Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between assistant principals and vice 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 vice principal. Additionally, a vice principal has an average salary of $88,764, 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 vice principal are curriculum development, vice-principal, and classroom management.
| Assistant Principal | Vice Principal | |
| Yearly salary | $73,607 | $88,764 |
| Hourly rate | $35.39 | $42.67 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 42,186 | 67,974 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| 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 vice-principal works as an assistant educational administrator whose primary responsibility is to assist the school's principal with daily school administrative tasks, such as certifying and hiring teachers and school staff. In addition to these tasks, a vice-principal conducts parent interviews and serves as mentors and counselors to students. The qualifications to become a vice principal include possessing strong leadership, decision-making, and organizational skills and obtaining a master's or doctoral degree in education.
Assistant principals and vice principals have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Assistant Principal | Vice Principal | |
| Average salary | $73,607 | $88,764 |
| Salary range | Between $57,000 And $94,000 | Between $64,000 And $121,000 |
| Highest paying City | Redwood City, CA | Paterson, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Pace University | Princeton Public Schools |
| Best paying industry | Government | Education |
There are a few differences between an assistant principal and a vice principal in terms of educational background:
| Assistant Principal | Vice Principal | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| Most common major | Educational Leadership | Educational Leadership |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between assistant principals' and vice principals' demographics:
| Assistant Principal | Vice Principal | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 47.4% Female, 52.6% | Male, 50.3% Female, 49.7% |
| 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, 10.9% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 4.4% White, 65.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 16% |