Merced Union High School District teacher salaries

Merced Union High School District is a high school district in Merced County, with its district office in Atwater. Pay starts at $69,345 on the first step. The largest group (36%) is on the BA+75+MA OR MA+30 column, which climbs to $131,810 by step 30.

Lowest

$69,345

BA OR LESS, step 1

Average salary on the teacher schedule1

$105,766

  • $1,639 above Merced County average
  • $2,214 above California average

Highest

$131,810

BA+75+MA OR MA+30, step 30

Merced Union High average

AveragesCalifornia $103,552, Merced County $104,127

Full-time equivalents on the schedule
576
Starting salary
$69,345
BA OR LESS, step 1
Median salary
$106,223
Half earn more, half earn less
Average pay rank in California
198th of 828 reporting
of 828 reporting

Does Merced Union High 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

Merced Union High's average of $105,766 is above the middle California district's $94,573.

All 828 reporting districts in California

Merced Union High ranks 198th of 828.

Merced Union High
$50k$100k$150k

Middle district: $94,573

The 17 reporting districts in Merced County

Merced Union High ranks 4th of 17, above the middle district.

Merced Union High
$60k$80k$100k$120k

Middle district: $91,682

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 Merced Union High's BA OR LESS column pays $71,040. Experienced teachers joining Merced Union High can be placed as high as step 13.
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. Merced Union High's columns run from BA OR LESS to BA+75+MA OR MA+30, 7 in all.

How fast does a teacher's salary grow at Merced Union High?

Pick a column and a step to see the salary, and how far it is from the top.

$106,223

a year at step 10. This column tops out at $131,810 on step 30.

$131,810$69,345
Step 1Step 30
Chosen columnOther columns, same type

Merced Union High's full salary schedule, 2024-252

Shading shows where teachers actually sit. 35% of Merced Union High's full-time equivalents are on step 15 or higher.

StepBA OR LESSBA+10BA+20BA+30BA+45BA+60 OR MA+15BA+75+MA OR MA+30
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14 to 16
17 to 19
20 to 24
25 to 29
30

Only BA+60 OR MA+15, BA+75+MA OR MA+30 continue 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.

Full-time equivalents in a cell
  1. 5+
  5. 43
Cells with fewer than 5 stay unshaded. Bold figures sit in the three darkest shades.Striped cells: this column has no salary at that step.

Bonuses, health cover and work days at Merced Union High

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.

Questions about teacher pay at Merced Union High

How much do Merced Union High teachers make?

The average salary on Merced Union High's teacher schedule is $105,766 a year (2024-25). The salary schedule runs from $69,345 (BA OR LESS, step 1) to $131,810 (BA+75+MA OR MA+30, step 30).

What does a new teacher earn at Merced Union High?

The schedule starts at $69,345 (BA OR LESS, step 1). Teachers who bring experience from another district can start as high as step 13.

How long does it take to reach the top of the Merced Union High pay scale?

On the BA+75+MA OR MA+30 column, where 36% of full-time equivalents are paid, pay keeps rising until step 30, where it reaches $131,810. Steps go up with years of service.

Is Merced Union High teacher pay high for California?

Merced Union High's average salary on the teacher schedule ranks 198th of the 828 California school districts and county offices of education that reported and 4th of 17 in Merced County. Across all of them, the average salary on teacher schedules is $103,552 statewide and $104,127 in Merced County.

Keep exploring teacher pay in Merced County

Sources for the Merced Union High 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.

  1. 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.
  2. Merced Union High'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.
  3. U.S. Department of Labor, Fact Sheet #17D: Exemption for Professional Employees Under the FLSA: teachers are exempt from federal overtime pay.

How we read the data