The size of a school district has a greater effect on a superintendent’s salary than other variables—even experience—according to a recent survey conducted by the Educational Research Service in Arlington, Va.

The average salary for a superintendent in a district with more than 25,000 students was $184,928—nearly 80 percent higher than the $103,388 paid to an average superintendent in a district with fewer than 2,500 students, according to the survey of 2005-2006 earnings in more than 600 districts nationwide.

Female and minority superintendents out-earned their white male counterparts. The report found black and Hispanic superintendents earned an average of $143,706 and $139,354, respectively, as compared to $115,356 for white chief school administrators.

Female superintendents earned more than $9,000 more than their male counterparts. The highest earning category was minority female superintendents, making an average of $155,574 annually.

However, years of experience did not play a major role in determining superintendent pay. A superintendent with at least a decade of experience earned only 4 percent more than a typical first-year superintendent.

Location Matters Superintendents in the Mideast states from Maryland and Delaware to New York earned an average of $136,231, outpacing the $100,802 average pay of their counterparts in the Rocky Mountain states.

Superintendents in districts that spend more than $9,000 per student earned nearly 15 percent more than districts that spent less than $6,000 per student.