Monterey County teacher salaries by district, 2024-25
The average salary on teacher schedules in Monterey County is $98,016 across 20 reporting districts, $5,536 below the California average. Sort, filter and search every one of them below.
What is the average teacher salary in Monterey County?
- Median district
- $85,002
- Half the county's districts pay a lower average
- Districts reporting
- 20
- 18 in the table below
- Full-time equivalents
- 3,512
- on teacher schedules in the county
What stands out in Monterey County teacher salaries
Depending on the district, the average salary runs from $77,601 to $140,436.
That's the full range among the 14 Monterey County districts with at least 20 full-time equivalents.
Most Monterey County districts pay less than the middle California district.
7 of the 18 districts in the table average more than $94,573, the median California district.
Salinas Union High has 25% of the county's full-time equivalents.
Its average of $107,603 is above the $94,813 average across the other 19 districts, so it pushes the county average up.
Pay roughly doubles from the first step to the top.
Across the county's districts, the typical lowest salary is $58,229 and the typical top salary is $119,658.
Big Sur Unified reported the largest raise on last year: 8%.
Of the 11 districts that reported a raise above 0%, the median was 2.9%.2
Which Monterey 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
- Carmel Unified183 full-time equivalents$140,436
- Pacific Grove Unified122 full-time equivalents$124,594
- Salinas Union High879 full-time equivalents$107,603
- South Monterey County Joint Union High124 full-time equivalents$101,506
- Alisal Union344 full-time equivalents$97,484
- Monterey County Office of Education110 full-time equivalents$96,777
- Salinas City Elementary404 full-time equivalents$95,366
- King City Union143 full-time equivalents$88,185
- Soledad Unified240 full-time equivalents$87,038
- Santa Rita Union Elementary154 full-time equivalents$86,144
Monterey County average, $98,016
Highest starting salary, full credential
- Carmel Unified$78,959
- Pacific Grove Unified$69,029
- Salinas Union High$67,311
- South Monterey County Joint Union High$65,324
- Greenfield Union Elementary$62,437
Highest salary on the schedule
- Carmel Unified$162,162
- Pacific Grove Unified$147,031
- Salinas Union High$143,305
- Greenfield Union Elementary$142,925
- South Monterey County Joint Union High$142,327
How much do teacher salaries vary across Monterey County?
All 20 reporting districts by average salary. The middle district pays $85,002, $9,571 below the middle California district's $94,573.
Middle district: $85,002
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 Monterey County district
Average, lowest and highest salary on each district's teacher schedule. Click a column to sort it.
Showing all 18 districts, highest average salary first.
| Carmel Unified | $140,436 | $78,959 | $162,162 | 3% | 183 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pacific Grove Unified | $124,594 | $69,029 | $147,031 | 0% | 122 |
| Salinas Union High | $107,603 | $61,054 | $143,305 | 0% | 879 |
| South Monterey County Joint Union High | $101,506 | $58,160 | $142,327 | 4.4% | 124 |
| Alisal Union | $97,484 | $57,111 | $129,403 | 2% | 344 |
| Monterey County Office of Education | $96,777 | $58,298 | $123,910 | 1% | 110 |
| Salinas City Elementary | $95,366 | $58,897 | $117,823 | 1.5% | 404 |
| King City Union | $88,185 | $59,554 | $119,633 | 1% | 143 |
| Soledad Unified | $87,038 | $58,538 | $126,084 | 2.9% | 240 |
| Santa Rita Union Elementary | $86,144 | $50,044 | $110,623 | 0% | 154 |
| Monterey Peninsula Unified | $83,859 | $59,277 | $119,682 | 0% | 514 |
| Greenfield Union Elementary | $83,823 | $58,902 | $142,925 | 0% | 178 |
| Washington Union Elementary | $77,987 | $56,284 | $102,372 | 1% | 40 |
| Spreckels Union Elementary | $77,601 | $52,517 | $106,035 | 0% | 39 |
| Chualar Union | $74,606 | $48,180 | $96,719 | 0% | 14 |
| San Ardo Union Elementary | $66,226 | $47,678 | $93,345 | 5% | 6 |
| Mission Union Elementary | $64,482 | $57,931 | $91,849 | 4% | 8 |
| Big Sur Unified | $51,711 | $41,886 | $66,602 | 8% | 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 Monterey County
What is the average teacher salary in Monterey County?
$98,016 a year in 2024-25: the average across everyone on the teacher salary schedules of 20 reporting districts in Monterey County. That's $5,536 below the California average of $103,552. The median Monterey County district pays $85,002 on average.
Which Monterey County school district pays teachers the most?
Among districts with at least 20 full-time equivalents, Carmel Unified has the highest average salary, $140,436, followed by Pacific Grove Unified ($124,594) and Salinas Union High ($107,603).
Which Monterey County school district pays teachers the least?
Among districts with at least 20 full-time equivalents, Spreckels Union Elementary has the lowest average salary, $77,601, followed by Washington Union Elementary ($77,987) and Greenfield Union Elementary ($83,823).
How much do teachers earn on the first step in Monterey County?
Across the county's districts, the median lowest salary on the schedule is $58,229 and the median top salary is $119,658. 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 Monterey County rise last year?
Of the 11 districts that reported a raise above 0%, the median raise on the salary schedule was 2.9%. Another 7 show 0%, which in the state's file can also mean the question was left blank.
Average teacher salaries in Monterey County compared to nearby counties
Average salary on teacher schedules in each county that borders Monterey County, and how much more or less it pays.3
- Kings County$99,483 average, 11 reporting districts$1,467 more than Monterey County
- Fresno County$97,655 average, 21 reporting districts$361 less than Monterey County
- San Benito County$92,802 average, 10 reporting districts$5,214 less than Monterey County
- San Luis Obispo County$87,948 average, 11 reporting districts$10,068 less than Monterey County
- Santa Cruz County$87,290 average, 11 reporting districts$10,726 less than Monterey County
Keep exploring teacher pay in California
Sources for the Monterey 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.