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The differences between middle 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 middle school principal and a school business manager. Additionally, a middle school principal has an average salary of $92,607, which is higher than the $62,224 average annual salary of a school business manager.
The top three skills for a middle school principal include professional growth, instructional program and student achievement. The most important skills for a school business manager are K-12, professional development, and payroll.
| Middle School Principal | School Business Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $92,607 | $62,224 |
| Hourly rate | $44.52 | $29.92 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 59,247 | 87,493 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A middle school principal is an individual who is responsible for managing the operations of a school that caters to children from the fifth to the eighth grades. This principal must supervise the responsibilities of all employees of the school, such as teachers, maintenance workers, and administrative staff members. The principal is required to conduct regular staff and parents' meetings to create a cooperative relationship that supports student learning. This principle must also lead and direct the development of educational programs that can optimize learning among middle school students.
A school business manager is responsible for providing leadership and management of all teaching and non-teaching staff in a school setting and ensuring they perform their duties accordingly to achieve the required standards of learning. The duties and responsibilities include attending senior managerial meetings and taking the lead of all school responsibilities in the absence of the headteacher.
Middle school principals and school business managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Middle School Principal | School Business Manager | |
| Average salary | $92,607 | $62,224 |
| Salary range | Between $62,000 And $137,000 | Between $43,000 And $88,000 |
| Highest paying City | Oakland, CA | Sacramento, CA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Paulding County High School | Selective Insurance |
| Best paying industry | Education | Education |
There are a few differences between a middle school principal and a school business manager in terms of educational background:
| Middle School Principal | School Business Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Educational Leadership | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between middle school principals' and school business managers' demographics:
| Middle School Principal | School Business Manager | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 56.4% Female, 43.6% | Male, 42.9% Female, 57.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.7% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 4.3% White, 65.3% 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% |