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Best states for a principal
Quoted expert
Nathan Boles
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Principal opportunities vary in different parts of the country. In order to help you determine the best states for principals, we ranked all fifty states from best to worst for principals.Although there are abundant principal jobs in the United States, a large number of them are in the West. New York is the best state in the country for principal jobs.
New York is the best state for jobs for principals, and Hawaii is the worst. The most common pay in New York is $132,640, while the median pay in Hawaii is $51,515.We found that New York is the best state for principal jobs, whereas Hawaii is the worst.
10 best states for principals in 2026
1. New York
Total principal jobs: 2,685 Average annual salary: $132,640 Lowest 10 percent earn: $84,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $207,000 Location Quotient: 1.09
2. Vermont
Total principal jobs: 254 Average annual salary: $118,967 Lowest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $194,000 Location Quotient: 1.72
3. Massachusetts
Total principal jobs: 2,959 Average annual salary: $119,787 Lowest 10 percent earn: $74,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $193,000 Location Quotient: 1.67
4. California
Total principal jobs: 10,664 Average annual salary: $122,066 Lowest 10 percent earn: $74,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $198,000 Location Quotient: 1.89
5. New Jersey
Total principal jobs: 2,631 Average annual salary: $115,662 Lowest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $184,000 Location Quotient: 1.72
6. Connecticut
Total principal jobs: 459 Average annual salary: $132,479 Lowest 10 percent earn: $84,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $208,000 Location Quotient: 0.72
7. Rhode Island
Total principal jobs: 625 Average annual salary: $106,051 Lowest 10 percent earn: $65,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $173,000 Location Quotient: 2.67
8. Pennsylvania
Total principal jobs: 2,389 Average annual salary: $109,922 Lowest 10 percent earn: $68,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $175,000 Location Quotient: 1.07
9. District of Columbia
Total principal jobs: 556 Average annual salary: $113,835 Lowest 10 percent earn: $71,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $180,000 Location Quotient: 1.72
10. Maryland
Total principal jobs: 1,155 Average annual salary: $116,276 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $184,000 Location Quotient: 0.95
Principal jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a principal
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a principal
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $132,640 | $84,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,685 |
| 2 | Vermont | $118,967 | $72,000 | 623,657 | 254 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $119,787 | $74,000 | 6,859,819 | 2,959 |
| 4 | California | $122,066 | $74,000 | 39,536,653 | 10,664 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $115,662 | $72,000 | 9,005,644 | 2,631 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $132,479 | $84,000 | 3,588,184 | 459 |
| 7 | Rhode Island | $106,051 | $65,000 | 1,059,639 | 625 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | $109,922 | $68,000 | 12,805,537 | 2,389 |
| 9 | District of Columbia | $113,835 | $71,000 | 693,972 | 556 |
| 10 | Maryland | $116,276 | $73,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,155 |
| 11 | West Virginia | $118,916 | $75,000 | 1,815,857 | 97 |
| 12 | Washington | $103,658 | $63,000 | 7,405,743 | 2,331 |
| 13 | Virginia | $103,223 | $64,000 | 8,470,020 | 2,468 |
| 14 | New Hampshire | $96,376 | $57,000 | 1,342,795 | 417 |
| 15 | Ohio | $98,631 | $61,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,403 |
| 16 | Delaware | $109,816 | $68,000 | 961,939 | 90 |
| 17 | Michigan | $104,660 | $65,000 | 9,962,311 | 511 |
| 18 | North Carolina | $97,441 | $61,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,667 |
| 19 | Oregon | $94,899 | $57,000 | 4,142,776 | 1,291 |
| 20 | Indiana | $98,295 | $61,000 | 6,666,818 | 531 |
| 21 | Illinois | $95,002 | $59,000 | 12,802,023 | 2,379 |
| 22 | Nevada | $92,979 | $55,000 | 2,998,039 | 337 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | $94,500 | $59,000 | 5,795,483 | 693 |
| 24 | South Dakota | $100,210 | $64,000 | 869,666 | 40 |
| 25 | Minnesota | $88,115 | $55,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,319 |
