More than 200 employees at Alabama Department of Education make $100K+
BY DAVID BELL
FOR THE OBSERVER
ALABAMA — As President Donald Trump takes measures to reduce and eliminate the U.S. Department of Education, questions about exorbitant salaries on the state level have surfaced, according to a press release from Alabama Policy Institute (API), a non-profit, non-partisan educational and research institution.
During a recent State Board of Education meeting, a proposal was floated to increase Alabama State Superintendent Eric Mackey’s base salary by 55% bringing his salary to $380,000, up from $292,500 this year.
API conducted research to see if Mackey’s pay level is an anomaly and found that 219 employees in the state Department of Education make more than $100,000 annually in base pay, including Deputy State Superintendent Angela Martin, who is paid $233,765.40; Vice-President of Operations Brandon Payne, who makes $231,145.80; and Victoria Hogan (unknown title), who draws $217,992.80.
“The average Alabama taxpayer makes $49,274 annually; meanwhile, there are more than 200 state Department of Education employees who bring in more than double that salary, before perks and benefits,” said Stephanie Smith, president and CEO of Alabama Policy Institute. “The current state superintendent, who makes more than $300,000, also gets a housing allowance with a state car, plus platinum healthcare and retirement benefits. And now, he’s asking for a 55% raise.”
In comparison to other states, the average annual salary for state school superintendents is $189,216, according to ZipRecruiter, making Mackey’s current salary significantly higher than the national average.
Surprisingly, there are two local school superintendents in Alabama who make more money than the state superintendent. In a memorandum sent by Mackey to county and city superintendents on Jan. 8, entitled “Superintendent’s Salaries for FY 2025,” Mobile County School Superintendent Chresal Threadgill is the highest paid, with an annual salary of $365,261, followed by Baldwin County School Superintendent Eddie Tyler at $315,008 per year.
LOCAL SALARIES
To compare, locally, Auburn City Schools Superintendent Dr. Cristen Herring makes $279,569 annually and is the sixth highest paid in Alabama. Dr. Mike Howard, Lee County School District Superintendent, is paid $210,000 per year, and Opelika City Schools Superintendent Dr. Farrell Seymore has an annual salary of $192,474.
The average annual salary for city and county school superintendents in Alabama is $167,243.
