K-12 school principal vs school director

The differences between k-12 school principals and school directors 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 director. Additionally, a school director has an average salary of $68,563, 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 school director are professional development, K-12, and curriculum development.

K-12 school principal vs school director overview

	K-12 School Principal	School Director
Yearly salary	$67,099	$68,563
Hourly rate	$32.26	$32.96
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	59,729	37,761
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 director salary

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

	K-12 School Principal	School Director
Average salary	$67,099	$68,563
Salary range	Between $34,000 And $131,000	Between $46,000 And $100,000
Highest paying City	-	San Rafael, CA
Highest paying state	-	Oregon
Best paying company	-	Learning Care Group
Best paying industry	-	Education

Differences between k-12 school principal and school director education

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

	K-12 School Principal	School Director
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 director demographics

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

	K-12 School Principal	School Director
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 63.7% Female, 36.3%	Male, 36.4% Female, 63.6%
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, 11.5% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 13.7% Asian, 4.3% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	16%	16%

Differences between k-12 school principal and school director 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 director example responsibilities.

Lead project management team in development/execution of conferences and enduring CME -accredite programs.
Improve student performance on district and statewide achievement tests in language arts literacy, mathematics, and science.
Launch several new programs: pre-K, physical education, drama, and reading.
Plan, organize, and administer a school for home teach students in grades kindergarten through high school.
Create math curriculum, develop teacher/room/subject/student schedules.
Supervise, develop and implement preschool and kindergarten before and after school program.

K-12 school principal vs school director skills

Common k-12 school principal skills

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

Common school director skills

Professional Development, 15%
K-12, 7%
Curriculum Development, 6%
Social Work, 6%
Kids, 5%
Math, 5%

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K-12 School Principal
K-12 School Principal vs School Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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