Database reveals which Fresno-area school district has the highest average teacher pay

Average teacher pay in California public schools rose to $82,746 last school year, an increase of 2.6 percent from the prior year, new state data show.

Teacher pay was highest in Silicon Valley’s Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District, where teachers earned, on average, about $136,500. A teacher making that salary still likely could not afford the median-priced home in Mountain View, which sold for about $1.7 million late last year, according to tracking firm Zillow.com.

More than a dozen very small districts in rural areas of California paid their teachers, on average, less than $50,000 last school year. Among districts employing at least 100 teachers, the lowest average pay was about $57,400 at Plumas Unified. The median-priced home in Plumas County sold for about $276,000 late last year, according to Zillow.

Among the dozen or so school districts with the most teachers in the Fresno region, the highest average teacher pay last school year was about $81,123 at Selma Unified. The lowest average pay was about $66,400 at Kingsburg Joint Union Elementary.

The average teacher pay at Fresno Unified was about $79,907; $72,296 at Clovis Unified; $76,017 at Central Unified; and $73,751 at Kings Canyon Unified.

Statewide, average teacher pay increased by about 16 percent between 2013-14 and 2018-19. By comparison, inflation rose about 8 percent during that time period.

Average teacher pay depends on a number of factors, not just the relative generosity or stinginess of a community’s school board. Pay usually increases with seniority, so a district with a preponderance of veteran teachers would tend to pay more on average than a district with a lot of inexperienced teachers. Cost of living also plays a role, as districts located in expensive communities must pay more to attract talent.