CA public school teachers the 2nd highest paid in the nation after NY. The average 2008-09 CA educator salary was $68,093 – 5.7% higher than the previous year’s $64,424 average. http://www.nea.org/assets/docs/010rankings.pdf Page 21, table C-18

I find it hard to believe salaries dropped that much in 2010. Perhaps the furlough days are the reason — in which case, as soon as the furlough policy is dropped, the pension will be figured of the higher “normal” salary.

But here’s the kicker: As generous as CA’s teacher pensions are, they are MUCH more tightfisted than the pensions of most other CA state and local employees.

To get a full pension, CA teachers must work until age 60. MANY other CA employees, both state and local, can start drawing their full pensions as early as age 50.

Teachers pay 8% into their STRS pension plan — many and likely MOST other govt workers in CA have part or all of their pension contribution obligation paid by their employer. And, to add insult to injury, this govt payment is later usually counted as additional SALARY for these govt workers — which increase the salary base off which their pension is calculated.

The multiplier factor (the % used to multiply the final salary by for pension calculation purposes) for most CA state and local employees is higher. Teachers get from 2% to 2.4% times number of years’ salary — most other workers get 2.5% to 3%.

Teachers’ pensions are usually figured on the average of the highest 3 years’ salary — most other CA state and local workers use the SINGLE highest year’s salary.

Some CA workers get TWO pensions — a matching 401k plan up to 6% of salary, to go with their defined benefit pension. Also many other factors can boost their total salary, off which the pension is calculated.

Most state and county workers get (and pay half of the cost of) social security, on top of their pensions.

Bottom line: CA educators who teach 30 years get roughly 2/3 of their final salary at age 60. Most other 30 year CA govt workers get from 75% to 160% of their highest salary as their total retirement monthly payment, and start drawing some or all of their pensions as early as age 50.

Given the disastrous state of the CA teacher pension fund (STRS), it’s hard to grasp the magnitude of the unfunded liability taxpayers owe for the REST of their “public servants.”

CA is doomed. To learn more about how bad CA is compared to the other states on taxes, regulation and business climate, I recommend this fact sheet (constantly updated):
http://open.salon.com/blog/richard_rider/2011/03/06/breaking_bad_ca_vs_other_states_-_revised_342011