Policy

Report: School Superintendents Earn Average of $122,000 Annually

• By Leila Meyer
• 02/25/15

School superintendents earn an average salary of $122,000 and a median salary of $113,000, with base salaries ranging from $36,000 to $315,000, according to a new report from the School Superintendents Association (AASA).

The report, the 2014 AASA Superintendents Salary and Benefits Study, includes responses from 1,711 superintendents from all 50 states. The respondents were predominantly white (94 percent) and male (79 percent). The majority (55.2 percent) of respondents were from districts with 300 to 2,499 students, and the second largest group of respondents (22.4 percent) were from districts with 2,500 to 9,999 students.

Survey respondents answered questions about general demographics, salary, performance evaluations, retirement benefits, insurance benefits, rehiring after retirement, other benefits, use of legal counsel and membership in professional associations.

For the third year in a row, respondents reported slightly improved economic conditions in school districts, with 53 percent reporting their districts' economic conditions as stable, compared to 50 percent in 2013 and 45 percent the year before. However, nearly 40 percent of respondents reported declining economic conditions in their districts.

Key findings from the report:

• Districts with larger enrollments reported higher median salaries of superintendents, high school principals and teachers;
• Districts with larger enrollments also reported higher median base salaries of assistant or associate superintendents, middle school principals and elementary school principals, although the relatively small number of individuals serving in those roles in the smallest districts made comparisons difficult;
• The average age of female respondents was 53.1 years, and the average age of male respondents was 51.7 years (the first year respondents were asked their age); and
• Nearly half of respondents had been in their current position from one to five years, with males reporting greater longevity in their current position than females.

The report was released ahead of the AASA's National Conference on Education, which will take place in San Diego February 26-28.

A free PDF of the non-member version of the 2014 AASA Superintendents Salary and Benefits Study is available for download from the AASA site.