Orange County teacher salaries by district, 2024-25
The average salary on teacher schedules in Orange County is $113,241 across 29 reporting districts, $9,689 above the California average. Sort, filter and search every one of them below.
- Median district
- $111,191
- Half the county's districts pay a lower average
- Districts reporting
- 29
- all in the table below
- Full-time equivalents
- 21,069
- on teacher schedules in the county
What stands out in Orange County teacher salaries
Laguna Beach Unified pays the most, Brea-Olinda Unified the least.
Among districts with at least 20 full-time equivalents, the average salary runs from $101,052 to $143,700, a gap of $42,648.
Every Orange County district in the table pays more than the middle California district.
All 29 average more than $94,573, the median California district.
From the first step to the top, pay grows 2.3 times.
Across the county's districts, the typical lowest salary is $60,397 and the typical top salary is $135,995.
Newport-Mesa Unified reported the largest raise on last year: 7%.
Of the 18 districts that reported a raise above 0%, the median was 2%.2
Which Orange County districts have the highest and lowest teacher salaries?
By average salary on the teacher schedule, among districts with at least 20 full-time equivalents.
Highest average salary
Lowest average salary
How much do teacher salaries vary across Orange County?
All 29 reporting districts by average salary. The middle district pays $111,191, $16,618 above the middle California district's $94,573.
Middle district: $111,191
Each bar counts the districts whose average salary falls in a $5,000 band. The dashed line marks the median district.
Compare teacher salaries in every Orange County district
Average, lowest and highest salary on each district's teacher schedule. Click a column to sort it.
Showing 1 to 25 of 29 districts, highest average salary first.
| Laguna Beach Unified | $143,700 | $74,634 | $173,453 | 5% | 158 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garden Grove Unified | $125,040 | $72,504 | $141,634 | 1% | 1,910 |
| Los Alamitos Unified | $124,350 | $60,397 | $144,350 | 0% | 397 |
| Huntington Beach Union High | $122,581 | $68,649 | $145,704 | 0.5% | 631 |
| Newport-Mesa Unified | $121,050 | $66,494 | $159,400 | 7% | 1,173 |
| Anaheim Union High | $119,943 | $63,781 | $139,964 | 0% | 1,174 |
| Westminster | $118,464 | $54,278 | $137,806 | 1% | 449 |
| Huntington Beach City Elementary | $118,233 | $58,666 | $134,768 | 3% | 224 |
| Orange County Department of Education | $117,064 | $52,803 | $136,867 | 1% | 209 |
| Fullerton Joint Union High | $116,789 | $64,405 | $138,566 | 0.8% | 525 |
| Magnolia Elementary | $115,480 | $60,764 | $137,943 | 0% | 307 |
| Santa Ana Unified | $114,951 | $70,919 | $138,788 | 3% | 2,474 |
| Anaheim Elementary | $112,102 | $65,813 | $132,436 | 0% | 796 |
| Buena Park Elementary | $111,881 | $59,758 | $133,363 | 2% | 175 |
| Ocean View | $111,191 | $51,066 | $126,431 | 0% | 336 |
| Tustin Unified | $110,384 | $63,595 | $136,551 | 1% | 965 |
| Centralia Elementary | $109,692 | $56,653 | $135,995 | 2% | 199 |
| Fullerton Elementary | $109,030 | $61,425 | $132,281 | 2.5% | 518 |
| La Habra City Elementary | $108,657 | $60,024 | $133,627 | 1% | 235 |
| Lowell Joint | $107,980 | $56,702 | $127,861 | 0% | 141 |
| Capistrano Unified | $107,787 | $65,219 | $130,638 | 0% | 2,080 |
| Saddleback Valley Unified | $107,416 | $30,000 | $133,169 | 1.07% | 1,131 |
| Fountain Valley Elementary | $107,063 | $56,195 | $130,103 | 0% | 303 |
| Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified | $106,892 | $61,890 | $134,287 | 2% | 1,119 |
| Savanna Elementary | $106,431 | $57,607 | $130,897 | 2% | 93 |
| Orange Unified | $105,795 | $65,014 | $136,010 | 0% | 1,062 |
| Irvine Unified | $104,699 | $59,726 | $137,884 | 0% | 1,811 |
| Cypress Elementary | $102,345 | $58,834 | $128,516 | 2% | 192 |
| Brea-Olinda Unified | $101,052 | $53,617 | $128,193 | 0% | 283 |
No district matches. Clear the search or pick another county or size.
A raise of 0% can also mean the district left that question blank; the state's file doesn't tell the two apart. Districts without a link have fewer than 20 full-time equivalents, too few for a page of their own. Districts with fewer than 5 are left out to protect privacy.
Questions about teacher pay in Orange County
What is the average teacher salary in Orange County?
$113,241 a year in 2024-25: the average across everyone on the teacher salary schedules of 29 reporting districts in Orange County. That's $9,689 above the California average of $103,552. The median Orange County district pays $111,191 on average.
Which Orange County school district pays teachers the most?
Among districts with at least 20 full-time equivalents, Laguna Beach Unified has the highest average salary, $143,700, followed by Garden Grove Unified ($125,040) and Los Alamitos Unified ($124,350).
Which Orange County school district pays teachers the least?
Among districts with at least 20 full-time equivalents, Brea-Olinda Unified has the lowest average salary, $101,052, followed by Cypress Elementary ($102,345) and Irvine Unified ($104,699).
How much do teachers earn on the first step in Orange County?
Across the county's districts, the median lowest salary on the schedule is $60,397 and the median top salary is $135,995. In some districts the first step is for teachers who don't yet hold a full credential; each district page shows which column it is.
How much did teacher pay in Orange County rise last year?
Of the 18 districts that reported a raise above 0%, the median raise on the salary schedule was 2%. Another 11 show 0%, which in the state's file can also mean the question was left blank.
Average teacher salaries in the counties next to Orange County
Average salary on teacher schedules in each neighbouring county.3
Keep exploring teacher pay in California
Sources for the Orange County figures
Salaries are the annual amounts on each 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 and can include counselors, nurses and librarians paid on the same schedule. The county average, medians and rankings are our own arithmetic on these figures, using the same method as the state's published averages.
- Each district's report to the California Department of Education, Form J-90 database, 2024-25: salary schedules and full-time equivalents.
- California Department of Education, Selected Certificated Salaries and Related Statistics, 2024-25, Table I: each district's raise on last year.
- U.S. Census Bureau, County Adjacency File, 2024: which counties border each other.