K-12 school principal vs superintendent

The differences between k-12 school principals and 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 superintendent. Additionally, a superintendent has an average salary of $82,458, 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 superintendent are OSHA, quality standards, and construction management.

K-12 school principal vs superintendent overview

	K-12 School Principal	Superintendent
Yearly salary	$67,099	$82,458
Hourly rate	$32.26	$39.64
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	59,729	22,580
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	4	4

K-12 school principal vs superintendent salary

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

	K-12 School Principal	Superintendent
Average salary	$67,099	$82,458
Salary range	Between $34,000 And $131,000	Between $57,000 And $119,000
Highest paying City	-	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	Rhode Island
Best paying company	-	BP America Inc
Best paying industry	-	Construction

Differences between k-12 school principal and superintendent education

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

	K-12 School Principal	Superintendent
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Most common major	Education	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

K-12 school principal vs superintendent demographics

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

	K-12 School Principal	Superintendent
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 63.7% Female, 36.3%	Male, 93.3% Female, 6.7%
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, 12.0% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 13.6% Asian, 4.2% White, 65.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	16%	16%

Differences between k-12 school principal and 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.

Superintendent example responsibilities.

Manage, coordinate, plan and provide oversight for all nuclear work perform during PSA's.
Manage $9.1M budget; 28,000 grind and flight training requirements and 2,400 hr flying training program.
Manage a team of 30 operators and maintenance personnel producing extrusion and blown polypropylene shrink film on a unionize site.
Lead and facilitate meetings; oversee implementation of OSHA and company safety regulations.
Manage complex logistics, including procuring materials and navigating space constraints, to successfully complete project amid concurrent construction of building.
Coordinate and oversee commercial roofing projects.

K-12 school principal vs superintendent skills

Common k-12 school principal skills

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

Common superintendent skills

OSHA, 11%
Quality Standards, 7%
Construction Management, 7%
Logistics, 6%
Customer Service, 5%
Project Management, 5%