Vista Unified School District teacher salaries
Vista Unified School District is a unified school district in San Diego County, with its district office in Vista. Pay starts at $57,722 on the first step. The largest group (61%) is on the BA+90 OR BA+75+MA column, which climbs to $120,983 by step 25.
Lowest
$57,722
BA, step 1
Average salary on the teacher schedule1
$96,776
- $5,870 below San Diego County average
- $6,776 below California average
Highest
$120,983
BA+90 OR BA+75+MA, step 25
Vista Unified average
AveragesSan Diego County $102,646, California $103,552
- Full-time equivalents on the schedule
- 1,080
- Starting salary
- $57,722
- BA, step 1
- Median salary
- $101,324
- Half earn more, half earn less
- Average pay rank in California
- 359th of 828 reporting
- of 828 reporting
Does Vista 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
Vista Unified's average of $96,776 is above the middle California district's $94,573.
All 828 reporting districts in California
Vista Unified ranks 359th of 828.
Middle district: $94,573
The 37 reporting districts in San Diego County
Vista Unified ranks 27th of 37, below 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 Vista Unified's BA column pays $62,508. Experienced teachers joining Vista 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. Vista Unified's columns run from BA to BA+90 OR BA+75+MA, 6 in all.
How fast does a teacher's salary grow at Vista Unified?
Pick a column and a step to see the salary, and how far it is from the top.
$95,274
a year at step 10. This column tops out at $120,983 on step 25.
Vista Unified's full salary schedule, 2024-252
Shading shows where teachers actually sit. 44% of Vista Unified's full-time equivalents are on step 15 or higher.
| Step | BA | BA+15 | BA+30 | BA+45 | BA+60 | BA+90 OR BA+75+MA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ||||||
| 2 | ||||||
| 3 | ||||||
| 4 | ||||||
| 5 | ||||||
| 6 | ||||||
| 7 | ||||||
| 8 | ||||||
| 9 | ||||||
| 10 | ||||||
| 11 | ||||||
| 12 | ||||||
| 13 | ||||||
| 14 | ||||||
| 15 | ||||||
| 16 | ||||||
| 17 | ||||||
| 18 | ||||||
| 19 | ||||||
| 20 | ||||||
| 21 | ||||||
| 22 | ||||||
| 23 | ||||||
| 24 | ||||||
| 25 | ||||||
| 26 | ||||||
| 27 | ||||||
| 28 | ||||||
| 29 | ||||||
| 30 | ||||||
| 31 to 35 |
Only BA, BA+15, BA+30, BA+45 continue past step 30.
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+
- 86
Bonuses, health cover and work days at Vista 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 $12,000paid by the district each year
- Master's degree bonus$2,886648 full-time equivalents eligible
- Doctorate bonus$2,8868 full-time equivalents eligible
- Bilingual teaching bonusNot reported
- National Board Certification bonus$1,00042 full-time equivalents eligible
- Special education bonusNot reported
- Summer school pay$52 an hour
- Work days a year186 days180 of them with students
- Schedule raise on last year0%can also mean not reported
- Highest starting step for experienced hiresStep 11
Questions about teacher pay at Vista Unified
How much do Vista Unified teachers make?
The average salary on Vista Unified's teacher schedule is $96,776 a year (2024-25). The salary schedule runs from $57,722 (BA, step 1) to $120,983 (BA+90 OR BA+75+MA, step 25).
What does a new teacher earn at Vista Unified?
The schedule starts at $57,722 (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 Vista Unified pay scale?
On the BA+90 OR BA+75+MA column, where 61% of full-time equivalents are paid, pay keeps rising until step 25, where it reaches $120,983. Steps go up with years of service.
Does a master's degree raise pay at Vista Unified?
Yes, in two ways. The college units from a master's move you to a higher column on the schedule, and Vista Unified reports a master's bonus of $2,886 on top. For a doctorate it reports $2,886.
Is Vista Unified teacher pay high for California?
Vista Unified's average salary on the teacher schedule ranks 359th of the 828 California school districts and county offices of education that reported and 27th 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 Vista 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.
- Vista 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.