Amarillo Educator Salaries Exposed: Are They Earning Their Worth?

One thing that is commonly discussed is that Texas teachers and administrators are not being paid what they're worth. They have one of the most important jobs across the state as they're the ones educating our children to be able to take the next step in life.

Many times, it's a thankless job. Teachers are blamed by parents for their kids getting a bad grade, or are judged on things such as the STAAR tests, which thankfully were recently replaced with a different system.

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They spend countless hours here in Amarillo and across the Texas Panhandle prepping the perfect curriculum to set up the students for future success. The question is, are they paid the proper amount for all they do?

Salary Information For Amarillo & Lubbock Released

The Plainview Herald obtained some salary information for both AISD and LISD. The information obtained is for some of the exempt public school employees and it gives us a better idea of what these educators are making.

The majority of the salaries obtained are for the main administrators, such as superintendents, officers, and principals.

How Much Are The Amarillo ISD Uppers Making

The highest salary rightfully belongs to the Superintendent of Schools. Deidre Parrish pulls down a salary of $300,000.50, while the median for school superintendents in Texas sits at approximately that at $153,176.

The next highest salary in AISD belongs to AISD Chief Financial Officer Daniel West, who pulled down a salary of $201,539.80. Deputy Superintendent Kevin Phillips checks in with a salary of $199,872.30.

How Does That Compare To Lubbock ISD

Our distant neighbors to the south in Lubbock, painted a very different picture from a salary standpoint. LISD Superintendent of Schools Kathryn Rollo rakes in a salary of $283,250 per year, which represents the highest salary in the school district.

That's where the similarities end, as the next highest earner in the district is Dunbar College Preparatory Academy Principal William Smith, who makes a cool $107,191.35.

Read More: Amarillo ISD Called Out In A Post

Amarillo ISD Principals Well Compensated

One thing AISD seems to be getting right is how much they pay their principals. While not ALL principals in the school district make this amount, there are 11 principals who make over $100,000 a year, and a 12th who is just shy of $100,000.

The average salary of an AISD high school principal from the records given is $129,800, with two of the high school principals making a salary north of that.

Five different middle school or junior high principals are making north of $100,000 per year as well, with two elementary school principals finding themselves making six figures.

Lubbock ISD Paints A Different Picture

It's a completely different story when it comes to Lubbock ISD and how much their principals make. In fact, it appears to be a set salary for any principal inside the district.

The numbers released by the Plainview Herald show 10 different principals making the same exact amount of $60,351.81, which tells me there is a set salary for positions within the school district.

How Much Are The Teachers Making

While we don't have any exact salaries for the teachers of each district, we do have an average of what each district pays its teachers. The numbers received are from 2022, and again, Lubbock is a bit surprising.

Amarillo ISD shows an average salary of $53,895 per year for their teachers, with high school teachers making the most, then surprisingly PE teachers, with middle school and elementary teachers tying for third.

At Lubbock ISD, their teachers are making nearly as much as the principals on average, with a salary of $56,036. If you recall, many of the principals in LISD make only $4,000 per year more.