Superintendent salaries don’t match inflation rates

Dive Brief:

• Recent findings from AASA, The Superintendents Association, reveal that superintendent pay has not kept pace with inflation. The study shows that, when adjusted for inflation, the median superintendent salary in 2023 was $7,000 lower than a decade ago, standing at $156,000.

• While men still dominate the superintendent role, women in this position are earning more, with a median salary of $156,780 compared to $156,000 for men.

• In 2023-24, a higher percentage of superintendents, about 36%, sought legal counsel or third-party assistance for contract negotiations, up from 30% in 2019-20.

Dive Insight:

AASA’s study, based on over 2,700 responses, reflects ongoing trends in the superintendency.

In 2023, the study found that superintendents were tending to be younger, continuing a trend from previous years.

Further, the proportion of superintendents aged 60 or older dropped from 20% in 2012 to 10% in 2023-24. AASA also noted an increase in the percentage of superintendents aged 41 to 50, rising from 30% in 2012 to 35% in 2023.

Despite some improvements, the superintendency remains predominantly White. In 2023, 87% of superintendents were White, down from 94% a decade earlier and 89% in 2022.

The representation of Black superintendents slightly grew from 3.9% in 2022 to 4.5% in 2023.