State superintendent salaries: how much do they make? (explore the data)

State superintendents in recent years have been given increased responsibilities, but in many cases their salaries have not kept pace. That’s had implications for recruitment and retention

of state chiefs, whose average tenure is a little over two years and whose hiring deals include many elements aside from base salary. Jump to: Superintendent Salaries by State | Compare

Salaries | Browse State Chief Profiles SUPERINTENDENT SALARIES BY STATE Use the interactive below to explore salaries for current state superintendents. COMPARE SALARIES: CURRENT VS. FORMER

CHIEFS Twenty-six state chiefs received a salary higher than their predecessor. Twenty-five received the same or a lower salary than their predecessor. Browse the data below to see

comparisons. You can also use the tabs to toggle between current and former superintendents. HOW WERE THEY HIRED? How much a state chief makes depends heavily on the way they got the job.

STATES VS. THEIR DISTRICTS In addition to the vast salary differences between state superintendents, in most states the superintendent of the largest district makes more than the state

chief. BROWSE STATE CHIEF PROFILES For a complete profile of each current state superintendent, explore the gallery below. Key: ⇑ Salary of current superintendent increased compared to

former superintendent ⇓ Salary of current superintendent decreased compared to former superintendent ⇒ No change from former to current superintendent salary ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

* Name: Michael Sentance * Title: State Superintendent of Education * Start Date: September 8, 2016 * Salary: $198,000 ⇓ * Number of public school students: 744,164 * Appointment: Hired by

state board of education ALASKA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND EARLY DEVELOPMENT * Name: Michael Johnson * Title: Commissioner of Education and Early Development * Start Date: July 1, 2016 *

Salary: $141,156 ⇒ * Number of public school students: 131,176 * Appointment: Hired by state board of education ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION * Name: Diane Douglas * Title: Superintendent

of Public Instruction * Start Date: January 5, 2015 * Salary: $85,000 ⇒ * Number of public school students: 1,111,695 * Appointment: Elected ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION * Name: Johnny

Key * Title: Commissioner of Education * Start Date: March 26, 2015 * Salary: $235,823.33 ⇑ * Number of public school students: 490,917 * Appointment: Appointed by governor CALIFORNIA

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION * Name: Tom Torlakson * Title: State Superintendent of Public Instruction * Start Date: January 3, 2011 * Salary: $165,126 ⇑ * Number of public school students:

6,312,161 * Appointment: Elected COLORADO DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION * Name: Katy Anthes * Title: Commissioner * Start Date: May 20, 2016 * Salary: $255,000 ⇒ * Number of public school

students: 889,006 * Appointment: Hired by state board of education CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION * Name: Dianna Wentzell * Title: Commissioner * Start Date: January 9, 2015 * Salary:

$192,500 ⇓ * Number of public school students: 542,678 * Appointment: Hired by state board of education DELAWARE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION * Name: Susan Bunting * Title: Secretary of Education

* Start Date: January 26, 2017 * Salary: $163,055 ⇒ * Number of public school students: 134,042 * Appointment: Appointed by governor FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION * Name: Pam Stewart *

Title: Commissioner of Education * Start Date: August 2, 2013 * Salary: $276,000 ⇑ * Number of public school students: 2,756,944 * Appointment: Hired by state board of education GEORGIA

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION * Name: Richard Woods * Title: State School Superintendent * Start Date: January 13, 2015 * Salary: $123,270 ⇒ * Number of public school students: 1,744,437 *

Appointment: Elected HAWAII STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION * Name: Christina Kishimoto * Title: Superintendent of Education * Start Date: August 1, 2017 * Salary: $240,000 ⇑ * Number of

public school students: 182,384 * Appointment: Hired by state board of education IDAHO DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION * Name: Sherri Ybarra * Title: Superintendent of Public Instruction * Start

Date: January 5, 2015 * Salary: $105,771 ⇑ * Number of public school students: 290,885 * Appointment: Elected ILLINOIS STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION * Name: Tony Smith * Title: State

Superintendent of Education * Start Date: May 1, 2015 * Salary: $238,704 ⇑ * Number of public school students: 2,050,239 * Appointment: Hired by state board of education INDIANA DEPARTMENT

OF EDUCATION * Name: Jennifer McCormick * Title: Superintendent of Public Instruction * Start Date: January 23, 2017 * Salary: $97,201.78 ⇑ * Number of public school students: 1,046,269 *

