How to hire a middle school principal

How to hire a middle school principal, step by step

Here's a step-by-step middle school principal hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a middle school principal job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new middle school principal
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a middle school principal do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a middle school principal, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a middle school principal to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a middle school principal that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of middle school principals.

   Type of Middle School Principal	Description	Hourly rate
   Middle School Principal	Elementary, middle, and high school principals manage all school operations, including daily school activities. They coordinate curricula, oversee teachers and other school staff, and provide a safe and productive learning environment for students.	$29-65
   Superintendent	Superintendents oversee the administration of schools in a specific school district. They manage the educational programs of each school and create strategic decisions to ensure that the students are learning important subjects... Show more	$27-57
   Educational Administrator	An educational administrator oversees the daily operations of a learning institution, ensuring efficiency and smooth workflow. They have the responsibility to supervise the hiring and training of teaching and non-teaching staff, develop educational programs and projects, conduct research and analysis to enhance existing facilities, set budgets and goals, establish guidelines and timelines, and address issues and concerns, resolving them promptly and efficiently... Show more	$19-51

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Professional Growth
   • Instructional Program
   • Student Achievement
   • Curriculum Development
   • Staff Development
   • School Administration
   • Student Learning
   • Continuous Improvement
   • Classroom Management
   • K-12
   • Public Schools
   • Student Performance
   • Instructional Strategies
   • Learning Environment

   Check all skills

   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.
   • Collaborate with special education teachers and direct all IEP conferences.
   • Support CTSO participation and advocate for the increase of more organizations on campus by building partnerships within the community.

   More middle school principal duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your middle school principal job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A middle school principal salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, middle school principals' average salary in nebraska is 58% less than in connecticut.
   • Seniority. Entry-level middle school principals earn 55% less than senior-level middle school principals.
   • Certifications. A middle school principal with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a middle school principal's salary.

   Average middle school principal salary

   $92,607yearly

   $44.52 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level middle school principal salary

   $62,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 23, 2026

   Average middle school principal salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$116,391	$56
   2	Connecticut	$111,176	$53
   3	New York	$103,667	$50
   4	Oregon	$96,688	$46
   5	Washington	$89,336	$43
   6	New Jersey	$87,823	$42
   7	Michigan	$86,538	$42
   8	Pennsylvania	$83,318	$40
   9	Virginia	$81,499	$39
   10	District of Columbia	$77,970	$37
   11	Arizona	$77,257	$37
   12	Texas	$62,465	$30
   13	Florida	$62,115	$30
   14	New Mexico	$61,742	$30
   15	Montana	$60,235	$29
   16	Hawaii	$59,553	$29
   17	Illinois	$58,834	$28
   18	Georgia	$57,489	$28
   19	Iowa	$50,965	$25
   20	Colorado	$50,756	$24

   Average middle school principal salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Paulding County High School	$127,286	$61.20	5
   2	Danbury Public Schools	$115,526	$55.54	11
   3	Envision	$111,456	$53.58	2
   4	Ithaca City School District	$108,218	$52.03	1
   5	Torrance Unified School District	$106,591	$51.25
   6	Atlanta International School	$101,421	$48.76	6
   7	Hemet Unified School District	$101,174	$48.64	3
   8	DC International School	$99,746	$47.95
   9	KIPP Nashville	$94,868	$45.61	13
   10	DC Prep	$94,745	$45.55	5
   11	Ridgefield High School	$94,553	$45.46	4
   12	Soliant	$94,462	$45.41
   13	Teaneck High School	$92,242	$44.35
   14	Capistrano Unified	$91,355	$43.92
   15	K12	$90,674	$43.59	9
   16	Temecula Valley Unified School District	$89,593	$43.07
   17	Tustin Unified School District	$86,482	$41.58	1
   18	Harvard University	$85,736	$41.22
   19	Avon High School	$84,470	$40.61	1
   20	Madera High School	$81,648	$39.25	9

4. Writing a middle school principal job description

   A job description for a middle school principal role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a middle school principal job description:

   Middle school principal job description example

   SUMMARY DESCRIPTION:
   
   At the direction of the principal, assists teachers by performing a variety of tasks that promote student learning and well-being. Works individually and in small groups to reinforce instruction, monitor performance, and support learning. This position also performs a variety of instructional and classroom management supports, as well as related clerical tasks to support teachers and other professional staff in all classrooms or learning environments.
   
   CERTIFICATE LICENSE:
   
   None
   
   KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, and ABILITIES:
   
   Knowledge of child development, instructional strategies and practices applicable to assignment, and instructional goals and policies of Montgomery County Public Schools. Ability to assist with implementation of the instructional program and to participate in monitoring and ensuring appropriate student behavior. Ability to exhibit patient behavior and to work effectively with children, young adults, and staff members. Ability to follow written and verbal instructions and to perform all required tasks. Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing. Ability to read/write/speak English. Ability to interact with and support students with special needs. Knowledge of standard desktop computer hardware and software such as MS Office products and database software. Knowledge of and the ability to meet the seven core competencies of the Supporting Services Professional Growth System (SSPGS).
   
   EDUCATION, TRAINING, and EXPERIENCE:
   
   These requirements are in order of preference. 1. AA degree, required. Bachelor s degree preferred. College course work should include a minimum of nine credit-hours related to education field such as behavior management, instructional strategies, and one year experience working with students in structured educational (or academic) situations preferred. Or: If no related education course work, then two to four years experience working with children and adolescents required. I.e. working in a structured setting such as a daycare, pre-school, etc. required. 2. Or at least 48 college credits and two years of experience in an education related field including preschool, adult day program, after school program, extended day, or school/non-school based departments, etc. 3. Or two years of experience in an education related field including nursery school, adult day program, after school program, extended day, or school/non-school based departments, etc., and successful completion of the ParaPro Assessment with a qualifying score of 455 or higher is required. I.e. Opportunity for current supporting services employees 4. Any combinations of applicable education, training, and experience which provide the knowledge, abilities, and skills necessary to perform effectively in the position may be considered.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find middle school principals for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any middle school principals they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level middle school principals with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   To find middle school principal candidates, you can consider the following options:

   • Post your job opening on Zippia or other job search websites.
   • Use niche websites that focus on engineering and technology jobs, such as k12jobspot, learn4good, serious teachers, teachingjobs.com.
   • Post your job on free job posting websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit middle school principals, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new middle school principal

   Once you've found the middle school principal candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new middle school principal. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a middle school principal?