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The differences between assistant principals and school principals can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an assistant principal and a school principal. Additionally, a school principal has an average salary of $97,138, which is higher than the $73,607 average annual salary of an assistant principal.
The top three skills for an assistant principal include classroom management, curriculum development and professional development. The most important skills for a school principal are professional development, curriculum development, and student achievement.
| Assistant Principal | School Principal | |
| Yearly salary | $73,607 | $97,138 |
| Hourly rate | $35.39 | $46.70 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 42,186 | 60,093 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
An assistant principal is responsible for carrying out administrative support tasks in a school or similar establishment. Most of the duties involve producing reports and evaluations, attending meetings, overseeing daily school operations, monitoring classes and faculty performances, implementing school policies and regulations, and coordinating with the principal, school board, and other members of the institution. Furthermore, an assistant principal participates in devising plans and strategies to improve the school curriculum and organize various activities that will help students develop their skills and potential.
A School Principal supervises and directs education and teaching programs within a school. They develop and implement policies, programs, curriculum activities, budgets, and more.
Assistant principals and school principals have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Assistant Principal | School Principal | |
| Average salary | $73,607 | $97,138 |
| Salary range | Between $57,000 And $94,000 | Between $71,000 And $131,000 |
| Highest paying City | Redwood City, CA | Newark, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Pace University | Lexington School and Center for the Deaf |
| Best paying industry | Government | Non Profits |
There are a few differences between an assistant principal and a school principal in terms of educational background:
| Assistant Principal | School Principal | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Most common major | Educational Leadership | Educational Leadership |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between assistant principals' and school principals' demographics:
| Assistant Principal | School Principal | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 47.4% Female, 52.6% | Male, 44.6% Female, 55.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 13.2% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 13.2% Asian, 4.2% White, 64.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 4.4% White, 64.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 16% |