Mercer County has two school superintendents who make more than $250,000 a year, according to the latest New Jersey Department of Education data.
West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District Superintendent David M. Aderhold was the highest paid superintendent in Mercer County for the 2023-24 school year with a salary of $269,115, state data shows.
The average salary for a full-time superintendent for the 2023-24 school year was $193,671, an NJ Advance Media analysis of the Department of Education’s annual Certificated Staff Database found. That’s a 3% increase over last year’s average full-time salary of $187,571.
New Jersey superintendents make about $27,000 above the national average of $165,799, according to the School Superintendents Association. A wage cap put in place by former Gov. Chris Christie was eliminated by Gov. Phil Murphy in 2019, allowing superintendent salaries to rise above $191,584.
Most superintendents in the state are full-time employees. Just 61 superintendents statewide hold the job on a part-time basis. The average salary for part-time superintendents in New Jersey is $145,581. Most part-time superintendents hold an additional job in the district, including principal or supervisor, that bring their total employment status to full-time.
A note about the data: Salary data included in the Certificated Staff Database is self reported by the districts to the state. “Salary” includes the “staff base salary” and any “staff annual supplement” amount listed in the data. Some superintendents may no longer be employed by the district where they are listed.
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Stories by Katie Kausch
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Katie Kausch may be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @KatieKausch.