K-12 school principal vs high school principal

The differences between k-12 school principals and high school principals can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a k-12 school principal and a high school principal. Additionally, a high school principal has an average salary of $96,329, which is higher than the $67,099 average annual salary of a k-12 school principal.

The top three skills for a k-12 school principal include curriculum development, professional development and mathematics. The most important skills for a high school principal are student achievement, curriculum development, and staff development.

K-12 school principal vs high school principal overview

	K-12 School Principal	High School Principal
Yearly salary	$67,099	$96,329
Hourly rate	$32.26	$46.31
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	59,729	61,948
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	4	4

K-12 school principal vs high school principal salary

K-12 school principals and high school principals have different pay scales, as shown below.

	K-12 School Principal	High School Principal
Average salary	$67,099	$96,329
Salary range	Between $34,000 And $131,000	Between $70,000 And $131,000
Highest paying City	-	East Palo Alto, CA
Highest paying state	-	Washington
Best paying company	-	Jo-Ann Stores
Best paying industry	-	Education

Differences between k-12 school principal and high school principal education

There are a few differences between a k-12 school principal and a high school principal in terms of educational background:

	K-12 School Principal	High School Principal
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Most common major	Education	Educational Leadership
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

K-12 school principal vs high school principal demographics

Here are the differences between k-12 school principals' and high school principals' demographics:

	K-12 School Principal	High School Principal
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 63.7% Female, 36.3%	Male, 64.1% Female, 35.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.9% Asian, 5.0% White, 71.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 4.4% White, 66.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	16%	16%

Differences between k-12 school principal and high school principal duties and responsibilities

K-12 school principal example responsibilities.

Lead the NCA steering committee to assist with the school improvement process.
Establish and maintain relationships with colleges, community organizations, and other schools to coordinate educational services.
Establish and maintain relationships with colleges, community organizations, and other schools to coordinate educational services.

High school principal example 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.
Co-Design kindergarten readiness program that will bring in-home and wrap around services to academically at-risk kindergarten students.
Result in international interest in available ESL programs.

K-12 school principal vs high school principal skills

Common k-12 school principal skills

Curriculum Development, 39%
Professional Development, 19%
Mathematics, 16%
Instructional Leadership, 14%
Staff Development, 12%

Common high school principal skills

Student Achievement, 8%
Curriculum Development, 7%
Staff Development, 6%
Instructional Program, 6%
Professional Growth, 6%
Student Learning, 6%

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K-12 School Principal
K-12 School Principal vs High School Principal

Updated January 8, 2025

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