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The differences between principals and vice 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 vice principal. Additionally, a principal has an average salary of $111,719, which is higher than the $88,764 average annual salary of a vice principal.
The top three skills for a principal include CRM, project management and financial services. The most important skills for a vice principal are curriculum development, vice-principal, and classroom management.
| Principal | Vice Principal | |
| Yearly salary | $111,719 | $88,764 |
| Hourly rate | $53.71 | $42.67 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 84,015 | 67,974 |
| 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 vice-principal works as an assistant educational administrator whose primary responsibility is to assist the school's principal with daily school administrative tasks, such as certifying and hiring teachers and school staff. In addition to these tasks, a vice-principal conducts parent interviews and serves as mentors and counselors to students. The qualifications to become a vice principal include possessing strong leadership, decision-making, and organizational skills and obtaining a master's or doctoral degree in education.
Principals and vice principals have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal | Vice Principal | |
| Average salary | $111,719 | $88,764 |
| Salary range | Between $69,000 And $179,000 | Between $64,000 And $121,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Paterson, NJ |
| Highest paying state | New York | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | KKR & Co. L.P. | Princeton Public Schools |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Education |
There are a few differences between a principal and a vice principal in terms of educational background:
| Principal | Vice 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 vice principals' demographics:
| Principal | Vice Principal | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 65.6% Female, 34.4% | Male, 50.3% Female, 49.7% |
| 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, 10.9% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 4.4% White, 65.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 16% |