Soquel Union Elementary School District teacher salaries
Soquel Union Elementary School District is an elementary school district in Santa Cruz County, with its district office in Capitola. Pay starts at $46,231 on the first step. The largest group (53%) is on the BA+75 column, which climbs to $102,404 by step 28.
Lowest
$46,231
BA, step 1
Average salary on the teacher schedule1
$84,606
- $2,684 below Santa Cruz County average
- $18,946 below California average
Highest
$102,404
BA+75, step 28
Soquel Union Elementary average
Santa Cruz County average$87,290
California average$103,552above the highest salary here
- Full-time equivalents on the schedule
- 70
- Starting salary
- $46,231
- BA, step 1
- Median salary
- $85,990
- Half earn more, half earn less
- Average pay rank in California
- 568th of 828 reporting
- of 828 reporting
Does Soquel 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.
No
Soquel Union Elementary's average of $84,606 is below the middle California district's $94,573.
All 828 reporting districts in California
Soquel Union Elementary ranks 568th of 828.
Middle district: $94,573
The 11 reporting districts in Santa Cruz County
Soquel Union Elementary ranks 7th of 11, below the middle district.
Middle district: $85,745
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 Soquel Union Elementary's BA column pays $55,477. Experienced teachers joining Soquel Union Elementary can be placed as high as step 17.
- 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. Soquel Union Elementary's columns run from BA to BA+75, 6 in all.
How fast does a teacher's salary grow at Soquel Union Elementary?
Pick a column and a step to see the salary, and how far it is from the top.
$81,470
a year at step 10. This column tops out at $102,404 on step 28.
Soquel Union Elementary's full salary schedule, 2024-252
Shading shows where teachers actually sit. 44% of Soquel Union Elementary's full-time equivalents are on step 15 or higher.
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Only BA+75 continues past step 13.
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+
- 6
Bonuses, health cover and work days at Soquel 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 $12,098paid by the district each year
- Master's degree bonus$1,8441 full-time equivalents eligible
- Doctorate bonusNot reported
- Bilingual teaching bonus$5,0001 full-time equivalents eligible
- National Board Certification bonusNot reported
- Special education bonus$2,8001 full-time equivalents eligible
- Summer school payNot reported
- Work days a year185 days180 of them with students
- Schedule raise on last year0%can also mean not reported
- Highest starting step for experienced hiresStep 17
Questions about teacher pay at Soquel Union Elementary
How much do Soquel Union Elementary teachers make?
The average salary on Soquel Union Elementary's teacher schedule is $84,606 a year (2024-25). The salary schedule runs from $46,231 (BA, step 1) to $102,404 (BA+75, step 28).
What does a new teacher earn at Soquel Union Elementary?
The schedule starts at $46,231 (BA, step 1). Teachers who bring experience from another district can start as high as step 17.
How long does it take to reach the top of the Soquel Union Elementary pay scale?
On the BA+75 column, where 53% of full-time equivalents are paid, pay keeps rising until step 28, where it reaches $102,404. Steps go up with years of service.
Does a master's degree raise pay at Soquel Union Elementary?
Yes, in two ways. The college units from a master's move you to a higher column on the schedule, and Soquel Union Elementary reports a master's bonus of $1,844 on top.
Is Soquel Union Elementary teacher pay high for California?
Soquel Union Elementary's average salary on the teacher schedule ranks 568th of the 828 California school districts and county offices of education that reported and 7th of 11 in Santa Cruz County. Across all of them, the average salary on teacher schedules is $103,552 statewide and $87,290 in Santa Cruz County.
Keep exploring teacher pay in Santa Cruz County
Sources for the Soquel 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.
- Soquel 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.