Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
What is an assistant principal and how to become one
The assistant principal oversees the day-to-day running of a school. They work hand in hand with the principal to ensure that students get the highest quality of education and care. Some of your duties include hiring and training staff, endorsing class schedules, supervising the maintenance of the educational facility, and corresponding with parents and guardians when necessary. The assistant principal is also responsible for enforcing school rules and safety guidelines. You would attend to disciplinary measures when needed and maintain systems for supervising attendance, inventory, planning, and budgeting. You are also required to partake in the drawing up of budgets, determination and paying of salaries, and approval of equipment and supply orders.
The role of an assistant principal usually requires a master's or doctorate, as well as years of experience and possession of teaching certification or license. Employers are always on the lookout for people with strong leadership qualities, effective communication skills, good judgment, administrative and organizational skills.
What general advice would you give to an assistant principal?
Hamlet Hernandez
Assistant Teaching Professor of Education, Website
to be adroit at understanding their appropriate application, but more importantly, leaders will need to be skilfull
at cultivating meaningful relationships which are rooted in principle and not in transaction. This is, and will
continue to be, of monumental importance. The ability to communicate effectively and to understand the
speed and method of communication to different stakeholders, will and should vary. How this skill is developed
will be consequential. I envision rich content being omnipresent and new pedagological practices manifesting,
as we learn more about how humans learn. The art of teaching will evolve as we embrace new technologies
and foster enduring relationships, thereby opening pathways to greater cognition.
Avg. Salary $73,607
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 5%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.69%
Asian 4.18%
Black or African American 13.23%
Hispanic or Latino 13.23%
Unknown 3.97%
White 64.70%
Genderfemale 52.62%
male 47.38%
Age - 47American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 47Stress level is very high
7.1 - high
Complexity level is advanced
7 - challenging
Work life balance is poor
6.4 - fair
Assistant principal career paths
Key steps to become an assistant principal
Explore assistant principal education requirements
Start to develop specific assistant principal skills
Skills Percentages Classroom Management 8.38% Curriculum Development 7.51% Professional Development 7.48% Instructional Program 4.85% Math 4.41% Complete relevant assistant principal training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New assistant principals learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an assistant principal based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real assistant principal resumes.Research assistant principal duties and responsibilities
- Lead the NCA steering committee to assist with the school improvement process.
- Create and manage projects that are research base to improve student success in the areas of mathematics for ESL students.
- Manage special education department budget, student programming and IEP accommodations.
- Conduct CSE and annual review meetings.
Prepare your assistant principal resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your assistant principal resume.
You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an assistant principal resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Choose from 10+ customizable assistant principal resume templates
Build a professional assistant principal resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your assistant principal resume.
Apply for assistant principal jobs
Now it's time to start searching for an assistant principal job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How did you land your first assistant principal job
Are you an assistant principal?
Share your story for a free salary report.
Average assistant principal salary
The average assistant principal salary in the United States is $73,607 per year or $35 per hour. Assistant principal salaries range between $57,000 and $94,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do assistant principals rate their job?
Assistant principal reviews
Working with children, teachers and parents. Developing programs to suit a child's needs and interests, mmoments in learning and understanding.
Pressure from parents, pressure from the board, stressful and time demanding obstacles. The fact that people treat you so utterly poorly once you become a Principal.
Assistant principal FAQs
Search for assistant principal jobs
Updated January 8, 2025
