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What is a high school principal and how to become one
While many of us may have been more concerned with social status and college or career tests coming up in high school, an important player in the background kept our daily systems running smoothly. A high school principal is responsible for keeping the gears of a school well oiled so that the machine can function properly.
Being a High School Principal means regularly meeting with teachers, staff, and parents to ensure everyone is not only on the same page but as satisfied as possible with the processes and policies you put into place. You're there to ensure an efficient workflow and develop quality guidelines for schedules, budgets, and other strategies pertaining to your school. Making sure everyone under your care is safe, healthy, and well taken care of is your main priority.
To become a high school principal, you'll typically need a bachelor's or master's degree in teaching, education, or a related field. You'll also be required to have a number of years as a teacher or in a position within the school system or school board. What may surprise you is that, on average, a High School Principal makes about $95,000 a year!
What general advice would you give to a high school principal?
Dr. Albert Boerema Ph.D.
Professor, Calvin University
This is true for all leadership work. In school or educational leadership, it means paying attention to how pedagogical, curricular, and assessment choices provide real opportunities for those on the margins to thrive.
Avg. Salary $96,329
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 5%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.70%
Asian 4.37%
Black or African American 10.60%
Hispanic or Latino 14.33%
Unknown 4.01%
White 65.99%
Genderfemale 35.90%
male 64.10%
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
High school principal career paths
Key steps to become a high school principal
Explore high school principal education requirements
Start to develop specific high school principal skills
Skills Percentages Student Achievement 7.57% Curriculum Development 7.26% Staff Development 6.39% Instructional Program 5.98% Professional Growth 5.79% Complete relevant high school principal training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New high school 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 a high school principal based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real high school principal resumes.Research high school principal duties and responsibilities
- Facilitate teacher lead PBIS committee to implement effective school wide discipline campaigns and activities for students.
- Create a PBIS system for teachers on how to manage behavior on a daily basis and reward positive outcomes.
- Lead counselor meetings, IEP's, conduct parent/teacher meetings.
- Assist in coordinating, developing, monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of the IEP.
Prepare your high school principal resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your high school 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 a high school 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 high school principal resume templates
Build a professional high school 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 high school principal resume.
Apply for high school principal jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a high school 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 high school principal job
Are you a high school principal?
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Average high school principal salary
The average high school principal salary in the United States is $96,329 per year or $46 per hour. High school principal salaries range between $70,000 and $131,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do high school principals rate their job?
High school 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.
Updated January 8, 2025
