise above 0%, the median raise on the salary schedule was 1.3%. Another 2 show 0%, which in the state's file can also mean the question was left blank.
Average teacher salaries in Merced County compared to nearby counties
Average salary on teacher schedules in each county that borders Merced County, and how much more or less it pays.3
- Santa Clara County$122,256 average, 29 reporting districts$18,129 more than Merced County
- Stanislaus County$101,976 average, 23 reporting districts$2,151 less than Merced County
- Fresno County$97,655 average, 21 reporting districts$6,472 less than Merced County
- San Benito County$92,802 average, 10 reporting districts$11,325 less than Merced County
- Madera County$84,104 average, 9 reporting districts$20,023 less than Merced County
- Mariposa County$76,208 average, 1 reporting district$27,919 less than Merced County
Keep exploring teacher pay in California
Sources for the Merced County figures
Salaries are the annual amounts on each district's certificated salary schedule. Following the state's definitions, they leave out extended-year pay, bonuses and extra-curricular pay such as coaching. Counts are full-time equivalents and can include counselors, nurses and librarians paid on the same schedule. The county average, medians and rankings are our own arithmetic on these figures, using the same method as the state's published averages.
- Each district's report to the California Department of Education, Form J-90 database, 2024-25: salary schedules and full-time equivalents.
- California Department of Education, Selected Certificated Salaries and Related Statistics, 2024-25, Table I: each district's raise on last year.
- U.S. Census Bureau, County Adjacency File, 2024: which counties border each other.