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This question is about principal salaries.
What is a good starting salary for a Principal?
A good starting salary for a principal is $92,000 in the United States. That puts you in the 10th percentile of annual income for a principal in the U.S., which is about what you would expect if you were new to the field. The average salary for principals is $140,569, but that normally requires some level of experience to achieve. Furthermore, a good starting salary for a principal can vary by state, as we show below.
What Is A Good Entry-Level Principal Salary By State?
The following table shows how much an entry level principal earns in each state. Zippia used data from the BLS, public records, and job postings to create these estimates.
| State | Starting Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage |
| Washington | $112,000 | $9,333 | $2,153 | $53.85 |
| New York | $108,000 | $9,000 | $2,076 | $51.92 |
| Connecticut | $108,000 | $9,000 | $2,076 | $51.92 |
| North Dakota | $108,000 | $9,000 | $2,076 | $51.92 |
| Alaska | $105,000 | $8,750 | $2,019 | $50.48 |
| New Hampshire | $101,000 | $8,416 | $1,942 | $48.56 |
| Oregon | $100,000 | $8,333 | $1,923 | $48.08 |
| Massachusetts | $96,000 | $8,000 | $1,846 | $46.15 |
| California | $96,000 | $8,000 | $1,846 | $46.15 |
| Vermont | $94,000 | $7,833 | $1,807 | $45.19 |
| Idaho | $94,000 | $7,833 | $1,807 | $45.19 |
| West Virginia | $94,000 | $7,833 | $1,807 | $45.19 |
| District of Columbia | $92,000 | $7,666 | $1,769 | $44.23 |
| New Jersey | $91,000 | $7,583 | $1,750 | $43.75 |
| Maryland | $91,000 | $7,583 | $1,750 | $43.75 |
| Maine | $91,000 | $7,583 | $1,750 | $43.75 |
| South Dakota | $91,000 | $7,583 | $1,750 | $43.75 |
| Wisconsin | $90,000 | $7,500 | $1,730 | $43.27 |
| Michigan | $88,000 | $7,333 | $1,692 | $42.31 |
| Pennsylvania | $86,000 | $7,166 | $1,653 | $41.35 |
| Minnesota | $86,000 | $7,166 | $1,653 | $41.35 |
| Rhode Island | $84,000 | $7,000 | $1,615 | $40.38 |
| Illinois | $83,000 | $6,916 | $1,596 | $39.9 |
| Delaware | $83,000 | $6,916 | $1,596 | $39.9 |
| Indiana | $82,000 | $6,833 | $1,576 | $39.42 |
| Ohio | $79,000 | $6,583 | $1,519 | $37.98 |
| Montana | $78,000 | $6,500 | $1,500 | $37.5 |
| Virginia | $77,000 | $6,416 | $1,480 | $37.02 |
| Wyoming | $73,000 | $6,083 | $1,403 | $35.1 |
| Kentucky | $71,000 | $5,916 | $1,365 | $34.13 |
| Utah | $70,000 | $5,833 | $1,346 | $33.65 |
| Nevada | $69,000 | $5,750 | $1,326 | $33.17 |
| Iowa | $69,000 | $5,750 | $1,326 | $33.17 |
| North Carolina | $67,000 | $5,583 | $1,288 | $32.21 |
| Nebraska | $64,000 | $5,333 | $1,230 | $30.77 |
| Colorado | $64,000 | $5,333 | $1,230 | $30.77 |
| Missouri | $61,000 | $5,083 | $1,173 | $29.33 |
| Arizona | $60,000 | $5,000 | $1,153 | $28.85 |
| Kansas | $60,000 | $5,000 | $1,153 | $28.85 |
| South Carolina | $59,000 | $4,916 | $1,134 | $28.37 |
| Alabama | $58,000 | $4,833 | $1,115 | $27.88 |
| Texas | $57,000 | $4,750 | $1,096 | $27.4 |
| Mississippi | $57,000 | $4,750 | $1,096 | $27.4 |
| New Mexico | $56,000 | $4,666 | $1,076 | $26.92 |
| Tennessee | $56,000 | $4,666 | $1,076 | $26.92 |
| Georgia | $56,000 | $4,666 | $1,076 | $26.92 |
| Arkansas | $54,000 | $4,500 | $1,038 | $25.96 |
| Oklahoma | $54,000 | $4,500 | $1,038 | $25.96 |
| Louisiana | $52,000 | $4,333 | $1,000 | $25.0 |
| Florida | $50,000 | $4,166 | $961 | $24.04 |
| Hawaii | $35,000 | $2,916 | $673 | $16.83 |
What are The 10 Highest Paying Cities for Entry-Level Principal Jobs?
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for an entry level principal job is above the national average. Topping the list is Ridgefield, CT.
| City | Starting Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage |
| Seattle, WA | $133,000 | $11,083 | $2,557 | $63.94 |
| Ridgefield, CT | $130,000 | $10,833 | $2,500 | $62.5 |
| New York, NY | $130,000 | $10,833 | $2,500 | $62.5 |
| San Francisco, CA | $129,000 | $10,750 | $2,480 | $62.02 |
| Boston, MA | $116,000 | $9,666 | $2,230 | $55.77 |
| Washington, DC | $111,000 | $9,250 | $2,134 | $53.37 |
| Jersey City, NJ | $110,000 | $9,166 | $2,115 | $52.88 |
| Bethesda, MD | $109,000 | $9,083 | $2,096 | $52.4 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $105,000 | $8,750 | $2,019 | $50.48 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $104,000 | $8,666 | $2,000 | $50.0 |
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