San Marcos Unified School District teacher salaries
San Marcos Unified School District is a unified school district in San Diego County, with its district office in San Marcos. Pay starts at $56,139 on the first step. The largest group (76%) is on the BA+75 column, which climbs to $124,763 by step 27.
Lowest
$56,139
BA, step 1
Average salary on the teacher schedule1
$101,595
- $1,051 below San Diego County average
- $1,957 below California average
Highest
$124,763
BA+75, step 27
San Marcos Unified average
AveragesSan Diego County $102,646, California $103,552
- Full-time equivalents on the schedule
- 1,054
- Starting salary
- $56,139
- BA, step 1
- Median salary
- $106,107
- Half earn more, half earn less
- Average pay rank in California
- 271st of 828 reporting
- of 828 reporting
Does San Marcos 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
San Marcos Unified's average of $101,595 is above the middle California district's $94,573.
All 828 reporting districts in California
San Marcos Unified ranks 271st of 828.
Middle district: $94,573
The 37 reporting districts in San Diego County
San Marcos Unified ranks 17th 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 San Marcos Unified's BA column pays $65,142. Experienced teachers joining San Marcos Unified 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. San Marcos Unified's columns run from BA to BA+75, 6 in all.
How fast does a teacher's salary grow at San Marcos Unified?
Pick a column and a step to see the salary, and how far it is from the top.
$102,144
a year at step 10. This column tops out at $124,763 on step 27.
San Marcos Unified's full salary schedule, 2024-252
Shading shows where teachers actually sit. 43% of San Marcos Unified's full-time equivalents are on step 15 or higher.
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| 29 to 40 |
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+
- 54
Bonuses, health cover and work days at San Marcos 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 $24,623paid by the district each year
- Master's degree bonus$2,514573 full-time equivalents eligible
- Doctorate bonus$1,25917 full-time equivalents eligible
- Bilingual teaching bonusNot reported
- National Board Certification bonusNot reported
- Special education bonusNot reported
- Summer school pay$49 an hour
- Work days a year184 days180 of them with students
- Schedule raise on last year1%
- Highest starting step for experienced hiresStep 11
Questions about teacher pay at San Marcos Unified
How much do San Marcos Unified teachers make?
The average salary on San Marcos Unified's teacher schedule is $101,595 a year (2024-25). The salary schedule runs from $56,139 (BA, step 1) to $124,763 (BA+75, step 27).
What does a new teacher earn at San Marcos Unified?
The schedule starts at $56,139 (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 San Marcos Unified pay scale?
On the BA+75 column, where 76% of full-time equivalents are paid, pay keeps rising until step 27, where it reaches $124,763. Steps go up with years of service.
Does a master's degree raise pay at San Marcos Unified?
Yes, in two ways. The college units from a master's move you to a higher column on the schedule, and San Marcos Unified reports a master's bonus of $2,514 on top. For a doctorate it reports $1,259.
Is San Marcos Unified teacher pay high for California?
San Marcos Unified's average salary on the teacher schedule ranks 271st of the 828 California school districts and county offices of education that reported and 17th 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 San Marcos 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.
- San Marcos 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.