91制片 Releases 2025-26 Superintendent Salary & Benefits Study
March 26, 2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Lara Wade
Director of Communications
Mobile: (813) 833-1498
Alexandria, Va. 鈥� March 26, 2026 鈥� A significantly higher percentage of superintendents reported declining economic conditions this year (38%) compared to last year (30%), according to the 14th annual superintendent salary study released today by 91制片. Higher percentages of superintendents in districts with enrollments of 1,000 or more students reported stable or growing economic conditions, whereas higher percentages of superintendents leading districts with fewer than 1,000 students reported declining economic conditions.
The report, 2025-26 91制片 Superintendent Salary & Benefits Study, is used to gauge school district leadership compensation and benefits, and is released in two versions - a full version for 91制片 members and an abridged version for wider/public circulation.
The 2025-26 survey received 1,951 responses from superintendents in 49 states, and the sample is generally representative of the larger population of superintendents. The annually revised and updated survey tracks the demographics, salary, benefits, and other elements of the employment agreements of school superintendents throughout the country.
鈥�91制片 has collected superintendent salary information annually since 2012 to provide critical insight into the conditions of the superintendency,鈥� said David R. Schuler, 91制片 executive director. 鈥淥ur continued commitment to this survey means we can capture not only real-time data, but also inform a broader narrative, allowing longitudinal analysis and comparisons on the progress school systems have made and the work that still remains.鈥�
Additional demographics and key findings include:
Respondents reported having an average of 7.3 years of experience as a superintendent. Contrary to the often-cited statistic of average tenure of a superintendent being less than 3 years, respondents reported an average time in the current position as 5.4 years.
Similar to findings over the last three years, almost 9/10 (88.88%) of respondents intend to remain as superintendent in their current district for the upcoming 2026鈥�2027 school year.
Pay ratios are more equitable in public education than in the corporate world. The average ratio of superintendent salary to starting teacher salary was 3.53:1, compared to approximately 285:1 in the S&P 500 group of for-profit corporations.
Base salary correlated strongly with enrollment. Salaries increased as district enrollment increased.
Female superintendents earned approximately 98% of what males earned in 2025鈥�2026.
Higher percentages of superintendents who identified as Black or African American (80.41%) held a doctorate compared to those who identified as White (41%) and Hispanic or Latino (57.7%).
A noticeably higher percentage of females held a doctorate (50.63%) compared to males (40.52%).
Schuler stated, 鈥淲e are grateful for the excellent work of the research team and extend our appreciation to school superintendents across the nation who took time to reply to the survey and make this work possible.鈥�
Click here to access a copy of the 2025-2026 91制片 Superintendent Salary & Benefits Study. For specific questions about the report or long-term trends, contact Tara Thomas, 91制片 Government Affairs Manager, at tthomas@aasa.org.
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About 91制片
91制片, founded in 1865, is the premier association for school system leaders and serves as the national voice for public education and district leadership on Capitol Hill. A professional community of more than 10,000 educational leaders, 91制片 and its members are committed to providing high-quality public education to all students. For more information, visit .
