Santa Clara County teacher salaries by district, 2024-25
The average salary on teacher schedules in Santa Clara County is $122,256 across 29 reporting districts, $18,704 above the California average. Sort, filter and search every one of them below.
What is the average teacher salary in Santa Clara County?
- Median district
- $117,248
- Half the county's districts pay a lower average
- Districts reporting
- 29
- all in the table below
- Full-time equivalents
- 11,994
- on teacher schedules in the county
What stands out in Santa Clara County teacher salaries
Depending on the district, the average salary runs from $87,264 to $181,322.
That's the full range among the 29 Santa Clara County districts with at least 20 full-time equivalents.
Most Santa Clara County districts pay more than the middle California district.
28 of the 29 districts in the table average more than $94,573, the median California district.
Pay roughly doubles from the first step to the top.
Across the county's districts, the typical lowest salary is $76,951 and the typical top salary is $143,343.
Los Altos Elementary reported the largest raise on last year: 8.5%.
Of the 22 districts that reported a raise above 0%, the median was 3.9%.2
Which Santa Clara 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
- Mountain View-Los Altos Union High279 full-time equivalents$181,322
- Fremont Union High483 full-time equivalents$158,950
- Santa Clara Unified970 full-time equivalents$149,175
- Palo Alto Unified766 full-time equivalents$145,938
- Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High173 full-time equivalents$141,136
- Los Gatos Union Elementary165 full-time equivalents$141,021
- Saratoga Union Elementary94 full-time equivalents$138,858
- Santa Clara County Office of Education188 full-time equivalents$136,809
- Los Altos Elementary198 full-time equivalents$124,142
- Sunnyvale380 full-time equivalents$120,727
Santa Clara County average, $122,256
Highest starting salary, full credential
- Mountain View-Los Altos Union High$106,025
- Fremont Union High$105,395
- Santa Clara Unified$95,734
- Palo Alto Unified$91,546
- Los Gatos Union Elementary$88,781
Highest salary on the schedule
- Mountain View-Los Altos Union High$205,547
- Fremont Union High$177,052
- Santa Clara Unified$171,568
- Palo Alto Unified$168,598
- Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High$165,138
How much do teacher salaries vary across Santa Clara County?
All 29 reporting districts by average salary. The middle district pays $117,248, $22,675 above the middle California district's $94,573.
Middle district: $117,248
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 Santa Clara County district
Average, lowest and highest salary on each district's teacher schedule. Click a column to sort it.
Showing 1 to 25 of 29 districts, highest average salary first.
| Mountain View-Los Altos Union High | $181,322 | $106,025 | $205,547 | 4% | 279 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fremont Union High | $158,950 | $105,395 | $177,052 | 4.71% | 483 |
| Santa Clara Unified | $149,175 | $95,734 | $171,568 | 3.75% | 970 |
| Palo Alto Unified | $145,938 | $91,546 | $168,598 | 4% | 766 |
| Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High | $141,136 | $85,896 | $165,138 | 8% | 173 |
| Los Gatos Union Elementary | $141,021 | $83,194 | $159,362 | 5% | 165 |
| Saratoga Union Elementary | $138,858 | $80,027 | $155,101 | 7.5% | 94 |
| Santa Clara County Office of Education | $136,809 | $81,491 | $152,166 | 3% | 188 |
| Los Altos Elementary | $124,142 | $77,738 | $143,343 | 8.5% | 198 |
| Sunnyvale | $120,727 | $80,296 | $150,834 | 3% | 380 |
| Campbell Union | $119,973 | $80,830 | $139,687 | 3% | 295 |
| Cupertino Union | $119,422 | $79,336 | $150,441 | 5.06% | 693 |
| East Side Union High | $118,882 | $71,473 | $144,825 | 2.25% | 1,067 |
| Milpitas Unified | $118,845 | $76,899 | $153,171 | 1% | 499 |
| Campbell Union High | $117,248 | $78,089 | $149,081 | 3% | 426 |
| Evergreen Elementary | $116,099 | $69,821 | $131,754 | 3% | 435 |
| Orchard Elementary | $115,759 | $75,918 | $135,666 | 4% | 54 |
| Mountain View Whisman | $115,063 | $81,726 | $146,521 | 5% | 298 |
| Berryessa Union Elementary | $112,418 | $71,289 | $136,423 | 0% | 300 |
| Franklin-McKinley Elementary | $112,052 | $63,748 | $126,872 | 0% | 329 |
| Union Elementary | $111,387 | $76,951 | $136,127 | 2.85% | 251 |
| Gilroy Unified | $106,112 | $69,898 | $130,809 | 2.5% | 474 |
| Oak Grove Elementary | $105,624 | $66,630 | $123,563 | 5% | 428 |
| Alum Rock Union Elementary | $105,419 | $69,440 | $129,227 | 0% | 457 |
| Morgan Hill Unified | $105,347 | $63,686 | $136,327 | 0% | 454 |
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 Santa Clara County
What is the average teacher salary in Santa Clara County?
$122,256 a year in 2024-25: the average across everyone on the teacher salary schedules of 29 reporting districts in Santa Clara County. That's $18,704 above the California average of $103,552. The median Santa Clara County district pays $117,248 on average.
Which Santa Clara County school district pays teachers the most?
Among districts with at least 20 full-time equivalents, Mountain View-Los Altos Union High has the highest average salary, $181,322, followed by Fremont Union High ($158,950) and Santa Clara Unified ($149,175).
Which Santa Clara County school district pays teachers the least?
Among districts with at least 20 full-time equivalents, Loma Prieta Joint Union Elementary has the lowest average salary, $87,264, followed by Mount Pleasant Elementary ($101,431) and San Jose Unified ($103,746).
How much do teachers earn on the first step in Santa Clara County?
Across the county's districts, the median lowest salary on the schedule is $76,951 and the median top salary is $143,343. 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 Santa Clara County rise last year?
Of the 22 districts that reported a raise above 0%, the median raise on the salary schedule was 3.9%. Another 7 show 0%, which in the state's file can also mean the question was left blank.
Average teacher salaries in Santa Clara County compared to nearby counties
Average salary on teacher schedules in each county that borders Santa Clara County, and how much more or less it pays.3
- San Mateo County$115,726 average, 19 reporting districts$6,530 less than Santa Clara County
- Alameda County$107,969 average, 19 reporting districts$14,287 less than Santa Clara County
- Merced County$104,127 average, 17 reporting districts$18,129 less than Santa Clara County
- Stanislaus County$101,976 average, 23 reporting districts$20,280 less than Santa Clara County
- San Benito County$92,802 average, 10 reporting districts$29,454 less than Santa Clara County
- Santa Cruz County$87,290 average, 11 reporting districts$34,966 less than Santa Clara County
Keep exploring teacher pay in California
Sources for the Santa Clara 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.