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K-12 school principal demographics and statistics in the US

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K-12 school principal demographics by:

K-12 school principal gender statistics

36.3% of k-12 school principals are women and 63.7% of k-12 school principals are men.
  • Male, 63.7%
  • Female, 36.3%

K-12 school principal gender ratio

GenderPercentages
Male63.7%
Female36.3%

K-12 school principal gender pay gap

Women earn 88¢ for every $1 earned by men

male-income
Male income
$65,680
female-income
Female income
$58,048

K-12 school principal gender ratio over time

This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in k-12 school principal positions over time. Currently, 36.3% of k-12 school principals are female.
Male
Female
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021

K-12 school principal gender ratio by year

YearMaleFemale
201066.95%33.05%
201167.02%32.98%
201265.58%34.42%
201367.55%32.45%
201466.05%33.95%
201565.81%34.19%
201666.22%33.78%
201764.78%35.22%
201865.53%34.47%
201964.06%35.94%
202064.84%35.16%
202163.73%36.27%

K-12 school principal related jobs gender ratio

We compared k-12 school principals with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, pipeline superintendent and agronomy research manager have the biggest gender ratio gaps.

Job titleMaleFemale
Community Health Nursing Director7%93%
Early Childhood Services Coordinator7%93%
Tourist Home Keeper8%92%
K-12 School Principal64%36%
Station Superintendent98%2%
Agronomy Research Manager98%2%
Pipeline Superintendent99%1%
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
Pipeline Superintendent
Station Superintendent
Agronomy Research Manager
K-12 School Principal

Tourist Home Keeper

Early Childhood Services Coordinator
Community Health Nursing Director
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%

K-12 school principal demographics by race

The most common ethnicity among k-12 school principals is White, which makes up 71.0% of all k-12 school principals. Comparatively, 9.9% of k-12 school principals are Hispanic or Latino and 9.2% of k-12 school principals are Black or African American.
  • White, 71.0%
  • Hispanic or Latino, 9.9%
  • Black or African American, 9.2%
  • Asian, 5.0%
  • Unknown, 4.1%
  • American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%

K-12 school principal race

K-12 school principal racePercentages
White71.0%
Hispanic or Latino9.9%
Black or African American9.2%
Asian5.0%
Unknown4.1%
American Indian and Alaska Native0.8%

K-12 school principal race and ethnicity over time

See how k-12 school principal racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.

K-12 school principal race and ethnicity by year

YearWhiteBlack or African AmericanAsianHispanic or Latino
201075.69%10.39%4.51%7.07%
201175.38%10.40%4.03%7.60%
201275.25%10.03%4.38%7.81%
201374.87%9.95%4.40%8.02%
201474.39%9.56%4.92%8.57%
201574.59%9.62%4.59%8.25%
201674.18%9.06%4.97%8.87%
201773.84%9.02%5.16%9.48%
201873.88%9.17%5.09%9.26%
201974.27%8.29%5.24%9.49%
202073.09%8.22%5.36%8.82%
202171.02%9.22%5.01%9.89%

K-12 school principal wage gap by race

According to our data, asian k-12 school principals have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. White k-12 school principals have the lowest average salary at $63,605.
$68,000
$67,000
$66,000
$65,000
$64,000
$63,000
Unknown
White
Black or African American
Asian
Hispanic or Latino
EthnicitySalary
Unknown$66,768
White$63,605
Black or African American$64,247
Asian$66,990
Hispanic or Latino$66,872

Average k-12 school principal age

See how the average age of k-12 school principals varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female

K-12 school principal age by race and gender

RaceMale ageFemale age
Black or African American4749
Unknown4645
Asian4445.5
Hispanic or Latino4845
White4848
American Indian and Alaska Native49.546

K-12 school principal age breakdown

The average age of k-12 school principals is 40+ years years old, representing 75% of the k-12 school principal population.

40+ years

30-40 years

20-30 years


K-12 school principal age breakdown

K-12 School Principal YearsPercentages
40+ years75%
30-40 years21%
20-30 years3%

K-12 school principal educational attainment

The most common degree for k-12 school principals is bachelor's degree, with 49% of k-12 school principals earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 45% and master's degree degree at 3%.
  • Bachelor's, 49%
  • Master's, 45%
  • Doctorate, 3%
  • Associate, 1%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

K-12 school principals by degree level

K-12 school principal degreePercentages
Bachelor's49%
Master's45%
Doctorate3%
Associate1%
Other Degrees2%

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K-12 school principal wage gap by degree level

According to the data, k-12 school principals with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $104,083 annually. With a Master's degree, k-12 school principals earn a median annual income of $85,844 compared to $65,228 for k-12 school principals with an Bachelor's degree.
$106,000
$98,000
$90,000
$82,000
$74,000
$66,000
$58,000
Master's Degree
Bachelor's Degree
Doctorate Degree
EducationSalary
Master's Degree$85,844
Bachelor's Degree$65,228
Doctorate Degree$104,083
Learn more about k-12 school principal required education

K-12 school principal employment statistics

Company size where k-12 school principals work

Below, you can see the size of companies where k-12 school principals work.

< 50 employees

50 - 100 employees

100 - 500 employees

500 - 1,000 employees

1,000 - 10,000 employees

K-12 school principal jobs by employer size

Company sizePercentages
< 50 employees8%
50 - 100 employees42%
100 - 500 employees37%
500 - 1,000 employees3%
1,000 - 10,000 employees11%

K-12 school principal turnover and employment statistics

K-12 school principal unemployment rate over time

The unemployment rate for k-12 school principals between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

K-12 school principal unemployment rate by year

YearK-12 school principal unemployment rate
20102.73%
20112.70%
20122.57%
20132.68%
20142.05%
20151.69%
20161.71%
20171.44%
20181.35%
20191.23%
20201.84%
20211.95%

Average k-12 school principal tenure

The average k-12 school principal stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 106 k-12 school principals resumes in Zippia's database.

Less than one year

1-2 years

3-4 years

5-7 years

8-10 years

11+ years

K-12 school principal tenure statistics

Number of yearsPercentages
Less than 1 year5%
1-2 years39%
3-4 years26%
5-7 years17%
8-10 years4%
11+ years9%

K-12 school principal LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs

Review the percent of k-12 school principals that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
Job titleLGBTJob openings
Construction/Program Manager4.08%120,897
Gaming Manager8.19%95,196
Postal Service Sectional Center Manager9.30%33,761
Cemetery Manager11.54%9,959
Health Care Manager11.66%153,821
Grant Manager14.16%7,726
K-12 School Principal16.21%-

Similar k-12 school principal jobs LGBT demographics

ProfessionPercentages of LGBT Job openings
Construction/Program Manager4.08%120,897
Gaming Manager8.19%95,196
Postal Service Sectional Center Manager9.30%33,761
Cemetery Manager11.54%9,959
Health Care Manager11.66%153,821
Grant Manager14.16%7,726

Foreign languages spoken by k-12 school principals

The most common foreign language among k-12 school principals is Spanish at 33.3%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is Czech at 16.7% and German is the third-most popular at 16.7%.
  • Spanish, 33.3%
  • Czech, 16.7%
  • German, 16.7%
  • Japanese, 16.7%
  • French, 16.7%

K-12 school principal languages spoken

Foreign languagePercentages
Spanish33.3%
Czech16.7%
German16.7%
Japanese16.7%
French16.7%

K-12 school principal jobs

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Updated January 8, 2025

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