Santa Barbara County teacher salaries by district, 2024-25
The average salary on teacher schedules in Santa Barbara County is $103,010 across 17 reporting districts, $542 below the California average. Sort, filter and search every one of them below.
- Median district
- $99,958
- Half the county's districts pay a lower average
- Districts reporting
- 17
- all in the table below
- Full-time equivalents
- 2,872
- on teacher schedules in the county
What stands out in Santa Barbara County teacher salaries
Montecito Union Elementary pays the most, Carpinteria Unified the least.
Among districts with at least 20 full-time equivalents, the average salary runs from $79,305 to $141,414, a gap of $62,109.
Most Santa Barbara County districts pay more than the middle California district.
11 of the 17 districts in the table average more than $94,573, the median California district.
Santa Maria-Bonita has 32% of the county's full-time equivalents.
Its average of $104,688 is above the $102,215 average across the other 16 districts, so it pushes the county average up.
Pay roughly doubles from the first step to the top.
Across the county's districts, the typical lowest salary is $58,278 and the typical top salary is $122,589.
Santa Barbara Unified reported the largest raise on last year: 10%.
Of the 14 districts that reported a raise above 0%, the median was 3%.2
Which Santa Barbara 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
How much do teacher salaries vary across Santa Barbara County?
All 17 reporting districts by average salary. The middle district pays $99,958, $5,385 above the middle California district's $94,573.
Middle district: $99,958
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 Santa Barbara County district
Average, lowest and highest salary on each district's teacher schedule. Click a column to sort it.
Showing all 17 districts, highest average salary first.
| Montecito Union Elementary | $141,414 | $61,655 | $156,008 | 2% | 33 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ballard Elementary | $130,371 | $71,268 | $140,395 | 8% | 8 |
| Cold Spring Elementary | $117,932 | $62,819 | $134,154 | 2.5% | 16 |
| Goleta Union Elementary | $112,204 | $63,313 | $129,787 | 3.5% | 166 |
| Santa Maria Joint Union High | $110,441 | $60,030 | $130,373 | 1.07% | 486 |
| Hope Elementary | $107,898 | $58,278 | $128,768 | 3% | 51 |
| Santa Barbara County Office of Education | $104,706 | $67,875 | $133,156 | 8% | 50 |
| Santa Maria-Bonita | $104,688 | $64,227 | $128,272 | 1% | 924 |
| Santa Barbara Unified | $99,958 | $64,099 | $121,627 | 10% | 663 |
| Santa Ynez Valley Union High | $99,471 | $58,156 | $113,836 | 4% | 43 |
| Orcutt Union Elementary | $95,826 | $56,367 | $122,589 | 1% | 236 |
| Solvang Elementary | $81,169 | $53,295 | $113,946 | 0% | 32 |
| Carpinteria Unified | $79,305 | $50,367 | $103,452 | 0% | 126 |
| Los Olivos Elementary | $79,096 | $50,881 | $105,675 | 3.5% | 9 |
| Blochman Union Elementary | $72,550 | $47,339 | $104,906 | 3% | 12 |
| Cuyama Joint Unified | $69,190 | $49,768 | $90,535 | 0% | 12 |
| Vista del Mar Union | $65,491 | $51,000 | $97,973 | 2% | 5 |
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 Santa Barbara County
What is the average teacher salary in Santa Barbara County?
$103,010 a year in 2024-25: the average across everyone on the teacher salary schedules of 17 reporting districts in Santa Barbara County. That's $542 below the California average of $103,552. The median Santa Barbara County district pays $99,958 on average.
Which Santa Barbara County school district pays teachers the most?
Among districts with at least 20 full-time equivalents, Montecito Union Elementary has the highest average salary, $141,414, followed by Goleta Union Elementary ($112,204) and Santa Maria Joint Union High ($110,441).
Which Santa Barbara County school district pays teachers the least?
Among districts with at least 20 full-time equivalents, Carpinteria Unified has the lowest average salary, $79,305, followed by Solvang Elementary ($81,169) and Orcutt Union Elementary ($95,826).
How much do teachers earn on the first step in Santa Barbara County?
Across the county's districts, the median lowest salary on the schedule is $58,278 and the median top salary is $122,589. 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 Santa Barbara County rise last year?
Of the 14 districts that reported a raise above 0%, the median raise on the salary schedule was 3%. Another 3 show 0%, which in the state's file can also mean the question was left blank.
Average teacher salaries in the counties next to Santa Barbara County
Average salary on teacher schedules in each neighbouring county.3
Keep exploring teacher pay in California
Sources for the Santa Barbara 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.