K-12 school principal vs school superintendent

The differences between k-12 school principals and school superintendents 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 superintendent. Additionally, a school superintendent has an average salary of $93,341, 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 superintendent are curriculum development, K-12, and student achievement.

K-12 school principal vs school superintendent overview

	K-12 School Principal	School Superintendent
Yearly salary	$67,099	$93,341
Hourly rate	$32.26	$44.88
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	59,729	30,220
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	4	4

K-12 school principal vs school superintendent salary

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

	K-12 School Principal	School Superintendent
Average salary	$67,099	$93,341
Salary range	Between $34,000 And $131,000	Between $66,000 And $131,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between k-12 school principal and school superintendent education

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

	K-12 School Principal	School Superintendent
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Most common major	Education	Educational Leadership
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

K-12 school principal vs school superintendent demographics

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

	K-12 School Principal	School Superintendent
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 63.7% Female, 36.3%	Male, 71.5% Female, 28.5%
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, 14.5% Asian, 4.4% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	16%	16%

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

Create a PBIS system for teachers on how to manage behavior on a daily basis and reward positive outcomes.
Establish and maintain relationships with colleges, community organizations, and other schools to coordinate educational services.
Reconcile special activity bank accounts and run reports using QuickBooks and upload into SharePoint.

K-12 school principal vs school superintendent skills

Common k-12 school principal skills

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

Common school superintendent skills

Curriculum Development, 12%
K-12, 9%
Student Achievement, 7%
Public Schools, 6%
Elementary Schools, 6%
Pre-K, 5%

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K-12 School Principal
K-12 School Principal vs School Superintendent

Updated January 8, 2025

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