Texas school superintendent salaries: Who is paid the most?

Salary data reveal that a majority of North Texas school districts pay their superintendents above the state median.

DALLAS — Some of the highest-paid superintendents in Texas don’t work for the biggest districts, state data shows.

The same is true in North Texas, where the highest-paid superintendents remained roughly the same compared with last year. One exception is Dallas ISD; at $375,000 yearly, Stephanie Elizalde, the superintendent for the region’s largest district, is now among the top ten highest-paid in North Texas.

Data from the Texas Education Agency reveals the highest-paid superintendents across the state and in North Texas. Last year, data analyzed by WFAA drew similar conclusions and the data remained fairly consistent year-over-year, with some notable exceptions.  

Salary data for the 2024-2025 school year reveal that a majority of North Texas school districts pay their superintendents above the state average and just two of the ten highest-paid superintendents work in North Texas.

Superintendents’ compensation and benefits package is typically put together by elected school board members, who also have the authority to hire and fire the superintendent. School board trustees typically consider student enrollment, staff size, geography and experience when offering a compensation package to superintendent candidates, WFAA previously reported. 

The Texas Association of School Boards conducts an annual survey that helps to inform school board trustees as they make decisions about superintendent salary and benefits packages.

The association found that the average superintendent salary increased by about 2.1% in the last school year. They found the median surveyed salary was $153,176, which is slightly higher than the median according to TEA data obtained by WFAA, about $145,000.

The association of school boards found a wide variation in median salaries based on the district size, according to a press release on the survey. They found that salaries range from $115,000 in districts with fewer than 500 students to $362,250 in districts with enrollments of 50,000 or more.

Some additional benefits superintendents receive include a vehicle stipend, cell phone allowance, covering their Teacher Retirement System contributions and residence or housing requirements, according to the survey. 

Of the 132 districts that hired a new superintendent last year, several of which are North Texas districts, 69% hired a superintendent with no previous experience in the position, the school board association found.

The association’s analysis is consistent with TEA data, which shows that the top-paid superintendent in the state, Randall Meyer of Victoria ISD, leads a district of fewer than 13,000 students. He was paid about $565,000 during the 2024-2025 school year, data shows.

Of the four districts with the highest number of enrolled students, Cypress-Fairbanks ISD, Houston ISD, Dallas ISD and Northside ISD, only one has a superintendent who is among the highest paid in the state.

The No. 2 best-paying district in the state, Barbers Hill ISD, has fewer than 7,900 students enrolled. The district paid its superintendent, Gregory Poole, about $489,000.

Victoria ISD was previously the 91st best-paying district in the 2023-2024 school year; its superintendent’s annual salary increased by about 89% in one year.

“Benefits are an important part of the total compensation package for any employee, including superintendents, and benefits needs evolve over time based on how the employee’s life situation evolves over time,” a TASB spokesperson said. “It’s not unusual for employees to seek changes to their benefits offerings to meet their personal needs, and employers typically try to tailor benefits packages to meet changing employee needs. This applies to all staff in a district, including superintendents.”

Who are the highest-paid superintendents in North Texas?

Garland ISD’s superintendent, Ricardo Lopez, was also among the top ten highest-paid executives during the 2023-2024 school year, and he remained among the top ten during the 2024-2025 school year.

Duncanville’s superintendent was previously one of the highest-paid in that state, but fell out of the top ten in 2024-2025. Instead, Crowley ISD’s superintendent, Michael McFarland, became the eighth-highest-paid in the state.

Locally, pay is more roughly tied to the number of enrolled students.

The three districts with the highest enrollment, Garland, Crowley and Northwest ISD have between 17,000 and 50,000 students enrolled.

The North Texas district with the highest number of enrolled students, Dallas ISD, pays its superintendent, Stephanie Elizalde, the fourth-highest amount in the region. During the 2023-2024 school year, Elizalde was not among the top ten highest-paid.

The Texas Education Agency also recently released its A-F accountability ratings for both 2024 and 2025. You can find your district or school’s accountability ratings here.