A recent survey of district trends in superintendents’ salaries and benefits was released by the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB Link opens in a new window) and Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA Link opens in a new window). The TASB/TASA survey conducted annually by the TASB HR Services division is the first of a series of three surveys that is the most definitive study of school district compensation and benefits practices in Texas. The information is used by policymakers at both the local and state levels to make decisions about educators’ pay. Of particular note are the following:
Thirty-three percent of returning superintendents (200) did not receive a pay increase. Eighty-six percent of respondents (620) had a returning superintendent for 2016–17.
The average superintendent pay increase was 3.2 percent, up from last year’s average of 2.9 percent.
The average superintendent salary for 2016–17 is $142,154, a 1.9 percent increase from 2015–16.
Average superintendent salaries range from $94,920 in districts with fewer than 500 students to $308,184 in districts with more than 50,000 students. Half of reported salaries are less than $123,015.
The 2016–17 survey also reveals that superintendents have been in their current position for an average of four years and report an average of seven years of total experience as a superintendent in any district. Most superintendents (62 percent) have served in only one school district. Of the 102 districts (14 percent) with a new superintendent for 2016–17, 63 percent hired a superintendent with no previous experience in the position.
TASB is a nonprofit association established in 1949 to serve local public school boards. School board members are the largest group of publicly elected officials in the state. The districts they represent serve more than 5.3 million public school students.
Hays County school superintendent salaries and district enrollment (2015-16 base pay)
- $211,500 - Bruce Gearing, Dripping Springs - 5,619 students
- $210,000 - Michel McKie, Hays - 18,654 students
- $201,165 - Mark Eads, San Marcos - 7,875 students
- $154,056 - Dwain York, Wimberley - 2,189 students
