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The differences between head teachers and principals can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a principal has an average salary of $111,719, which is higher than the $51,715 average annual salary of a head teacher.
The top three skills for a head teacher include classroom management, child care and creative curriculum. The most important skills for a principal are CRM, project management, and financial services.
| Head Teacher | Principal | |
| Yearly salary | $51,715 | $111,719 |
| Hourly rate | $24.86 | $53.71 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 73,756 | 84,015 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Average age | 42 | 47 |
| Years of experience | - | 4 |
A headteacher is responsible for monitoring the students' overall learning process, managing and evaluating the performance of school staff, implementing effective learning strategies for the students, encouraging them to reach their maximum potential, and gain self-confidence. Headteachers often lead meetings, especially discussing school activities and the child's performance to their parents, implementing safety policies, and enforcing disciplinary actions for policy violations. A headteacher must have excellent leadership and communication skills to handle the students' needs and support their high-quality performance.
A principal is responsible for maintaining the orderliness of the school premises and supervising school operations, enforcing strict safety standards, and reiterating regulatory procedures. Principals' duties also include managing and monitoring school budget and expenses, improving security plans, conducting regular meetings and sharing updates with teachers and other school personnel, creating reports for school funding, and setting academic goals for everyone's compliance. A principal must administer excellent leadership, communication, and decision-making skills to handle major administrative tasks in maintaining the school's growth.
Head teachers and principals have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Head Teacher | Principal | |
| Average salary | $51,715 | $111,719 |
| Salary range | Between $32,000 And $83,000 | Between $69,000 And $179,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | New York |
| Best paying company | Grand View Health | KKR & Co. L.P. |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Professional |
There are a few differences between a head teacher and a principal in terms of educational background:
| Head Teacher | Principal | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Early Childhood Education | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between head teachers' and principals' demographics:
| Head Teacher | Principal | |
| Average age | 42 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 13.8% Female, 86.2% | Male, 65.6% Female, 34.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 3.7% White, 69.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.0% Asian, 4.3% White, 66.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 16% |