AASA Releases Superintendent Salary Study

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New Orleans – March 2, 2017 – At the outset of the National Conference on Education, where hundreds of school district leaders have convenedMarch 2-4 in New Orleans, La., AASA, The School Superintendents Association, released its fifth annual salary study to benchmark superintendent compensation and benefits.

The report, 2016 Superintendents Salary and Benefits Study, was released in two versions: a full version for AASA members, and an abridged version for wider circulation.

“Five years of consistent information through our annual survey helps us understand the profession of the superintendency and the critical demands of the job,” said Daniel A. Domenech, executive director, AASA. “Running a school district is hard work. Our findings have provided superintendents with important benchmarks when comparing how leaders of other industries are being compensated. This can be a valuable tool in determining new contracts. The report has also provided communities with a look at the salaries of school system leaders throughout the country.”

Major findings include:

• Base salaries ranged from $50,000 to $393,000, with a median of $130,683 and an average of $139,470.

 • Respondents are predominately male (75 percent), White (92 percent) and from intermediate-sized districts (300-2,499 students, 55 percent) regardless of their gender.

 • Female respondents were, on average, older than male respondents (with a median age of 53 to 51 respectively).

 • One issue that has received much media attention is that of state or district caps on superintendent salaries. Caps are still rare – only 14 percent of superintendents had salaries capped at the state or district level. However, several states are considering implementing new caps in the coming year, so AASA will continue to monitor this issue.

Access a copy of the AASA Superintendents Salary and Benefits Study here. AASA members can access the member-only version by logging into their account at My.AASA.org. For specific questions about the report, contact Leslie Finnan, AASA senior legislative analyst, at lfinnan@aasa.org.

About AASA

AASA, The School Superintendents Association, founded in 1865, is the professional organization for more than 13,000 educational leaders in the United States and throughout the world. AASA’s mission is to support and develop effective school system leaders who are dedicated to the highest quality public education for all children. For more information, visit www.aasa.org.

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