According to data from the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s latest employee payroll report for public school teachers, administrators, and staff, 20 out of the Top 25 highest-paying school districts in the entire state of Pennsylvania are within a 50-mile radius of Philadelphia, but exclude the city itself.

The data speaks to the role compensation and funding play in a district’s overall performance and student outcomes, writes Michelle Caffrey for the Philadelphia Business Journal.

The average salary, for the 2015-16 school year, for the 445 staff members of the Ridley School District was $87,889, which ranked them 17th in the state.

The average salary for the 354 staff members of the Radnor School District was $86,762, which ranked them 20th in the state.

It should come as no surprise that nine of the Top 25 highest-paying public school districts are home to high schools listed in the Top 25 of U.S. News and World Report’s 2016 ranking of Pennsylvania high schools.

“Higher salaries can help draw candidates to a job opening, boost applications, and promote high quality hiring, especially for hard-to-fill positions like special education administration rolls,” writes Caffrey.

Click here to read more about the state’s highest-paying school districts in the Philadelphia Business Journal.