Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District teacher salaries
Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District is a unified school district in Los Angeles County, with its district office in Santa Monica. Pay starts at $62,469 on the first step. The largest group (74%) is on the BA+70 column, which climbs to $125,576 by step 18.
Lowest
$62,469
BA, step 1
Average salary on the teacher schedule1
$106,842
- $3,348 above Los Angeles County average
- $3,290 above California average
Highest
$125,576
BA+70, step 18
Santa Monica-Malibu Unified average
AveragesLos Angeles County $103,494, California $103,552
- Full-time equivalents on the schedule
- 541
- Starting salary
- $62,469
- BA, step 1
- Median salary
- $106,334
- Half earn more, half earn less
- Average pay rank in California
- 182nd of 828 reporting
- of 828 reporting
Does Santa Monica-Malibu 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
Santa Monica-Malibu Unified's average of $106,842 is above the middle California district's $94,573.
All 828 reporting districts in California
Santa Monica-Malibu Unified ranks 182nd of 828.
Middle district: $94,573
The 71 reporting districts in Los Angeles County
Santa Monica-Malibu Unified ranks 27th of 71, above the middle district.
Middle district: $103,471
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 Santa Monica-Malibu Unified's BA column pays $64,113. Experienced teachers joining Santa Monica-Malibu Unified can be placed as high as step 12.
- 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. Santa Monica-Malibu Unified's columns run from BA to BA+70, 6 in all.
How fast does a teacher's salary grow at Santa Monica-Malibu Unified?
Pick a column and a step to see the salary, and how far it is from the top.
$97,357
a year at step 10. This column tops out at $125,576 on step 18.
Santa Monica-Malibu Unified's full salary schedule, 2024-252
Shading shows where teachers actually sit. 51% of Santa Monica-Malibu Unified's full-time equivalents are on step 15 or higher.
| Step | BA | BA+14 | BA+28 | BA+42 | BA+56 | BA+70 |
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Only BA+70 continues past step 12.
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+
- 239
Bonuses, health cover and work days at Santa Monica-Malibu 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 $25,644paid by the district each year
- Master's degree bonus$2,456
- Doctorate bonus$4,607
- Bilingual teaching bonus$1,671
- National Board Certification bonusNot reported
- Special education bonus$2,785
- Summer school payNot reported
- Work days a year184 days181 of them with students
- Schedule raise on last year6%
- Highest starting step for experienced hiresStep 12
Questions about teacher pay at Santa Monica-Malibu Unified
How much do Santa Monica-Malibu Unified teachers make?
The average salary on Santa Monica-Malibu Unified's teacher schedule is $106,842 a year (2024-25). The salary schedule runs from $62,469 (BA, step 1) to $125,576 (BA+70, step 18).
What does a new teacher earn at Santa Monica-Malibu Unified?
The schedule starts at $62,469 (BA, step 1). Teachers who bring experience from another district can start as high as step 12.
How long does it take to reach the top of the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified pay scale?
On the BA+70 column, where 74% of full-time equivalents are paid, pay keeps rising until step 18, where it reaches $125,576. Steps go up with years of service.
Does a master's degree raise pay at Santa Monica-Malibu Unified?
Yes, in two ways. The college units from a master's move you to a higher column on the schedule, and Santa Monica-Malibu Unified reports a master's bonus of $2,456 on top. For a doctorate it reports $4,607.
Is Santa Monica-Malibu Unified teacher pay high for California?
Santa Monica-Malibu Unified's average salary on the teacher schedule ranks 182nd of the 828 California school districts and county offices of education that reported and 27th of 71 in Los Angeles County. Across all of them, the average salary on teacher schedules is $103,552 statewide and $103,494 in Los Angeles County.
Keep exploring teacher pay in Los Angeles County
Sources for the Santa Monica-Malibu 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.
- Santa Monica-Malibu 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.