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The differences between principal investigators and school principals can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a principal investigator and a school principal. Additionally, a school principal has an average salary of $97,138, which is higher than the $84,635 average annual salary of a principal investigator.
The top three skills for a principal investigator include patients, data collection and project management. The most important skills for a school principal are professional development, curriculum development, and student achievement.
| Principal Investigator | School Principal | |
| Yearly salary | $84,635 | $97,138 |
| Hourly rate | $40.69 | $46.70 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 44,475 | 60,093 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A Principal Investigator is the primary person who is responsible for designing, conducting, and reporting a research project. They report to a designated official such as the department head or division chief.
A School Principal supervises and directs education and teaching programs within a school. They develop and implement policies, programs, curriculum activities, budgets, and more.
Principal investigators and school principals have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal Investigator | School Principal | |
| Average salary | $84,635 | $97,138 |
| Salary range | Between $59,000 And $120,000 | Between $71,000 And $131,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Newark, NJ |
| Highest paying state | California | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Incyte | Lexington School and Center for the Deaf |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Non Profits |
There are a few differences between a principal investigator and a school principal in terms of educational background:
| Principal Investigator | School Principal | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Educational Leadership |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between principal investigators' and school principals' demographics:
| Principal Investigator | School Principal | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 52.2% Female, 47.8% | Male, 44.6% Female, 55.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.0% Asian, 4.3% White, 66.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 4.4% White, 64.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 16% |