Cardiff Elementary School District teacher salaries
Cardiff Elementary School District is an elementary school district in San Diego County, with its district office in Cardiff-by-the-Sea. Pay starts at $66,835 on the first step. The largest group (73%) is on the BA+75 column, which climbs to $138,268 by step 25.
Lowest
$66,835
BA TO 44, step 1
Average salary on the teacher schedule1
$113,768
- $11,122 above San Diego County average
- $10,216 above California average
Highest
$138,268
BA+75, step 25
Cardiff Elementary average
AveragesSan Diego County $102,646, California $103,552
- Full-time equivalents on the schedule
- 45
- Starting salary
- $66,835
- BA TO 44, step 1
- Median salary
- $119,635
- Half earn more, half earn less
- Average pay rank in California
- 97th of 828 reporting
- of 828 reporting
Does Cardiff Elementary 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
Cardiff Elementary's average of $113,768 is above the middle California district's $94,573.
All 828 reporting districts in California
Cardiff Elementary ranks 97th of 828.
Middle district: $94,573
The 37 reporting districts in San Diego County
Cardiff Elementary ranks 5th of 37, above the middle district.
Middle district: $100,279
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 Cardiff Elementary's BA TO 44 column pays $79,574. Experienced teachers joining Cardiff Elementary can be placed as high as step 6.
- 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. Cardiff Elementary's columns run from BA TO 44 to BA+75, 4 in all.
How fast does a teacher's salary grow at Cardiff Elementary?
Pick a column and a step to see the salary, and how far it is from the top.
$104,105
a year at step 10. This column tops out at $138,268 on step 25.
Cardiff Elementary's full salary schedule, 2024-252
Shading shows where teachers actually sit. 50% of Cardiff Elementary's full-time equivalents are on step 15 or higher.
| Step | BA TO 44 | BA+45 | BA+60 | BA+75 |
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| 28 to 36 |
Only BA+75 continues past step 20.
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+
- 5
Bonuses, health cover and work days at Cardiff Elementary
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 $10,771paid by the district each year
- Master's degree bonus$2,30020 full-time equivalents eligible
- Doctorate bonusNot reported
- Bilingual teaching bonusNot reported
- National Board Certification bonusNot reported
- Special education bonusNot reported
- Summer school payNot reported
- Work days a year185 days180 of them with students
- Schedule raise on last year6%
- Highest starting step for experienced hiresStep 6
Questions about teacher pay at Cardiff Elementary
How much do Cardiff Elementary teachers make?
The average salary on Cardiff Elementary's teacher schedule is $113,768 a year (2024-25). The salary schedule runs from $66,835 (BA TO 44, step 1) to $138,268 (BA+75, step 25).
What does a new teacher earn at Cardiff Elementary?
The schedule starts at $66,835 (BA TO 44, step 1). Teachers who bring experience from another district can start as high as step 6.
How long does it take to reach the top of the Cardiff Elementary pay scale?
On the BA+75 column, where 73% of full-time equivalents are paid, pay keeps rising until step 25, where it reaches $138,268. Steps go up with years of service.
Does a master's degree raise pay at Cardiff Elementary?
Yes, in two ways. The college units from a master's move you to a higher column on the schedule, and Cardiff Elementary reports a master's bonus of $2,300 on top.
Is Cardiff Elementary teacher pay high for California?
Cardiff Elementary's average salary on the teacher schedule ranks 97th of the 828 California school districts and county offices of education that reported and 5th of 37 in San Diego County. Across all of them, the average salary on teacher schedules is $103,552 statewide and $102,646 in San Diego County.
Keep exploring teacher pay in San Diego County
Sources for the Cardiff Elementary 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.
- Cardiff Elementary'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.