Superintendent Salary Survey Shows Compensation Increases for Texas School Leaders in 2022-23

Austin— The median salary for a Texas school superintendent in 2022–23 is $148,950, up 3.5% from the prior year as school boards seek to retain and recruit their top leader, according to the annual Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) and the Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA) Superintendent Salary Survey. 

The survey is conducted each fall to help school districts across the state understand compensation trends. Of all the responsibilities entrusted to school board members, among the most important is hiring and evaluating a superintendent, said Amy Campbell, director of TASB HR Services, which administers the survey. 

“Compensation is always part of that conversation so it’s important that school board members have the latest data so they can develop a competitive pay and benefits package that will help them recruit or retain the best superintendent for their district,” she said. “Especially in today’s competitive labor market, salary trends are important to track.” 

This year’s survey included participation from 716 districts, representing 70% of districts in Texas and marking a higher rate of participation over last year. 

Although the median superintendent salary increased to $148,950 up from $143,969 in 2021-22, there were wide variations in those medians based on district size. 

Among the 13 districts with 50,000 or more students that responded to the survey, the median superintendent salary was $350,535, up 2.5% from the year before. Among the 168 smallest districts with 499 or fewer students that responded to the survey, the median superintendent pay increased to $108,675, which is also 2.5% higher than the year before. 

“The goal of the survey is to gather salary trends and data that school boards across the state can leverage to better understand what’s happening in their areas,” Campbell said. She noted that district administrators can run reports based on enrollment and education service center region using TASB HRDataSource™ for specific insights relevant to the size and location of their district.  

The survey also looks at trends in superintendent experience. Of the 132 districts in Texas reporting a new superintendent in 2022–23, 97 school boards, or 73%, hired a superintendent with no previous experience in the position. In 2020–21, the percentage of districts hiring a first-time superintendent was 70%.  

Campbell said the overall trend has stayed relatively constant in recent years. In 2017–18, of the 94 districts reporting a new superintendent, 73% hired a first-time leader. New superintendents generally have prior experience as a deputy or assistant superintendent so they’re not entirely new to a district leadership role. 

Another data point of interest is the amount of time that superintendents spend in that role in their district. The median is about three years, which remains unchanged from last year. The median experience for superintendents overall is five years total.  

Salaries remain only one part of a superintendent’s overall compensation package, and the survey results also include data on bonuses, transportation benefits, health insurance benefits and cell phone reimbursement, all of which can add significant value. 

Key findings include: 

• Only 4% of responding districts (27) gave a bonus to their superintendent with more than half of those bonuses being $8,700 or less. Compared to the last year, the percentage of districts paying a bonus dropped to 4% from 5%. 
• About 19% of responding districts (133) are paying a car allowance to their superintendents, continuing a downward trend over the past five years. The median vehicle allowance is $6,000, a number that has stayed consistent. Only 9% of districts provide a vehicle for the sole use of the superintendent. 
• 89% of districts reported paying health insurance benefits for their superintendent with a median contribution of $3,900 annually, which remains unchanged from last year. That percentage has stayed consistent between 84% and 89% over the past five years. 
• 35% of districts (244) reported providing their superintendent with a cell phone allowance. The median is $1,200 annually, an amount unchanged from last year. 
• 24% of districts (166) reported paying a portion of the superintendent’s required TRS contribution. The median contribution is $16,000. 
• Some districts are continuing to pay housing subsidies to superintendents, with 11% or 78 providing either a residence or housing allowance. Only 11 districts reported providing both. The median housing allowance is $4,900, down from last year’s median of $6,500. 

In compiling the survey data, TASB HR Services sends an email survey invitation to 1,020 school districts across the state. Salary data from districts with interim and part-time superintendents is not included. 

“We always want to provide school board trustees with resources and information to help them be successful in recruiting and retaining top superintendent talent,” Campbell said. “The survey data provides insights that can be used to develop superintendent contracts that reflect the market while bridging the needs of the district with that of its top leader.”