Elementary School Teachers salary in Santa Rosa, CA
Median pay for elementary school teachers in Santa Rosa, CA: $81,990/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $57,220 – $125,140 · about 2,010 employed locally
Above the typical metro median ($62,430) by +$19,560 (+31%).
What it's really worth in Santa Rosa
With Santa Rosa's cost of living at 110 (US=100), that $81,990 has the buying power of about $74,365 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $99,266 · median home $796,761 · median rent $2,637/mo.
How Santa Rosa ranks for this job
On raw pay, Santa Rosa, CA is 25th of the 187 metros we hold elementary school teachers wages for. Once Santa Rosa's cost of living is applied, it ranks 47th.
The headline number flatters Santa Rosa. Once housing and everyday costs are taken into account, elementary school teachers here keep less of what they earn than the raw salary implies.
What that salary buys in Santa Rosa
A median home in Santa Rosa, CA costs $796,761 — about 9.7× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is harder here than in the average metro on this income.
Median rent of $2,637/mo works out at 39% of gross pay — above the conventional 30% affordability ceiling, so renting would stretch this salary.
Where elementary school teachers earn more
Pay on its own is only half the picture, so each row shows what rent costs there relative to Santa Rosa.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Santa Rosa | Rent vs Santa Rosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merced, CA | $105,090 | +28% | 0.7× |
| San Francisco, CA | $103,440 | +26% | 1.2× |
| Oxnard, CA | $103,350 | +26% | 1.1× |
| Modesto, CA | $101,210 | +23% | 0.8× |
Same job elsewhere in CA
| Metro | Median pay | vs Santa Rosa | Rent vs Santa Rosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merced, CA | $105,090 | +28% | 0.7× |
| San Francisco, CA | $103,440 | +26% | 1.2× |
| Oxnard, CA | $103,350 | +26% | 1.1× |
| Modesto, CA | $101,210 | +23% | 0.8× |
Staying in CA keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires elementary school teachers around Santa Rosa
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- County of Sonoma · Government
Other jobs in Santa Rosa
Source: US BLS OEWS (May 2023) median annual wage; cost of living from BEA; home price and rent from Zillow; household income from US Census ACS. Rankings are across the 187 metros we hold wage data for in this occupation. Estimates for guidance only. See methodology.