How to Become a School Superintendent
School superintendents work with a variety of stakeholders within their school district to improve learning environments and student outcomes. Becoming a superintendent involves completing certain education programs, gaining relevant experience and meeting certification and licensure requirements. Read on to learn how to become a superintendent.
What Is a School Superintendent?
School superintendents work with a range of stakeholders across their school districts to improve learning environments and student outcomes. Becoming a superintendent involves completing certain education programs, gaining relevant experience and meeting certification and licensure requirements. Read on to learn how to become a superintendent.
Wondering what the difference is between a principal vs. superintendent? While principals manage a single school, a school superintendent is the chief executive officer who oversees educational progress across all schools in a district.
Superintendent Job Description and Responsibilities
What does a school superintendent do? A superintendent may oversee budgeting and resourcing, provide leadership to staff and implement and evaluate school policies. In short, a school superintendent is typically responsible for the district school system’s day-to-day operations.
The duties of a school superintendent vary by district. A school superintendent may either work under the direction of a school board or operate as the chief executive officer of the school board. With support from the board of education, the superintendent could supervise staff and set priorities for schools across the district. In addition to ensuring that established board policies are implemented, they may recommend new policies to the board of education. Superintendents also work closely with teachers, students and families on a daily basis.
4 Common Steps to Becoming a Superintendent
There are various paths you may take on your journey to becoming a school district superintendent. However, prospective superintendents generally begin by completing specific education requirements. This may include earning a master’s or doctoral degree in education.
After completing school superintendent education requirements, future school superintendents may choose to gain relevant experience in teaching and administrative roles. Becoming a school principal is one way to help prepare you for the role of school superintendent.
On top of obtaining relevant education and experience, you may also need to complete state-specific programs and pass a certification exam before becoming a school superintendent. Specific requirements for licensing and certification vary by state.
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- Become a Teacher
If you are new to the education field, a potential first step in becoming a school superintendent could be completing a bachelor’s degree in education and gaining experience as a teacher. Experience as a teacher can be valuable in preparing you for education administrator roles. As a teacher, you’ll gain experience enforcing administrative policies and assessing the educational outcomes of students.
Becoming a teacher generally requires a bachelor’s degree and a state-issued license or certification. Specific degree requirements and licensing requirements depend on where you live and what you are planning to teach. Some states may require teachers to earn a degree relevant to the subject they teach, rather than a general education degree. This is especially true for high school teachers. Be sure to check with your state’s education licensing requirements for more information. - Pursue a Graduate Degree
Once you have your bachelor’s degree and teaching license, you may be required to gain several years of teaching experience before pursuing a master’s degree in a field like educational leadership. Specific prerequisites vary from program to program, but most master’s programs in education likely require you to hold a current teaching license.
There are several master’s degree options available for those looking to become superintendents. You may choose to earn a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT), Master of Education (MEd), a Master of Science in Teaching (MST) or a similar degree. Courses on educational leadership, curriculum and instruction design, and similar subjects may prepare you for school administrator roles. It generally takes two years to complete a master’s degree program, though some programs may be completed sooner.
Holding a doctoral degree such as a Doctor of Education (EdD) may be beneficial for prospective school superintendents. EdD programs tend to require a master’s degree as well as work experience in an educational leadership role. - Gain Experience in an Administrative Role
Becoming a school superintendent usually requires several years of experience in a school administrative role. In many cases, school superintendents first become vice principals or principals of an elementary school, middle school or high school.
The role of a principal is similar to that of a school superintendent. As a principal, you oversee school operations and manage staff. You are also responsible for regularly meeting with students, parents and teachers to discuss student progress and behavior.
Most states require school principals to have a master’s degree in education administration or leadership. You may also need to get licensed as a school administrator and have teaching experience. Licensure requirements vary by state. - Meet Certification Requirements
Another step to becoming a school superintendent is meeting any superintendent certification requirements. These certification requirements vary depending on where you live and the specific role you are applying for. Some states may administer their own exams, while others rely on tests provided by the Educational Testing Service (ETS).
ETS provides several assessments for school leadership roles, including the School Leaders Licensure Assessment (SLLA) and School Superintendent Assessment (SSA). Visit the ETS website to determine whether an ETS exam is required in your state.
After completing the necessary certification and licensing requirements, you may start applying to superintendent positions. Be sure to thoroughly review any other job guidelines, such as education requirements or recommended work experience.
What Skills Do School Superintendents Have?
A certified superintendent of schools needs skills that are very similar to those of school principals or other administrators. Because they interact with students, parents, teachers and members of the school board, school superintendents should have strong communication skills. A key aspect of the role is keeping the public informed about the school district’s successes and challenges.
As heads of staff for multiple schools, superintendents benefit from exceptional leadership skills. Decision-making and problem-solving skills also come into play when determining which improvements are needed for school systems.
Furthermore, school superintendents are often skilled in finance, accounting and budgeting. When creating the annual budget, they may be asked to provide explanations of expenses to the board of education.
School Superintendent FAQs
The career path for a school superintendent involves obtaining relevant education, gaining experience and meeting specific certification requirements. Here are a few answers to some frequently asked questions about becoming a school superintendent.
Requirements vary by state and specific role. In some states, superintendents must hold a doctoral degree in educational administration or educational leadership from a regionally accredited college or university. Some states may only require a master’s in teaching, education, or a similar fiel,d along with several years of teaching or related experience. However, some employers may prefer candidates with a doctoral degree. Be sure to check your desired job description for all education requirements.
How many years it takes to become a superintendent depends on how quickly you finish your degrees and how many years of work experience you acquire. Generally, earning a bachelor’s degree takes about four years, while earning a master’s degree takes another two years. Pursuing a doctoral degree may add another three years or more to your timeline. You can also expect to spend about three to five years gaining experience as a school administrator or principal, though the exact amount of time required depends on the employer.
Because the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) does not track “school superintendent” as a standalone occupation, writers often use closely related K–12 leadership roles (like principals) as a proxy for broad demand trends. BLS projected in 2024 that employment of elementary, middle, and high school principals will decline by 2% from 2024 to 2034, but still expects about 20,800 openings each year on average, largely due to turnover and retirements.
Pay varies widely by district size, region, and contract terms. In AASA’s 2024–2025 Superintendent Salary & Benefits Study (released in 2025 and based on 2,077 complete responses), the median superintendent base salary for the full sample was $158,721 (mean: $169,343). The report also shows salaries generally rise with enrollment—for example, the median ranges from $100,000 (districts under 300 students) to $165,000 (10,000–24,999 students), with higher medians in the largest-district categories (noting smaller sample sizes at the top end).
Information last updated: January 2026