School administrator vs elementary school principal

The differences between school administrators and elementary 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 school administrator and an elementary school principal. Additionally, an elementary school principal has an average salary of $92,372, which is higher than the $48,331 average annual salary of a school administrator.

The top three skills for a school administrator include student issues, student attendance and curriculum development. The most important skills for an elementary school principal are professional development, student achievement, and school administration.

School administrator vs elementary school principal overview

	School Administrator	Elementary School Principal
Yearly salary	$48,331	$92,372
Hourly rate	$23.24	$44.41
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	73,018	61,347
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	4	4

School administrator vs elementary school principal salary

School administrators and elementary school principals have different pay scales, as shown below.

	School Administrator	Elementary School Principal
Average salary	$48,331	$92,372
Salary range	Between $31,000 And $73,000	Between $65,000 And $129,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	Ridgefield, CT
Highest paying state	New York	Connecticut
Best paying company	KIPP Northern California Public Schools	Robbinsdale Area Schools
Best paying industry	Professional	Education

Differences between school administrator and elementary school principal education

There are a few differences between a school administrator and an elementary school principal in terms of educational background:

	School Administrator	Elementary School Principal
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Most common major	Education	Educational Leadership
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

School administrator vs elementary school principal demographics

Here are the differences between school administrators' and elementary school principals' demographics:

	School Administrator	Elementary School Principal
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 40.6% Female, 59.4%	Male, 42.8% Female, 57.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.4% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.1% Asian, 4.3% White, 64.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.1% Asian, 4.3% White, 66.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	16%	16%

Differences between school administrator and elementary school principal duties and responsibilities

School administrator example 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.

Elementary school principal example responsibilities.

Create a PBIS system for teachers on how to manage behavior on a daily basis and reward positive outcomes.
Assist teachers in the Pre-K and pre-school programs.
Establish and maintain relationships with colleges, community organizations, and other schools to coordinate educational services.
Help re-design the 6th grade program to promote smoother transition to jr. high.
Result in international interest in available ESL programs.

School administrator vs elementary school principal skills

Common school administrator skills

Student Issues, 21%
Student Attendance, 19%
Curriculum Development, 9%
Classroom Management, 6%
School Administration, 5%
Payroll, 4%

Common elementary school principal skills

Professional Development, 9%
Student Achievement, 7%
School Administration, 6%
Elementary Schools, 5%
Staff Development, 5%
Professional Growth, 5%

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School Administrator vs Elementary School Principal

Updated January 8, 2025

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