Orchard Elementary School District teacher salaries
Orchard Elementary School District is an elementary school district in Santa Clara County, with its district office in San Jose. Pay starts at $75,918 on the first step. The largest group (48%) is on the BA+90 column, which climbs to $135,666 by step 12.
Lowest
$75,918
BA+30, step 1
Average salary on the teacher schedule1
$115,759
- $6,497 below Santa Clara County average
- $12,207 above California average
Highest
$135,666
BA+90, step 12
Orchard Elementary average
California average$103,552
Santa Clara County average$122,256
- Full-time equivalents on the schedule
- 54
- Starting salary
- $75,918
- BA+30, step 1
- Median salary
- $120,721
- Half earn more, half earn less
- Average pay rank in California
- 83rd of 828 reporting
- of 828 reporting
Does Orchard 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
Orchard Elementary's average of $115,759 is above the middle California district's $94,573.
All 828 reporting districts in California
Orchard Elementary ranks 83rd of 828.
Middle district: $94,573
The 29 reporting districts in Santa Clara County
Orchard Elementary ranks 17th of 29, below the middle district.
Middle district: $117,248
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 Orchard Elementary's BA+30 column pays $83,397. Experienced teachers joining Orchard Elementary can be placed as high as step 12.
- 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. Orchard Elementary's columns run from BA+30 to BA+90, 6 in all.
How fast does a teacher's salary grow at Orchard Elementary?
Pick a column and a step to see the salary, and how far it is from the top.
$124,956
a year at step 10. This column tops out at $135,666 on step 12.
Orchard Elementary's full salary schedule, 2024-252
Shading shows where teachers actually sit.
| Step | BA+30 | BA+42 | BA+54 | BA+66 | BA+78 | BA+90 |
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| 12 |
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+
- 16
Bonuses, health cover and work days at Orchard 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 $16,000paid by the district each year
- Master's degree bonus$2,50035 full-time equivalents eligible
- Doctorate bonus$3,5001 full-time equivalents eligible
- Bilingual teaching bonusNot reported
- National Board Certification bonusNot reported
- Special education bonusNot reported
- Summer school pay$50 an hour
- Work days a year185 days180 of them with students
- Schedule raise on last year4%
- Highest starting step for experienced hiresStep 12
Questions about teacher pay at Orchard Elementary
How much do Orchard Elementary teachers make?
The average salary on Orchard Elementary's teacher schedule is $115,759 a year (2024-25). The salary schedule runs from $75,918 (BA+30, step 1) to $135,666 (BA+90, step 12).
What does a new teacher earn at Orchard Elementary?
The schedule starts at $75,918 (BA+30, step 1). Teachers who bring experience from another district can start as high as step 12.
How long does it take to reach the top of the Orchard Elementary pay scale?
On the BA+90 column, where 48% of full-time equivalents are paid, pay keeps rising until step 12, where it reaches $135,666. Steps go up with years of service.
Does a master's degree raise pay at Orchard Elementary?
Yes, in two ways. The college units from a master's move you to a higher column on the schedule, and Orchard Elementary reports a master's bonus of $2,500 on top. For a doctorate it reports $3,500.
Is Orchard Elementary teacher pay high for California?
Orchard Elementary's average salary on the teacher schedule ranks 83rd of the 828 California school districts and county offices of education that reported and 17th of 29 in Santa Clara County. Across all of them, the average salary on teacher schedules is $103,552 statewide and $122,256 in Santa Clara County.
Keep exploring teacher pay in Santa Clara County
Sources for the Orchard 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.
- Orchard 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.