Santa Cruz County teacher salaries by district, 2024-25
The average salary on teacher schedules in Santa Cruz County is $87,290 across 11 reporting districts, $16,262 below the California average. Sort, filter and search every one of them below.
What is the average teacher salary in Santa Cruz County?
- Median district
- $85,745
- Half the county's districts pay a lower average
- Districts reporting
- 11
- all in the table below
- Full-time equivalents
- 1,718
- on teacher schedules in the county
What stands out in Santa Cruz County teacher salaries
Depending on the district, the average salary runs from $78,106 to $94,352.
That's the full range among the 7 Santa Cruz County districts with at least 20 full-time equivalents.
Every Santa Cruz County district in the table pays less than the middle California district.
None of the 11 averages more than $94,573, the median California district.
Pajaro Valley Unified has 52% of the county's full-time equivalents.
Its average of $85,745 is below the $88,969 average across the other 10 districts, so it pulls the county average down.
Pay roughly doubles from the first step to the top.
Across the county's districts, the typical lowest salary is $52,993 and the typical top salary is $109,366.
Pacific Elementary reported the largest raise on last year: 2.5%.
Of the 7 districts that reported a raise above 0%, the median was 1.3%.2
Which Santa Cruz 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
- Santa Cruz City Schools316 full-time equivalents$94,352
- Santa Cruz County Office of Education81 full-time equivalents$93,577
- San Lorenzo Valley Unified132 full-time equivalents$90,549
- Pajaro Valley Unified895 full-time equivalents$85,745
- Soquel Union Elementary70 full-time equivalents$84,606
- Live Oak Elementary81 full-time equivalents$83,466
- Scotts Valley Unified107 full-time equivalents$78,106
Santa Cruz County average, $87,290
Highest starting salary, full credential
- Santa Cruz City Schools$64,884
- Pajaro Valley Unified$58,520
- Live Oak Elementary$57,462
- San Lorenzo Valley Unified$55,478
- Scotts Valley Unified$52,653
Highest salary on the schedule
- Santa Cruz City Schools$120,399
- San Lorenzo Valley Unified$115,555
- Santa Cruz County Office of Education$109,594
- Pajaro Valley Unified$109,309
- Scotts Valley Unified$105,234
How much do teacher salaries vary across Santa Cruz County?
All 11 reporting districts by average salary. The middle district pays $85,745, $8,828 below the middle California district's $94,573.
Middle district: $85,745
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 Cruz County district
Average, lowest and highest salary on each district's teacher schedule. Click a column to sort it.
Showing all 11 districts, highest average salary first.
| Santa Cruz City Schools | $94,352 | $58,133 | $120,399 | 1.27% | 316 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Cruz County Office of Education | $93,577 | $52,480 | $109,594 | 2% | 81 |
| San Lorenzo Valley Unified | $90,549 | $55,478 | $115,555 | 1.5% | 132 |
| Happy Valley Elementary | $90,185 | $49,418 | $109,366 | 1% | 7 |
| Bonny Doon Union Elementary | $87,567 | $60,894 | $116,087 | 0% | 8 |
| Pajaro Valley Unified | $85,745 | $58,520 | $109,309 | 0% | 895 |
| Soquel Union Elementary | $84,606 | $46,231 | $102,404 | 0% | 70 |
| Live Oak Elementary | $83,466 | $57,461 | $103,800 | 1.07% | 81 |
| Scotts Valley Unified | $78,106 | $52,653 | $105,234 | 1% | 107 |
| Mountain Elementary | $72,697 | $49,952 | $114,288 | 0% | 11 |
| Pacific Elementary | $68,849 | $52,993 | $85,126 | 2.5% | 9 |
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 Cruz County
What is the average teacher salary in Santa Cruz County?
$87,290 a year in 2024-25: the average across everyone on the teacher salary schedules of 11 reporting districts in Santa Cruz County. That's $16,262 below the California average of $103,552. The median Santa Cruz County district pays $85,745 on average.
Which Santa Cruz County school district pays teachers the most?
Among districts with at least 20 full-time equivalents, Santa Cruz City Schools has the highest average salary, $94,352, followed by Santa Cruz County Office of Education ($93,577) and San Lorenzo Valley Unified ($90,549).
Which Santa Cruz County school district pays teachers the least?
Among districts with at least 20 full-time equivalents, Scotts Valley Unified has the lowest average salary, $78,106, followed by Live Oak Elementary ($83,466) and Soquel Union Elementary ($84,606).
How much do teachers earn on the first step in Santa Cruz County?
Across the county's districts, the median lowest salary on the schedule is $52,993 and the median top salary is $109,366. 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 Cruz County rise last year?
Of the 7 districts that reported a raise above 0%, the median raise on the salary schedule was 1.3%. Another 4 show 0%, which in the state's file can also mean the question was left blank.
Average teacher salaries in Santa Cruz County compared to nearby counties
Average salary on teacher schedules in each county that borders Santa Cruz County, and how much more or less it pays.3
- Santa Clara County$122,256 average, 29 reporting districts$34,966 more than Santa Cruz County
- San Mateo County$115,726 average, 19 reporting districts$28,436 more than Santa Cruz County
- Monterey County$98,016 average, 20 reporting districts$10,726 more than Santa Cruz County
- San Benito County$92,802 average, 10 reporting districts$5,512 more than Santa Cruz County
Keep exploring teacher pay in California
Sources for the Santa Cruz 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.