Petaluma City Schools teacher salaries

Petaluma City Schools is a school district in Sonoma County. Pay starts at $65,116 on the first step. The largest group (80%) is on the BA+60 column, which climbs to $121,691 by step 20.

Lowest

$65,116

BA, step 1

Average salary on the teacher schedule1

$102,950

  • $6,194 above Sonoma County average
  • $602 below California average

Highest

$121,691

BA+60, step 20

Petaluma City Schools average

AveragesSonoma County $96,756, California $103,552

Full-time equivalents on the schedule
431
Starting salary
$65,116
BA, step 1
Median salary
$106,290
Half earn more, half earn less
Average pay rank in California
252nd of 828 reporting
of 828 reporting

Does Petaluma City Schools 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

Petaluma City Schools's average of $102,950 is above the middle California district's $94,573.

All 828 reporting districts in California

Petaluma City Schools ranks 252nd of 828.

Petaluma City Schools
$50k$100k$150k

Middle district: $94,573

The 28 reporting districts in Sonoma County

Petaluma City Schools ranks 6th of 28, above the middle district.

Petaluma City Schools
$80k$100k

Middle district: $96,755

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 Petaluma City Schools's BA column pays $69,110. Experienced teachers joining Petaluma City Schools 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. Petaluma City Schools's columns run from BA to BA+60, 4 in all.

How fast does a teacher's salary grow at Petaluma City Schools?

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

$100,928

a year at step 10. This column tops out at $121,691 on step 20.

$121,691$65,116
Step 1Step 20
Chosen columnOther columns, same type

Petaluma City Schools's full salary schedule, 2024-252

Shading shows where teachers actually sit. 50% of Petaluma City Schools's full-time equivalents are on step 15 or higher.

StepBABA+30BA+45BA+60
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20

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
  1. 5+
  5. 127
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 Petaluma City Schools

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.

Questions about teacher pay at Petaluma City Schools

How much do Petaluma City Schools teachers make?

The average salary on Petaluma City Schools's teacher schedule is $102,950 a year (2024-25). The salary schedule runs from $65,116 (BA, step 1) to $121,691 (BA+60, step 20).

What does a new teacher earn at Petaluma City Schools?

The schedule starts at $65,116 (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 Petaluma City Schools pay scale?

On the BA+60 column, where 80% of full-time equivalents are paid, pay keeps rising until step 20, where it reaches $121,691. Steps go up with years of service.

Does a master's degree raise pay at Petaluma City Schools?

Yes, in two ways. The college units from a master's move you to a higher column on the schedule, and Petaluma City Schools reports a master's bonus of $1,700 on top. For a doctorate it reports $3,000.

Is Petaluma City Schools teacher pay high for California?

Petaluma City Schools's average salary on the teacher schedule ranks 252nd of the 828 California school districts and county offices of education that reported and 6th of 28 in Sonoma County. Across all of them, the average salary on teacher schedules is $103,552 statewide and $96,756 in Sonoma County.

Keep exploring teacher pay in Sonoma County

Sources for the Petaluma City Schools 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.

  1. 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.
  2. Petaluma City Schools'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.
  3. 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