K-12 school principal vs school business manager

The differences between k-12 school principals and school business managers 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 business manager. Additionally, a k-12 school principal has an average salary of $67,099, which is higher than the $62,224 average annual salary of a school business manager.

The top three skills for a k-12 school principal include curriculum development, professional development and mathematics. The most important skills for a school business manager are K-12, professional development, and payroll.

K-12 school principal vs school business manager overview

	K-12 School Principal	School Business Manager
Yearly salary	$67,099	$62,224
Hourly rate	$32.26	$29.92
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	59,729	87,493
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	4	4

K-12 school principal vs school business manager salary

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

	K-12 School Principal	School Business Manager
Average salary	$67,099	$62,224
Salary range	Between $34,000 And $131,000	Between $43,000 And $88,000
Highest paying City	-	Sacramento, CA
Highest paying state	-	Connecticut
Best paying company	-	Selective Insurance
Best paying industry	-	Education

Differences between k-12 school principal and school business manager education

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

	K-12 School Principal	School Business Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Most common major	Education	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

K-12 school principal vs school business manager demographics

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

	K-12 School Principal	School Business Manager
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 63.7% Female, 36.3%	Male, 42.9% Female, 57.1%
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, 11.1% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 4.3% White, 65.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	16%	16%

Differences between k-12 school principal and school business manager 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 business manager example responsibilities.

Utilize on-line agency managing software which aides in conformation of patient progress note submission to Medicare regulation standards.
Provide oversight to school business operations through its closure and transition with regional technical high school.
Maintain a computerize accounting system and are responsible for payroll.
Set up and train production staff to utilize QuickBooks for assembly company inventory system for accurate information provide to commercial customers.
Process rental payments, delinquency notices, evictions, and other property specific communications.

K-12 school principal vs school business manager skills

Common k-12 school principal skills

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

Common school business manager skills

K-12, 15%
Professional Development, 13%
Payroll, 11%
Financial Reports, 8%
Public Schools, 8%
Cash Control, 7%

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K-12 School Principal
K-12 School Principal vs School Business Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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