Unequal Pay for Equal Work? The Gender Gap in Principal Compensation

• In Event: Moscone Center West Roundtable Session 12
  In Roundtable Session: School Leaders: Human Capital, Compensation, and Evaluation

Abstract

Substantial research has investigated compensation gaps between men and women, but few studies address whether and why it exists among school principals. We investigate this question using two data sources: longitudinal personnel records from the state of Missouri and repeated cross-sections from the Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS). In both, we estimate substantial compensation deficits. In Missouri, we find that female principals make more than $1,400 less than their male colleagues, even conditioning on other characteristics and comparing male and female principals leading the same school in different years. Our SASS analyses show that women make about $900 less than men nationally, on average. These gaps are only partially explained by various supply-side mechanisms, suggesting discrimination contributes to pay differences.

Authors

• Jason A. Grissom, Vanderbilt University

• Jennifer Timmer, Seton Hall University

• Jennifer Lauren Nelson, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

• Richard Blissett, University of Georgia