Orange County Department of Education teacher salaries
Orange County Department of Education is a county office of education in Orange County, with its district office in Costa Mesa. Pay starts at $52,803 on the first step. The largest group (72%) is on the BA+60+MA column, which climbs to $136,867 by step 23.
Lowest
$52,803
BA, step 1
Average salary on the teacher schedule1
$117,064
- $3,823 above Orange County average
- $13,512 above California average
Highest
$136,867
BA+60+MA, step 23
Orange County Department of Education average
AveragesCalifornia $103,552, Orange County $113,241
- Full-time equivalents on the schedule
- 209
- Starting salary
- $52,803
- BA, step 1
- Median salary
- $127,372
- Half earn more, half earn less
- Average pay rank in California
- 76th of 828 reporting
- of 828 reporting
Does Orange County Department of Education 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
Orange County Department of Education's average of $117,064 is above the middle California district's $94,573.
All 828 reporting districts in California
Orange County Department of Education ranks 76th of 828.
Middle district: $94,573
The 29 reporting districts in Orange County
Orange County Department of Education ranks 9th of 29, above the middle district.
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.
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 Orange County Department of Education's BA column pays $61,770. Experienced teachers joining Orange County Department of Education can be placed as high as step 11.
- 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. Orange County Department of Education's columns run from BA to BA+60+MA, 5 in all.
How fast does a teacher's salary grow at Orange County Department of Education?
Pick a column and a step to see the salary, and how far it is from the top.
$104,007
a year at step 10. This column tops out at $136,867 on step 23.
Orange County Department of Education's full salary schedule, 2024-252
Shading shows where teachers actually sit. 60% of Orange County Department of Education's full-time equivalents are on step 15 or higher.
| Step | BA | BA+15 | BA+30 | BA+45 OR MA | BA+60+MA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | |||||
| 2 | |||||
| 3 | |||||
| 4 | |||||
| 5 | |||||
| 6 | |||||
| 7 | |||||
| 8 | |||||
| 9 | |||||
| 10 | |||||
| 11 | |||||
| 12 | |||||
| 13 | |||||
| 14 | |||||
| 15 | |||||
| 16 to 17 | |||||
| 18 to 19 | |||||
| 20 to 22 | |||||
| 23 |
Only BA+45 OR MA, BA+60+MA continue past step 14.
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+
- 79
Bonuses, health cover and work days at Orange County Department of Education
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 $54,999paid by the district each year
- Master's degree bonusNot reported
- Doctorate bonusNot reported
- Bilingual teaching bonusNot reported
- National Board Certification bonusNot reported
- Special education bonusNot reported
- Summer school payNot reported
- Work days a year182 days180 of them with students
- Schedule raise on last year1%
- Highest starting step for experienced hiresStep 11
Questions about teacher pay at Orange County Department of Education
How much do Orange County Department of Education teachers make?
The average salary on Orange County Department of Education's teacher schedule is $117,064 a year (2024-25). The salary schedule runs from $52,803 (BA, step 1) to $136,867 (BA+60+MA, step 23).
What does a new teacher earn at Orange County Department of Education?
The schedule starts at $52,803 (BA, step 1). Teachers who bring experience from another district can start as high as step 11.
How long does it take to reach the top of the Orange County Department of Education pay scale?
On the BA+60+MA column, where 72% of full-time equivalents are paid, pay keeps rising until step 23, where it reaches $136,867. Steps go up with years of service.
Is Orange County Department of Education teacher pay high for California?
Orange County Department of Education's average salary on the teacher schedule ranks 76th of the 828 California school districts and county offices of education that reported and 9th of 29 in Orange County. Across all of them, the average salary on teacher schedules is $103,552 statewide and $113,241 in Orange County.
Keep exploring teacher pay in Orange County
Sources for the Orange County Department of Education 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.
- Orange County Department of Education'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.