Appointment: Elected IOWA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION * Name: Ryan Wise * Title: Education Director * Start Date: July 1, 2015 * Salary: $152,152 ⇑ * Number of public school students: 505,311 *

Appointment: Appointed by governor KANSAS STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION * Name: Randy Watson * Title: Commissioner of Education * Start Date: July 1, 2015 * Salary: $175,000 ⇑ * Number of

public school students: 497,275 * Appointment: Hired by state board of education KENTUCKY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION * Name: Stephen Pruitt * Title: Commissioner of Education * Start Date:

October 16, 2015 * Salary: $240,000 ⇑ * Number of public school students: 688,640 * Appointment: Hired by state board of education LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION * Name: John White *

Title: State Superintendent of Education * Start Date: January 11, 2012 * Salary: $275,000 ⇑ * Number of public school students: 716,800 * Appointment: Hired by state board of education

MAINE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION * Name: Robert Hasson * Title: Commissioner * Start Date: April 7, 2017 * Salary: $131,705.60 ⇑ * Number of public school students: 182,470 * Appointment:

Appointed by governor MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION * Name: Karen Salmon * Title: State Superintendent * Start Date: June 1, 2016 * Salary: $236,000 ⇑ * Number of public school students:

874,514 * Appointment: Hired by state board of education MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION * Name: Jeff Wulfson * Title: Interim Commissioner * Start Date: June

27, 2017 * Salary: $184,828 ⇓ * Number of public school students: 955,844 * Appointment: Hired by state board of education, confirmed by secretary of education MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF

EDUCATION * Name: Brian Whiston * Title: State Superintendent * Start Date: July 1, 2015 * Salary: $207,500 ⇑ * Number of public school students: 1,537,922 * Appointment: Hired by state

board of education MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION * Name: Brenda Cassellius * Title: Commissioner * Start Date: January 4, 2011 * Salary: $150,001.92 ⇑ * Number of public school students:

857,235 * Appointment: Appointed by governor MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION * Name: Carey Wright * Title: State Superintendent of Education * Start Date: November 1, 2013 * Salary:

$300,000 ⇓ * Number of public school students: 490,917 * Appointment: Hired by state board of education MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION * Name: Margie Vandeven *

Title: Commissioner of Education * Start Date: January 1, 2015 * Salary: $191,544 ⇑ * Number of public school students: 917,785 * Appointment: Hired by state board of education MONTANA

OFFICE OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION * Name: Elsie Arntzen * Title: Superintendent of Public Instruction * Start Date: January 2, 2017 * Salary: $104,635 ⇒ * Number of public school students:

144,532 * Appointment: Elected NEBRASKA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION * Name: Matthew Blomstedt * Title: Commissioner of Education * Start Date: January 2, 2014 * Salary: $222,932 ⇑ * Number of

public school students: 312,635 * Appointment: Hired by state board of education NEVADA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION * Name: Steve Canavero * Title: Superintendent of Public Instruction * Start

Date: February 29, 2016 * Salary: $113,156 ⇓ * Number of public school students: 459,189 * Appointment: Appointed by governor NEW HAMPSHIRE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION * Name: Frank Edelblut *

Title: Commissioner of Education * Start Date: February 16, 2017 * Salary: $93,759.12 ⇓ * Number of public school students: 184,670 * Appointment: Appointed by governor NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT

OF EDUCATION * Name: Kimberley Harrington * Title: Commissioner of Education * Start Date: September 2, 2016 * Salary: $141,000 ⇒ * Number of public school students: 1,400,579 *

Appointment: Appointed by governor NEW MEXICO DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION * Name: Christopher Ruszkowski * Title: Secretary of Education * Start Date: June 21, 2017 * Salary: $124,300 ⇓ * Number

of public school students: 340,365 * Appointment: Appointed by governor NEW YORK STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT * Name: MaryEllen Elia * Title: Commissioner * Start Date: July 6, 2015 * Salary:

$250,000 ⇑ * Number of public school students: 2,741,185 * Appointment: Hired by state board of education NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION * Name: Mark Johnson * Title: State

Superintendent * Start Date: January 4, 2017 * Salary: $127,561 ⇒ * Number of public school students: 1,548,895 * Appointment: Elected NORTH DAKOTA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION * Name:

