West Contra Costa Unified School District teacher salaries
West Contra Costa Unified School District is a unified school district in Contra Costa County, with its district office in Richmond. Pay starts at $58,573 on the first step. The largest group (59%) is on the BA+60 OR BA+45+MA column, which climbs to $119,395 by step 27.
Lowest
$58,573
BA, step 1
Average salary on the teacher schedule1
$92,097
- $8,400 below Contra Costa County average
- $11,455 below California average
Highest
$119,395
BA+60 OR BA+45+MA, step 27
West Contra Costa Unified average
AveragesContra Costa County $100,497, California $103,552
- Full-time equivalents on the schedule
- 1,338
- Starting salary
- $58,573
- BA, step 1
- Median salary
- $91,890
- Half earn more, half earn less
- Average pay rank in California
- 456th of 828 reporting
- of 828 reporting
Does West Contra Costa 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.
No
West Contra Costa Unified's average of $92,097 is below the middle California district's $94,573.
All 828 reporting districts in California
West Contra Costa Unified ranks 456th of 828.
Middle district: $94,573
The 18 reporting districts in Contra Costa County
West Contra Costa Unified ranks 15th 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 West Contra Costa Unified's BA column pays $62,380. Experienced teachers joining West Contra Costa Unified can be placed as high as step 27.
- 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. West Contra Costa Unified's columns run from BA to BA+60 OR BA+45+MA, 4 in all.
How fast does a teacher's salary grow at West Contra Costa Unified?
Pick a column and a step to see the salary, and how far it is from the top.
$91,890
a year at step 10. This column tops out at $119,395 on step 27.
West Contra Costa Unified's full salary schedule, 2024-252
Shading shows where teachers actually sit. 42% of West Contra Costa Unified's full-time equivalents are on step 15 or higher.
| Step | BA | BA+30 OR BA+15+MA | BA+45 OR BA+30+MA | BA+60 OR BA+45+MA |
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Only BA+30 OR BA+15+MA, BA+45 OR BA+30+MA, BA+60 OR BA+45+MA continue past step 9.
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+
- 130
Bonuses, health cover and work days at West Contra Costa 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 $27,778paid by the district each year
- Master's degree bonusNot reported
- Doctorate bonus$2,00031 full-time equivalents eligible
- Bilingual teaching bonus$3,00078 full-time equivalents eligible
- National Board Certification bonus$3,00014 full-time equivalents eligible
- Special education bonusNot reported
- Summer school pay$42 an hour
- Work days a year185 days180 of them with students
- Schedule raise on last year0%can also mean not reported
- Highest starting step for experienced hiresStep 27
Questions about teacher pay at West Contra Costa Unified
How much do West Contra Costa Unified teachers make?
The average salary on West Contra Costa Unified's teacher schedule is $92,097 a year (2024-25). The salary schedule runs from $58,573 (BA, step 1) to $119,395 (BA+60 OR BA+45+MA, step 27).
What does a new teacher earn at West Contra Costa Unified?
The schedule starts at $58,573 (BA, step 1). Teachers who bring experience from another district can start as high as step 27.
How long does it take to reach the top of the West Contra Costa Unified pay scale?
On the BA+60 OR BA+45+MA column, where 59% of full-time equivalents are paid, pay keeps rising until step 27, where it reaches $119,395. Steps go up with years of service.
Is West Contra Costa Unified teacher pay high for California?
West Contra Costa Unified's average salary on the teacher schedule ranks 456th of the 828 California school districts and county offices of education that reported and 15th 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 West Contra Costa 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.
- West Contra Costa 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.