How much do Tri-City school administrators make? Check out our salary database

The average public school administrator in the Mid-Columbia region took home nearly $135,900 last school year.

That’s according to a salary average calculated by the Tri-City Herald using the data of 380 local administrators who oversee and coordinate public instruction in Kennewick, Richland, Pasco, North Franklin, Prosser, Finley, Kiona-Benton City, Paterson, Columbia and at Educational Service District 123.

The calculation includes the salaries of principals, vice principals, department heads, superintendents and other district or school administrators.

The data was published by the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) and reflects salary information from the 2022-23 school year. It represents a snapshot in time, so employees may have left or had changes in status or pay.

Searchable Salaries: Tri-Cities Area School Districts for 2022-23

It also includes the base salary and total salary for every public school employee. A “base salary” is the minimum agreed-upon annual pay that an employee receives, while the “total salary” includes any additional pay that they may accrue for additional contracts or certification.

Washington’s top educator, state Superintendent Chris Reykdal, made a salary of $154,300 last year. He oversees the instruction of more than 1 million students as the OSPI executive.

Top paid superintendents

Local school boards hire and set salaries for the superintendent of their districts.

Many of those local superintendents — who must have master’s degrees, state-approved superintendent training and years of experience — also receive additional benefits on top of their base salary.

For example, while Traci Pierce earns a base of $178,000 as Kennewick’s superintendent, she also receives $4,500 annually for supervising the district’s Instructional Leadership program, $700 monthly for annual school visits and community events, and is eligible to receive a 16% annual bonus based on quarterly reviews and achievement of performance goals, among other contract stipulations.

The highest paid superintendent in the Mid-Columbia was Shelley Redinger, who oversees instruction of the 14,100 students in Richland schools. Her district is the smallest of the Tri-City’s “Big 3.”

While her base pay is $198,900, her contract stipulates additional pay for an annual tax sheltered annuity contribution, per diem days and other benefits for a salary of at least $291,000. Her total pay for 2022-23 came to about $300,800.

According to OSPI’s 2022-23 salary data, these were the highest-paid superintendents:

• Richland Superintendent Shelley Redinger: $198,900 base salary and $300,800 total.

• ESD 123 Superintendent Steven McCullough: $260,000 total.

• Pasco Superintendent Michelle Whitney: $207,800 base salary and $232,900 total.

• Kennewick Superintendent Traci Pierce: $178,000 base salary and $224,000 total.

• Richland Assistant Superintendent Mike Hansen: $194,200 base salary and $209,700 total.

• North Franklin Superintendent James Jacobs: $181,700 base salary and $206,800 total.

• Richland Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Education Todd Baddley: $182,900 base salary and $197,500 total.

• Prosser Superintendent Matt Ellis: $192,000 total salary.

• Pasco Assistant Superintendent of Schools and Social-Emotional Learning Mira Gobel: $190,100 total salary.

• Richland Assistant Superintendent of Student Services Brian Moore: $182,900 base salary and $188,400 total.

• Columbia-Burbank Superintendent Todd Hilberg: $166,300 base salary and $186,800 total.

Look up salaries of WA state government workers

Principals and vice principals

School districts employ principals and vice principals to supervise the operations and management of schools and to oversee instruction. They’re required to hold administrative certificates and have held a teaching certification.

Here are the 10 highest paid:

• Hanford High Principal Michael Johnson: $170,700 base salary and $179,200 total.

• Richland High Principal Stephen Fisk: $170,700 base salary and $173,200 total.

• Chiawana High Principal Jaime Morales: $172,300 total.

• Pasco High Principal Jacob Stueckle: $169,000 total.

• Kamiakin High Principal Christopher Chelin: $166,700 base salary and $168,100 total.

• Prosser High Principal Bryan Bailey: $145,000 base salary and $167,200 total.

• Kennewick High Principal Ronald King: $166,700 base salary and $167,100 total.

• Tri-Tech Skills Center Director Paul Randall: $163,900 base salary and $164,300 total.

• Rivers Edge High Principal Nicole Anderson: $156,100 base salary and $163,300 total.

• Three Rivers Homelink Principal Tyler Reeser: $156,100 base salary and $163,300 total.

Other district administrators

Nine of the 10 highest paid administrators in the Mid-Columbia work for the Richland School District. Here are the 10 highest paid:

• Pasco Assistant Superintendent of Legal Services Sarah Thornton: $190,100 total salary.

• Richland Executive Director of Human Resources Timothy Praino: $172,300 base salary and $188,600 total

• Richland Principal on Special Assignment Tory Christensen: $170,700 base salary and $178,300 total.

• Richland Executive Director of Elementary Special Education Services Zachery Carpenter: $172,300 base salary and $177,500 total.

• Richland Executive Director of Secondary Education Teaching, Learning and Curriculum Jennifer Klauss: $172,300 base salary and $177,500 total.

• Richland Executive Director of Information Technology Michael Leseberg: $172,300 base salary and $177,500 total.

• Richland School District Counsel Galt Pettett: $172,300 base salary and $177,500 total.

• Richland Executive Director of Financial Services Clinton Sherman: $172,300 base salary and $177,500 total.

• Richland Executive Director of Secondary Education Special Education Services Robert Sorensen: $172,300 base salary and $177,500 total.

• Richland Executive Director of Operations Richard Krasner: $172,300 base salary and $177,500 total.