K-12 school principal vs school administrator

The differences between k-12 school principals and school administrators 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 school administrator. Additionally, a k-12 school principal has an average salary of $67,099, which is higher than the $48,331 average annual salary of a school administrator.

The top three skills for a k-12 school principal include curriculum development, professional development and mathematics. The most important skills for a school administrator are student issues, student attendance, and curriculum development.

K-12 school principal vs school administrator overview

	K-12 School Principal	School Administrator
Yearly salary	$67,099	$48,331
Hourly rate	$32.26	$23.24
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	59,729	73,018
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	4	4

K-12 school principal vs school administrator salary

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

	K-12 School Principal	School Administrator
Average salary	$67,099	$48,331
Salary range	Between $34,000 And $131,000	Between $31,000 And $73,000
Highest paying City	-	New York, NY
Highest paying state	-	New York
Best paying company	-	KIPP Northern California Public Schools
Best paying industry	-	Professional

Differences between k-12 school principal and school administrator education

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

	K-12 School Principal	School Administrator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Most common major	Education	Education
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

K-12 school principal vs school administrator demographics

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

	K-12 School Principal	School Administrator
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 63.7% Female, 36.3%	Male, 40.6% Female, 59.4%
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, 12.4% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.1% Asian, 4.3% White, 64.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	16%	16%

Differences between k-12 school principal and school administrator 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.

School administrator example responsibilities.

Manage social media profiles through Facebook for important details and dates pertaining to HeartChase.
Provide administrative duties for Pre-K to 7th grade.
Perform presentations using Smartboard, Powerpoint, and Smilebox.
Lead teacher for pre-k class specializing in children with special needs.
Spearhead efforts to raise student literacy and math scores on standardize tests.
Assist or lead meetings including faculty, IEP, and RTI small group.

K-12 school principal vs school administrator skills

Common k-12 school principal skills

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

Common school administrator skills

Student Issues, 21%
Student Attendance, 19%
Curriculum Development, 9%
Classroom Management, 6%
School Administration, 5%
Payroll, 4%

K-12 School Principal vs. similar jobs

K-12 School Principal related careers

K-12 School Principal related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Executive Management Industry
K-12 School Principal
K-12 School Principal vs School Administrator

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse executive management jobs