How to hire an elementary assistant principal

How to hire an elementary assistant principal, step by step

Here's a step-by-step elementary assistant principal hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an elementary assistant principal job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new elementary assistant principal
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your elementary assistant principal job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find an elementary assistant principal for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect elementary assistant principal also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list presents elementary assistant principal salaries for various positions.

   Type of Elementary Assistant Principal	Description	Hourly rate
   Elementary Assistant Principal	Elementary, middle, and high school principals manage all school operations, including daily school activities. They coordinate curricula, oversee teachers and other school staff, and provide a safe and productive learning environment for students.	$22-60
   School Director	A school director oversees educational programs, ensuring everything runs smoothly and efficiently. They typically gather and analyze data, review reports, monitor faculty staff's performance and the progress of all teaching methods, and resolve issues should any arise... Show more	$22-48
   Superintendent	Superintendents oversee the administration of schools in a specific school district. They manage the educational programs of each school and create strategic decisions to ensure that the students are learning important subjects... Show more	$27-57

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Professional Development
   • Instructional Strategies
   • Support Services
   • Student Achievement
   • Instructional Program
   • Public Schools
   • Curriculum Development
   • Staff Development
   • Educational Programs
   • Student Discipline
   • English Language
   • Classroom Management
   • RTI
   • Data Analysis

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Create a PBIS system for teachers on how to manage behavior on a daily basis and reward positive outcomes.
   • Work with special educators in implementing the IEP for special education students to appropriately facilitate their instructional needs.
   • Provide supervision and oversight to the middle and high school students and staff.
   • Use BIE indicators for communications and promoting expectations for high-level performance to faculty, staff and students.

   More elementary assistant principal duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your elementary assistant principal job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. An elementary assistant principal can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, elementary assistant principals' average salary in oklahoma is 48% less than in connecticut.
   • Seniority. Entry-level elementary assistant principals 63% less than senior-level elementary assistant principals.
   • Certifications. An elementary assistant principal with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in an elementary assistant principal's salary.

   Average elementary assistant principal salary

   $77,225yearly

   $37.13 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level elementary assistant principal salary

   $47,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 18, 2025

   Average elementary assistant principal salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$109,296	$53
   2	Massachusetts	$106,859	$51
   3	Maryland	$102,096	$49
   4	New Hampshire	$98,112	$47
   5	Washington	$92,802	$45
   6	Illinois	$87,635	$42
   7	Pennsylvania	$86,287	$41
   8	Rhode Island	$82,903	$40
   9	Wisconsin	$73,270	$35
   10	Louisiana	$72,350	$35
   11	New Mexico	$67,360	$32
   12	Colorado	$64,315	$31
   13	Texas	$64,189	$31
   14	Arizona	$63,831	$31
   15	Oklahoma	$56,364	$27

   Average elementary assistant principal salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Boulder Valley School District	$112,447	$54.06
   2	K12	$104,191	$50.09	5
   3	Newport Mesa Unified School District	$102,016	$49.05
   4	Hemet Unified School District	$99,936	$48.05	10
   5	Irving Isd	$99,140	$47.66	3
   6	Dry Creek Joint Elementary School District	$93,031	$44.73
   7	Wicomico County Public Schools	$89,552	$43.05
   8	San Jacinto Unified School District	$89,184	$42.88	1
   9	Boston Public Schools	$87,244	$41.94
   10	Temecula Valley Unified School District	$82,328	$39.58
   11	Panay Power Corporation	$79,120	$38.04	1
   12	San José Unified School District	$78,802	$37.89
   13	Newton Public Schools	$77,315	$37.17	2
   14	Alameda Unified	$77,294	$37.16
   15	Capistrano Unified	$77,231	$37.13
   16	Leander ISD	$76,715	$36.88	31
   17	KIPP Northern California Public Schools	$74,022	$35.59	25
   18	Adams 12 Five Star Schools	$73,940	$35.55
   19	district	$73,330	$35.25
   20	Culver City Unified School District	$73,007	$35.10	1

4. Writing an elementary assistant principal job description

   A good elementary assistant principal job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of an elementary assistant principal job description:

   Elementary assistant principal job description example

   Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) is seeking dynamic school leaders who are committed to educating today's students to succeed in tomorrow's world. BCPS is the sixth largest public school system in the United States, the second largest in the state of Florida and the largest fully accredited K-12 and adult school district in the nation. BCPS has over 260,000 students and approximately 175,000 adult students in 229 schools and education centers and 103 charterschools.
   
   Effective immediately, there will be a vacancy for an Assistant Principal position in Broward County, Florida. Individuals serving in these leadership roles assist the Principal in providing vision and leadership for the effective operation of the total school program. They assist in developing, implementing and monitoring high quality educational programs that optimize human and material resources while coaching, supervising and evaluating employee performance. Assistant Principals provide instructional leadership for all educational programs at the school while overseeing the safe and orderly operations of the school.
   Preferred Qualifications:
   
   Exhibit the knowledge and practice of current educational trends, research and technology; understand the unique needs, population trends and characteristics of the students served in the school; demonstrate effective communication and interaction skills with all stakeholders; have the ability to use group dynamics within the context of cultural diversity; and be knowledgeable of Florida educational reform, accountability and effective school concepts.
   
   Minimum Qualifications:
   
   Hold a Master's degree from an accredited college or university. Applicants shall hold or be eligible for certification in educational leadership, administration or administration and supervision. Completed a minimum of four (4) years of public school instructional experience as defined by F.S. 1012.01(2)(a-d), or district administrative experience (with at least two [2] years of public school instructional experience). Four (4) years experience at the level at which the position exists is preferred. Completion of Leadership Experiences and Administrative Development Program (LEAD) or comparable program is a mandatory requirement for eligibility to become an assistant principal. Candidates must be rated at a competent/ professional level on all sections of the interview in order to be considered as a qualified candidate to move forward for consideration.
   
   Compensation:
   
   Current SBBC Assistant Principals will remain on current salary schedule. Newly hired and newly appointed employees will be placed on the Pay for Performance Salary Schedule.
   
   Pay for Performance Salary Schedule Range: $80,000 - $99,000
   
   Grandfathered Salary Schedule Range: $81,708 - $99,032

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right elementary assistant principal for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with elementary assistant principals they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit elementary assistant principals who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your elementary assistant principal job on Zippia to find and recruit elementary assistant principal candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit elementary assistant principals, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new elementary assistant principal

   Once you have selected a candidate for the elementary assistant principal position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new elementary assistant principal. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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