Best cities for a school director

The best cities for school directors are Fort Wayne, IN, San Francisco, CA, and Chicago, IL, based on factors like average salary and job availability per capita. Jobs and pay for school directors vary across the country, but we've determined the ten best cities for school directors in the U.S.

Whether you're starting your career as a school director or considering a move, this list of the best cities for school directors to live in will help you decide. These aren't just the best-paying cities for school directors. We also consider how easy it is to find work as a school director. While the absolute best city for school directors is Fort Wayne, IN, there are plenty of other great places to consider.

Keep reading to learn more about the best cities for school directors in 2024.

If you're looking for a school director job, here are five companies hiring now:

10 best cities for school directors in 2025

1. Fort Wayne, IN

Total school director jobs:	3
Average annual salary:	$72,523
Lowest 10 percent warn:	$47,000
Highest 10 percent earn:	$109,000
Location quotient:	8.79

2. San Francisco, CA

Total school director jobs:	5
Average annual salary:	$95,628
Lowest 10 percent warn:	$62,000
Highest 10 percent earn:	$145,000
Location quotient:	0.85

3. Chicago, IL

Total school director jobs:	15
Average annual salary:	$73,259
Lowest 10 percent warn:	$48,000
Highest 10 percent earn:	$110,000
Location quotient:	2.58

4. Los Angeles, CA

Total school director jobs:	16
Average annual salary:	$82,008
Lowest 10 percent warn:	$54,000
Highest 10 percent earn:	$122,000
Location quotient:	3.18

5. Jersey City, NJ

Total school director jobs:	5
Average annual salary:	$78,088
Lowest 10 percent warn:	$51,000
Highest 10 percent earn:	$118,000
Location quotient:	2.59

6. Seattle, WA

Total school director jobs:	5
Average annual salary:	$81,920
Lowest 10 percent warn:	$54,000
Highest 10 percent earn:	$122,000
Location quotient:	1.01

7. Riverside, CA

Total school director jobs:	2
Average annual salary:	$80,718
Lowest 10 percent warn:	$53,000
Highest 10 percent earn:	$120,000
Location quotient:	5.70

8. Columbus, OH

Total school director jobs:	3
Average annual salary:	$68,057
Lowest 10 percent warn:	$44,000
Highest 10 percent earn:	$103,000
Location quotient:	1.15

9. Oakland, CA

Total school director jobs:	0
Average annual salary:	$95,407
Lowest 10 percent warn:	$62,000
Highest 10 percent earn:	$145,000
Location quotient:	0.00

10. Portland, OR

Total school director jobs:	0
Average annual salary:	$89,143
Lowest 10 percent warn:	$59,000
Highest 10 percent earn:	$133,000
Location quotient:	0.00

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Best cities for school directors

Fort Wayne, IN
San Francisco, CA
Chicago, IL
Los Angeles, CA
Jersey City, NJ
Seattle, WA
Riverside, CA
Columbus, OH
Oakland, CA
Portland, OR

(3 school director jobs)
(5 school director jobs)
(15 school director jobs)
(16 school director jobs)
(5 school director jobs)
(5 school director jobs)
(2 school director jobs)
(3 school director jobs)
(0 school director jobs)
(0 school director jobs)

Detailed list of the best cities for a school director

Rank	City	Average salary	Lowest 10% Earn	Population	Job count
1	Fort Wayne, IN	$72,523	$47,000	264,488	3
2	San Francisco, CA	$95,628	$62,000	870,887	5
3	Chicago, IL	$73,259	$48,000	2,704,958	15
4	Los Angeles, CA	$82,008	$54,000	3,976,322	16
5	Jersey City, NJ	$78,088	$51,000	264,152	5
6	Seattle, WA	$81,920	$54,000	704,352	5
7	Riverside, CA	$80,718	$53,000	324,722	2
8	Columbus, OH	$68,057	$44,000	860,090	3
9	Oakland, CA	$95,407	$62,000	420,005	-
10	Portland, OR	$89,143	$59,000	639,863	-
11	Fremont, CA	$95,016	$62,000	233,136	-
12	San Jose, CA	$94,723	$62,000	1,025,350	-
13	Stockton, CA	$94,360	$61,000	307,072	-
14	Sacramento, CA	$93,976	$61,000	495,234	-
15	Boston, MA	$74,142	$49,000	673,184	6
16	Indianapolis, IN	$70,515	$46,000	855,164	1
17	Cleveland, OH	$70,384	$46,000	385,809	-
18	Madison, WI	$61,407	$40,000	252,551	2
19	New York, NY	$73,096	$48,000	8,537,673	54
20	Toledo, OH	$69,338	$45,000	278,508	-
21	Fresno, CA	$91,732	$59,000	522,053	-
22	Greensboro, NC	$61,545	$39,000	287,027	1
23	Saint Paul, MN	$74,792	$50,000	302,398	-
24	Minneapolis, MN	$74,745	$50,000	413,651	-
25	Detroit, MI	$67,009	$44,000	672,795	-
26	Cincinnati, OH	$66,255	$43,000	298,800	-
27	Bakersfield, CA	$86,877	$57,000	376,380	-
28	Albuquerque, NM	$61,641	$40,000	559,277	2
29	Newark, NJ	$78,048	$51,000	281,764	-
30	Reno, NV	$67,042	$44,000	245,255	-
31	Long Beach, CA	$81,169	$54,000	470,130	-
32	Irvine, CA	$80,543	$53,000	266,122	1
33	Baltimore, MD	$73,915	$48,000	614,664	3
34	Anaheim, CA	$81,035	$54,000	351,043	-
35	Santa Ana, CA	$80,783	$54,000	334,217	-
36	San Diego, CA	$78,617	$52,000	1,406,630	2
37	Anchorage, AK	$70,849	$56,000	298,192	-
38	Philadelphia, PA	$61,128	$40,000	1,567,872	-
39	Brookhaven, NY	$73,423	$48,000	486,040	-
40	Milwaukee, WI	$62,185	$41,000	595,047	-
41	Durham, NC	$61,921	$39,000	263,016	-
42	Islip, NY	$73,360	$48,000	335,543	-
43	Chula Vista, CA	$78,343	$52,000	267,172	-
44	Oyster Bay, NY	$73,239	$48,000	293,214	-
45	Raleigh, NC	$61,792	$39,000	458,880	-
46	Hempstead, NY	$73,214	$48,000	759,757	-
47	Virginia Beach, VA	$62,856	$40,000	452,602	2
48	Winston-Salem, NC	$61,347	$39,000	242,203	-
49	Las Vegas, NV	$61,762	$40,000	632,912	-
50	Denver, CO	$63,380	$42,000	693,060	13

Highest paying cities for school directors

Rank	City	Avg. school director salary
1	San Rafael, CA	$95,745
2	Seattle, WA	$81,920
3	Jersey City, NJ	$78,088
4	Bridgeport, CT	$74,851
5	Eden Prairie, MN	$74,552
6	Boston, MA	$74,142
7	Smithtown, NY	$73,325
8	Chicago, IL	$73,259
9	Bethesda, MD	$73,126
10	Fort Wayne, IN	$72,523
11	Washington, DC	$70,354
12	Columbus, OH	$68,057
13	Providence, RI	$66,182
14	Alexandria, VA	$64,527
15	Denver, CO	$63,380
16	Albuquerque, NM	$61,641
17	Madison, WI	$61,407
18	Salt Lake City, UT	$61,145
19	Marietta, GA	$58,630
20	Oklahoma City, OK	$56,719