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The differences between principals and middle 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 and a middle school principal. Additionally, a principal has an average salary of $111,719, which is higher than the $92,607 average annual salary of a middle school principal.
The top three skills for a principal include CRM, project management and financial services. The most important skills for a middle school principal are professional growth, instructional program, and student achievement.
| Principal | Middle School Principal | |
| Yearly salary | $111,719 | $92,607 |
| Hourly rate | $53.71 | $44.52 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 84,015 | 59,247 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A principal is responsible for maintaining the orderliness of the school premises and supervising school operations, enforcing strict safety standards, and reiterating regulatory procedures. Principals' duties also include managing and monitoring school budget and expenses, improving security plans, conducting regular meetings and sharing updates with teachers and other school personnel, creating reports for school funding, and setting academic goals for everyone's compliance. A principal must administer excellent leadership, communication, and decision-making skills to handle major administrative tasks in maintaining the school's growth.
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.
Principals and middle school principals have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal | Middle School Principal | |
| Average salary | $111,719 | $92,607 |
| Salary range | Between $69,000 And $179,000 | Between $62,000 And $137,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Oakland, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | KKR & Co. L.P. | Paulding County High School |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Education |
There are a few differences between a principal and a middle school principal in terms of educational background:
| Principal | Middle School Principal | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| Most common major | Business | Educational Leadership |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between principals' and middle school principals' demographics:
| Principal | Middle School Principal | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 65.6% Female, 34.4% | Male, 56.4% Female, 43.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.0% Asian, 4.3% White, 66.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 16% |