Blog by Kate Taverner. Data analysis and methodology by Alejandra Neyra.

The salary gap between male and female heads of international schools is 8,500 USD.

The salary gap between those heads of school who identify as white and non-white is 17,000 USD.

The salary gap between local and international hires is 33,000 USD.

These are three of the salary gaps we identified in the 2020 CIS Heads of School Salary & Benefits Report. Each year, we ‘take the pulse’ of our community in relation to the salaries and benefits of heads of international schools worldwide. The 2020 report was generated by information provided by more than 250 heads of school across our global membership as well as schools from CIS partner associations including AASSA, COBIS, BSME, and EARCOS. The report presents a valuable annual indication of any movement year-on-year when it comes to salaries and benefits over a number of variables.

Our variables include level of education, years of experience, experience as a head, duration in role, gender, ethnicity, and contract category (international vs local hiring).

As you read the variables, do you have a set of assumptions in mind for what the data would tell you? See how they match up to the findings below.

Here are three more things we learned from the wealth of data in the 2020 report:

1. Men earn more than women. The average annual net salary with outliers for males is USD 131k and USD 116k for females. 69% of school heads that participated in this survey are male.
    
2. Heads of school who identify as non-white earn on average less. This salary gap is consistent at all levels of leadership experience.
    
3. Heads who are hired internationally (rather than locally, regardless of whether they are native or expats in the local region) and have a Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees have higher average salaries than locally-hired heads with the same degrees. There is little difference between international and local hires with Doctorate degrees.