Saratoga Union Elementary School District teacher salaries

Saratoga Union Elementary School District is an elementary school district in Santa Clara County, with its district office in Saratoga. A teacher with a full credential starts at $84,239. The largest group (73%) is on the BA+84 column, which climbs to $155,101 by step 25.

Lowest

$80,027

EMERG/ INTERN before a full credential, step 1

Average salary on the teacher schedule¹

$138,858

$16,602 above Santa Clara County average
$35,306 above California average

Highest

$155,101

BA+84 with a credential, step 25

Saratoga Union Elementary average

California average$103,552

Santa Clara County average$122,256

Full-time equivalents on the schedule: 94
Starting salary: $84,239; BA+36 OR LESS with a credential, step 1
Median salary: $140,464; Half earn more, half earn less
Average pay rank in California: 16th of 828 reporting; of 828 reporting

Does Saratoga Union 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

Saratoga Union Elementary's average of $138,858 is above the middle California district's $94,573.

All 828 reporting districts in California

Saratoga Union Elementary ranks 16th of 828.

Saratoga Union Elementary

$50k$100k$150k

Middle district: $94,573

The 29 reporting districts in Santa Clara County

Saratoga Union Elementary ranks 7th of 29, above the middle district.

Saratoga Union Elementary

$100k$120k$140k$160k$180k

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 Saratoga Union Elementary's BA+36 OR LESS column pays $96,653. Experienced teachers joining Saratoga Union 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. Saratoga Union Elementary's columns run from BA+36 OR LESS to BA+84, 5 in all.
Credentialed: Holds a full California teaching credential, the state license to teach. Saratoga Union Elementary's credentialed columns start at $84,239.
Without full credential: Teachers who don't yet hold a full credential. Saratoga Union Elementary pays them on separate columns, starting at $80,027.

How fast does a teacher's salary grow at Saratoga Union Elementary?

Pick a column and a step to see the salary, and how far it is from the top.

Degree and units (column)Step (roughly years of experience): 10

$127,283

a year at step 10. This column tops out at $155,101 on step 25.

$155,101$80,027

Step 1Step 25

Chosen columnOther columns, same type

Saratoga Union Elementary's full salary schedule, 2024-25²

Shading shows where teachers actually sit. 55% of Saratoga Union Elementary's full-time equivalents are on step 15 or higher.

Saratoga Union Elementary credentialed salary schedule, 2024-25. Annual salary in dollars by step (rows) and column (units past a bachelor's degree).
Step	BA+36 OR LESS	BA+48	BA+60	BA+72	BA+84
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

Only BA+84 continues past step 20.

Saratoga Union Elementary without full credential salary schedule, 2024-25. Annual salary in dollars by step (rows) and column (units past a bachelor's degree).
Step	EMERG/ INTERN
1
2
3
4
5

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.

Full-time equivalents in a cell

Cells with fewer than 5 stay unshaded. Bold figures sit in the three darkest shades.Striped cells: this column has no salary at that step.

Bonuses, health cover and work days at Saratoga Union 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 $47,855paid by the district each year
Master's degree bonus$2,35063 full-time equivalents eligible
Doctorate bonus$2,350
Bilingual teaching bonusNot reported
National Board Certification bonusNot reported
Special education bonus$1,0003 full-time equivalents eligible
Summer school payNot reported
Work days a year186 days180 of them with students
Schedule raise on last year7.5%
Highest starting step for experienced hiresStep 12

Questions about teacher pay at Saratoga Union Elementary

How much do Saratoga Union Elementary teachers make?

The average salary on Saratoga Union Elementary's teacher schedule is $138,858 a year (2024-25). The salary schedule runs from $80,027 (EMERG/ INTERN before a full credential, step 1) to $155,101 (BA+84 with a credential, step 25).

What does a new teacher earn at Saratoga Union Elementary?

A new teacher with a full credential starts at $84,239 (BA+36 OR LESS column, step 1). Teachers without a full credential start lower, at $80,027. 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 Saratoga Union Elementary pay scale?

On the BA+84 column, where 73% of full-time equivalents are paid, pay keeps rising until step 25, where it reaches $155,101. Steps go up with years of service.

Does a master's degree raise pay at Saratoga Union Elementary?

Yes, in two ways. The college units from a master's move you to a higher column on the schedule, and Saratoga Union Elementary reports a master's bonus of $2,350 on top. For a doctorate it reports $2,350.

Is Saratoga Union Elementary teacher pay high for California?

Saratoga Union Elementary's average salary on the teacher schedule ranks 16th of the 828 California school districts and county offices of education that reported and 7th 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

Compare all 29 Santa Clara County districtsStarting, average and top pay side by side, sortable

Sources for the Saratoga Union 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.
Saratoga Union 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.

How we read the data