Kirsten Baesler * Title: Superintendent of Public Instruction * Start Date: January 2, 2013 * Salary: $120,410 ⇑ * Number of public school students: 106,586 * Appointment: Elected OHIO

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION * Name: Paolo DeMaria * Title: Superintendent of Public Instruction * Start Date: June 27, 2016 * Salary: $184,496 ⇓ * Number of public school students: 1,724,810 *

Appointment: Hired by state board of education OKLAHOMA STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION * Name: Joy Hofmeister * Title: State Superintendent of Public Instruction * Start Date: January 1, 2015

* Salary: $124,373 ⇒ * Number of public school students: 688,511 * Appointment: Elected OREGON DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION * Name: Salam Noor * Title: Deputy Superintendent of Public

Instruction * Start Date: July 1, 2015 * Salary: $185,508 ⇓ * Number of public school students: 601,318 * Appointment: Appointed by governor PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION * Name:

Pedro Rivera * Title: Secretary of Education * Start Date: January 20, 2015 * Salary: $154,642 ⇑ * Number of public school students: 1,743,160 * Appointment: Appointed by governor RHODE

ISLAND DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION * Name: Ken Wagner * Title: Commissioner of Education * Start Date: July 13, 2015 * Salary: $206,875.50 ⇑ * Number of public school students: 141,959 *

Appointment: Hired by state board of education SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION * Name: Molly Spearman * Title: State Superintendent of Education * Start Date: January 9, 2015 *

Salary: $92,007 ⇒ * Number of public school students: 756,523 * Appointment: Elected SOUTH DAKOTA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION * Name: Melody Schopp * Title: Secretary of Education * Start Date:

January 18, 2011 * Salary: $123,864.45 ⇑ * Number of public school students: 133,040 * Appointment: Appointed by governor TENNESSEE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION * Name: Candice McQueen * Title:

Commissioner of Education * Start Date: January 17, 2015 * Salary: $200,004 ⇓ * Number of public school students: 995,475 * Appointment: Appointed by governor TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY * Name:

Mike Morath * Title: Commissioner of Education * Start Date: January 4, 2016 * Salary: $220,374.84 ⇒ * Number of public school students: 5,233,765 * Appointment: Appointed by governor UTAH

STATE OFFICE OF EDUCATION * Name: Sydnee Dickson * Title: State Superintendent of Public Instruction * Start Date: January 8, 2016 * Salary: $230,069 ⇒ * Number of public school students:

635,577 * Appointment: Hired by state board of education VERMONT AGENCY OF EDUCATION * Name: Rebecca Holcombe * Title: Secretary of Education * Start Date: January 2, 2014 * Salary:

$126,793.60 ⇑ * Number of public school students: 87,311 * Appointment: Appointed by governor VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION * Name: Steven Staples * Title: Superintendent of Public

Instruction * Start Date: May 1, 2014 * Salary: $212,661 ⇑ * Number of public school students: 1,280,381 * Appointment: Appointed by governor WASHINGTON OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC

INSTRUCTION * Name: Chris Reykdal * Title: State Superintendent of Education * Start Date: January 11, 2017 * Salary: $134,212 ⇒ * Number of public school students: 1,073,638 * Appointment:

Elected OFFICE OF THE STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF EDUCATION (WASHINGTON, D.C.) * Name: Hanseul Kang * Title: State Superintendent of Education * Start Date: March 23, 2015 * Salary: $160,000 ⇓ *

Number of public school students: 80,958 * Appointment: Mayor appointed WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION * Name: Steven Paine * Title: State Superintendent of Schools * Start Date:

March 27, 2017 * Salary: $230,000 ⇒ * Number of public school students: 280,310 * Appointment: Hired by state board of education WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION * Name: Tony Evers

* Title: State Superintendent of Public Instruction * Start Date: April 1, 2009 * Salary: $120,111 ⇑ * Number of public school students: 871,432 * Appointment: Elected WYOMING DEPARTMENT OF

EDUCATION * Name: Jillian Balow * Title: Superintendent of Public Instruction * Start Date: January 5, 2015 * Salary: $93,261 ⇑ * Number of public school students: 94,067 * Appointment:

Elected Sources: State departments of education data, federal data on student populations for 2014-2015, Education Week analysis Reporting & Analysis: Daarel Burnette II | Data Analysis:

Francisco Vara-Orta | Design & Visualization: Doris Nhan | Research: Maya Riser-Kositsky