John Swett Unified School District teacher salaries
John Swett Unified School District is a unified school district in Contra Costa County, with its district office in Rodeo. A teacher with a full credential starts at $64,964. The largest group (49%) is on the BA+75 column, which climbs to $117,249 by step 26.
Lowest
$59,264
BA before a full credential, step 1
Average salary on the teacher schedule1
$95,935
- $4,562 below Contra Costa County average
- $7,617 below California average
Highest
$117,249
BA+75 with a credential, step 26
John Swett Unified average
AveragesContra Costa County $100,497, California $103,552
- Full-time equivalents on the schedule
- 64
- Starting salary
- $64,964
- BA with a credential, step 1
- Median salary
- $101,033
- Half earn more, half earn less
- Average pay rank in California
- 381st of 828 reporting
- of 828 reporting
Does John Swett Unified pay teachers more than the median California district?
Line up all 828 reporting California districts from the lowest average salary to the highest. The one in the middle is the median district: half the districts pay a lower average, half pay a higher one. A median isn't pulled up or down by a few unusually high- or low-paying districts, so it shows what a typical district pays.
Yes
John Swett Unified's average of $95,935 is above the middle California district's $94,573.
All 828 reporting districts in California
John Swett Unified ranks 381st of 828.
Middle district: $94,573
The 18 reporting districts in Contra Costa County
John Swett Unified ranks 13th of 18, below the middle district.
Middle district: $99,272
Each bar counts the districts whose average salary falls in a $5,000 band. The dashed line marks the median district.
What BA+98, steps and credentials mean
Teacher pay in California is set by a grid. Two things place you on it: how long you've taught and how much college you've done.
- Step
- Steps go up with years of service. Step 5 on John Swett Unified's BA column pays $65,699. Experienced teachers joining John Swett Unified can be placed as high as step 26.
- Column, such as BA+98
- Your bachelor's degree (BA) plus the college semester units you've completed since. BA+98 means a bachelor's plus 98 more units. John Swett Unified's columns run from BA to BA+75, 4 in all.
- Credentialed
- Holds a full California teaching credential, the state license to teach. John Swett Unified's credentialed columns start at $64,964.
- Without full credential
- Teachers who don't yet hold a full credential. John Swett Unified pays them on separate columns, starting at $59,264.
How fast does a teacher's salary grow at John Swett Unified?
Pick a column and a step to see the salary, and how far it is from the top.
$93,696
a year at step 10. This column tops out at $117,249 on step 26.
John Swett Unified's full salary schedule, 2024-252
Shading shows where teachers actually sit. 41% of John Swett Unified's full-time equivalents are on step 15 or higher.
| Step | BA | BA+45 | BA+60 | BA+75 |
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| 26 |
Only BA+60, BA+75 continue past step 14.
| Step | BA | BA+15 |
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Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Tap any salary to see how many full-time equivalents are paid it and follow it on the chart above.
- 5+
- 6
Bonuses, health cover and work days at John Swett Unified
Bonuses are paid on top of the schedule, in the amounts the district reported.2 Teachers are exempt from federal overtime pay.3 Extra pay for coaching, clubs and similar duties isn't part of this report.
- Health insurance, family planUp to $31,186paid by the district each year
- Master's degree bonus$1,08230 full-time equivalents eligible
- Doctorate bonus$1,2991 full-time equivalents eligible
- Bilingual teaching bonusNot reported
- National Board Certification bonus$1,2002 full-time equivalents eligible
- Special education bonus$3,31911 full-time equivalents eligible
- Summer school pay$49 an hour
- Work days a year185 days180 of them with students
- Schedule raise on last year1.5%
- Highest starting step for experienced hiresStep 26
Questions about teacher pay at John Swett Unified
How much do John Swett Unified teachers make?
The average salary on John Swett Unified's teacher schedule is $95,935 a year (2024-25). The salary schedule runs from $59,264 (BA before a full credential, step 1) to $117,249 (BA+75 with a credential, step 26).
What does a new teacher earn at John Swett Unified?
A new teacher with a full credential starts at $64,964 (BA column, step 1). Teachers without a full credential start lower, at $59,264. Teachers who bring experience from another district can start as high as step 26.
How long does it take to reach the top of the John Swett Unified pay scale?
On the BA+75 column, where 49% of full-time equivalents are paid, pay keeps rising until step 26, where it reaches $117,249. Steps go up with years of service.
Does a master's degree raise pay at John Swett Unified?
Yes, in two ways. The college units from a master's move you to a higher column on the schedule, and John Swett Unified reports a master's bonus of $1,082 on top. For a doctorate it reports $1,299.
Is John Swett Unified teacher pay high for California?
John Swett Unified's average salary on the teacher schedule ranks 381st of the 828 California school districts and county offices of education that reported and 13th of 18 in Contra Costa County. Across all of them, the average salary on teacher schedules is $103,552 statewide and $100,497 in Contra Costa County.
Keep exploring teacher pay in Contra Costa County
Sources for the John Swett Unified figures
Salaries are the annual amounts on the 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, so two half-time teachers count as one, and they can include counselors, nurses and librarians paid on the same schedule. County averages, ranks and percentages are our own arithmetic on these figures; our statewide average matches the state's published $103,552.
- California Department of Education, Selected Certificated Salaries and Related Statistics, 2024-25, Table I: average salary paid, raise on last year, highest starting step. The median salary is our own calculation from source 2.
- John Swett Unified's report to the California Department of Education, Form J-90 database, 2024-25: salary schedule, full-time equivalents per cell, bonuses, health contributions, work days.
- U.S. Department of Labor, Fact Sheet #17D: Exemption for Professional Employees Under the FLSA: teachers are exempt from federal overtime pay.