| 26 | Arizona | $85,992 | $51,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,186 |
| 27 | Maine | $92,607 | $54,000 | 1,335,907 | 86 |
| 28 | North Dakota | $89,256 | $57,000 | 755,393 | 68 |
| 29 | Utah | $77,187 | $47,000 | 3,101,833 | 1,624 |
| 30 | Idaho | $80,442 | $49,000 | 1,716,943 | 333 |
| 31 | Texas | $84,349 | $51,000 | 28,304,596 | 2,862 |
| 32 | Kentucky | $83,072 | $51,000 | 4,454,189 | 378 |
| 33 | South Carolina | $85,333 | $53,000 | 5,024,369 | 405 |
| 34 | Montana | $78,524 | $49,000 | 1,050,493 | 303 |
| 35 | Georgia | $83,780 | $52,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,018 |
| 36 | Alaska | $85,927 | $53,000 | 739,795 | 49 |
| 37 | Tennessee | $78,861 | $49,000 | 6,715,984 | 417 |
| 38 | Florida | $77,269 | $48,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,603 |
| 39 | Mississippi | $81,724 | $51,000 | 2,984,100 | 57 |
| 40 | Iowa | $78,881 | $49,000 | 3,145,711 | 148 |
| 41 | New Mexico | $74,148 | $45,000 | 2,088,070 | 315 |
| 42 | Missouri | $75,898 | $47,000 | 6,113,532 | 609 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $72,272 | $45,000 | 1,920,076 | 337 |
| 44 | Arkansas | $70,601 | $44,000 | 3,004,279 | 376 |
| 45 | Colorado | $71,853 | $46,000 | 5,607,154 | 893 |
| 46 | Alabama | $75,274 | $47,000 | 4,874,747 | 251 |
| 47 | Kansas | $69,799 | $44,000 | 2,913,123 | 392 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $74,619 | $46,000 | 4,684,333 | 133 |
| 49 | Wyoming | $69,032 | $43,000 | 579,315 | 51 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $68,553 | $43,000 | 3,930,864 | 127 |
| 51 | Hawaii | $51,515 | $32,000 | 1,427,538 | 30 |
Highest paying states for principals
| Rank | State | Avg. Principal Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $132,640 |
| 2 | Vermont | $118,967 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $119,787 |
| 4 | California | $122,066 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $115,662 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $132,479 |
| 7 | Rhode Island | $106,051 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | $109,922 |
| 9 | District of Columbia | $113,835 |
| 10 | Maryland | $116,276 |
| 11 | West Virginia | $118,916 |
| 12 | Washington | $103,658 |
| 13 | Virginia | $103,223 |
| 14 | New Hampshire | $96,376 |
| 15 | Ohio | $98,631 |
| 16 | Delaware | $109,816 |
| 17 | Michigan | $104,660 |
| 18 | North Carolina | $97,441 |
| 19 | Oregon | $94,899 |
| 20 | Indiana | $98,295 |
| 21 | Illinois | $95,002 |
| 22 | Nevada | $92,979 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | $94,500 |
| 24 | South Dakota | $100,210 |
| 25 | Minnesota | $88,115 |
| 26 | Arizona | $85,992 |
| 27 | Maine | $92,607 |
| 28 | North Dakota | $89,256 |
| 29 | Utah | $77,187 |
| 30 | Idaho | $80,442 |
| 31 | Texas | $84,349 |
| 32 | Kentucky | $83,072 |
| 33 | South Carolina | $85,333 |
| 34 | Montana | $78,524 |
| 35 | Georgia | $83,780 |
| 36 | Alaska | $85,927 |
| 37 | Tennessee | $78,861 |
| 38 | Florida | $77,269 |
| 39 | Mississippi | $81,724 |
| 40 | Iowa | $78,881 |
| 41 | New Mexico | $74,148 |
| 42 | Missouri | $75,898 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $72,272 |
| 44 | Arkansas | $70,601 |
| 45 | Colorado | $71,853 |
| 46 | Alabama | $75,274 |
| 47 | Kansas | $69,799 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $74,619 |
| 49 | Wyoming | $69,032 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $68,553 |
| 51 | Hawaii | $51,515 |
Expert opinions on the best states for principals
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for principals to find work opportunities?
Nathan Boles
Assistant Professor of INS (Intervention Specialist) Program, Central State University
Graduates looking for their first teaching opportunity in the field of teaching will find many available in the majority of states. COVID has caused many educators to take early retirement and has caused the teacher to student ratio to decrease, leaving school districts desperately looking for new teachers. Many school districts are hiring students for January 2021, providing them with the opportunity to get an alternate license for teaching while still taking their student teaching and passing their required licensure tests. It is a crucial time in our country; this is an opportunity for educator-practitioners to get their foot in the door early. At current, I have personally seen four student teachers get hired in one school district in two weeks. The need is great, and providing free and appropriate education for all students is vital!
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Updated January 8, 2025