How to hire a school administrator

How to hire a school administrator, step by step

Here's a step-by-step school administrator hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a school administrator job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new school administrator
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a school administrator, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect school administrator also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   Here's a comparison of school administrator salaries for various roles:

   Type of School Administrator	Description	Hourly rate
   School Administrator	Elementary, middle, and high school principals manage all school operations, including daily school activities. They coordinate curricula, oversee teachers and other school staff, and provide a safe and productive learning environment for students.	$14-35
   Principal	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... Show more	$33-86
   Superintendent	Superintendents oversee the administration of schools in a specific school district. They manage the educational programs of each school and create strategic decisions to ensure that the students are learning important subjects... Show more	$27-57

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Student Issues
   • Student Attendance
   • Curriculum Development
   • Classroom Management
   • School Administration
   • Payroll
   • Administrative Tasks
   • Professional Development
   • K-12
   • Mathematics
   • Educational Programs
   • Student Performance
   • Child Care
   • Oversight

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage social media profiles through Facebook for important details and dates pertaining to HeartChase.
   • Provide administrative duties for Pre-K to 7th grade.
   • Perform presentations using Smartboard, Powerpoint, and Smilebox.
   • Lead teacher for pre-k class specializing in children with special needs.
   • Spearhead efforts to raise student literacy and math scores on standardize tests.
   • Assist or lead meetings including faculty, IEP, and RTI small group.

   More school administrator duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your school administrator job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A school administrator salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, school administrators' average salary in alabama is 44% less than in new york.
   • Seniority. Entry-level school administrators earn 58% less than senior-level school administrators.
   • Certifications. A school administrator with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a school administrator's salary.

   Average school administrator salary

   $48,331yearly

   $23.24 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level school administrator salary

   $31,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 24, 2025

   Average school administrator salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$61,600	$30
   2	California	$56,274	$27
   3	Pennsylvania	$53,971	$26
   4	Maryland	$53,458	$26
   5	Illinois	$52,821	$25
   6	Massachusetts	$52,733	$25
   7	Indiana	$50,202	$24
   8	Michigan	$48,208	$23
   9	Florida	$46,826	$23
   10	District of Columbia	$46,433	$22
   11	Oregon	$45,333	$22
   12	Wisconsin	$44,344	$21
   13	Nevada	$42,629	$20
   14	Arizona	$41,447	$20
   15	Utah	$39,862	$19
   16	Colorado	$39,085	$19
   17	Louisiana	$37,642	$18
   18	Montana	$36,351	$17
   19	Tennessee	$35,934	$17

   Average school administrator salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	KIPP Northern California Public Schools	$54,539	$26.22	30
   2	Alameda Unified	$52,747	$25.36
   3	Montgomery County Public Schools	$48,443	$23.29	29
   4	Total Education Solutions Inc.	$47,257	$22.72	10
   5	ProCare Therapy	$47,120	$22.65
   6	Christel House International	$46,215	$22.22	4
   7	Canyon Independent School District	$45,996	$22.11	3
   8	Soliant	$45,664	$21.95
   9	River City Education Services, Inc.	$45,213	$21.74
   10	The Arc Jefferson - St. Lawrence	$45,170	$21.72
   11	Renaissance Acquisition Holdings	$43,645	$20.98	1
   12	Lil' Rascals Academy	$43,546	$20.94
   13	Americorps	$43,481	$20.90	10
   14	Pearson	$43,456	$20.89	99
   15	Charter Schools USA	$41,350	$19.88	2
   16	QSAC	$41,104	$19.76	1
   17	Envision	$40,332	$19.39
   18	Buffalo Schools	$38,855	$18.68	2
   19	Kaplan	$35,407	$17.02	2
   20	Kaplan Test Prep	$34,621	$16.64

4. Writing a school administrator job description

   A good school administrator job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a school administrator job description:

   School administrator job description example

   The Administrator of Instructional Programs facilitates the development, training, and implementation of the district's curriculum instructional programs and school site interventions. The Administrator of Instructional Programs facilitates, coordinates, and provides staff development for teachers, curriculum specialists, and instructional team support staff.
   View Job Description
   
   Requirements / Qualifications
   
   Requirements / Qualifications
   
   EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS: A. Possession of a valid California clear multiple or single subject teaching credential B. Possession of a valid California administrative services credential or certificate of eligibility for the administrative services credential C. Master's Degree from an accredited institution of higher learning, preferably in administration, assessment, and evaluation, or a closely related field. D. Three or more years of successful teaching experience E. Three or more years of successful experience in an administrative position preferred
   
   YOUR APPLICATION WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED WITHOUT THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENTS: A. Completed online application B. A letter of interest stating your qualifications and experiences related to the position for which you are applying C. Current resume D. Three letters of recommendation from immediate supervisors signed and dated within the last two years E. Copy of valid teaching and administrative credentials, and a copy of transcripts confirming your earned master's degree. All application documents should be addressed to the attention of: Dr. Kimberly Tresvant, Executive Director of Human Resources
   
   EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS: A. Possession of a valid California clear multiple or single subject teaching credential B. Possession of a valid California administrative services credential or certificate of eligibility for the administrative services credential C. Master's Degree from an accredited institution of higher learning, preferably in administration, assessment, and evaluation, or a closely related field. D. Three or more years of successful teaching experience E. Three or more years of successful experience in an administrative position preferred
   
   YOUR APPLICATION WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED WITHOUT THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENTS: A. Completed online application B. A letter of interest stating your qualifications and experiences related to the position for which you are applying C. Current resume D. Three letters of recommendation from immediate supervisors signed and dated within the last two years E. Copy of valid teaching and administrative credentials, and a copy of transcripts confirming your earned master's degree. All application documents should be addressed to the attention of: Dr. Kimberly Tresvant, Executive Director of Human Resources
   
   Comments and Other Information
   
   The Compton Unified School District is an equal opportunity employer and in compliance with federal and state laws, does not discriminate in employment practice on the basis of race; actual or perceived, color, national origin, ethnic group ancestry, religious creed, age, marital status, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, medical condition, veteran status, gender, actual or perceived sexual orientation, sexual identity, gender expression, sex or association with a person or a group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics at any district site and/or activity.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right school administrator for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your school administrator job on Zippia to find and recruit school administrator candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as k12jobspot, learn4good, serious teachers, teachingjobs.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit school administrators, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new school administrator

   Once you've decided on a perfect school administrator candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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