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School administrator vs middle school principal

The differences between school administrators 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 school administrator and a middle school principal. Additionally, a middle school principal has an average salary of $92,607, 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 a middle school principal are professional growth, instructional program, and student achievement.

School administrator vs middle school principal overview

School AdministratorMiddle School Principal
Yearly salary$48,331$92,607
Hourly rate$23.24$44.52
Growth rate5%5%
Number of jobs73,01859,247
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 54%Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Average age4747
Years of experience44

School administrator vs middle school principal salary

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

School AdministratorMiddle School Principal
Average salary$48,331$92,607
Salary rangeBetween $31,000 And $73,000Between $62,000 And $137,000
Highest paying CityNew York, NYOakland, CA
Highest paying stateNew YorkConnecticut
Best paying companyKIPP Northern California Public SchoolsPaulding County High School
Best paying industryProfessionalEducation

Differences between school administrator and middle school principal education

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

School AdministratorMiddle School Principal
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 54%Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Most common majorEducationEducational Leadership
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

School administrator vs middle school principal demographics

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

School AdministratorMiddle School Principal
Average age4747
Gender ratioMale, 40.6% Female, 59.4%Male, 56.4% Female, 43.6%
Race ratioBlack 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, 11.7% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 4.3% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage16%16%

Differences between school administrator and middle 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.
  • Show more

Middle school principal example responsibilities.

  • Lead the NCA steering committee to assist with the school improvement process.
  • Establish and maintain relationships with colleges, community organizations, and other schools to coordinate educational services.
  • Collaborate with special education teachers and direct all IEP conferences.
  • Support CTSO participation and advocate for the increase of more organizations on campus by building partnerships within the community.

School administrator vs middle 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 middle school principal skills
  • Professional Growth, 6%
  • Instructional Program, 6%
  • Student Achievement, 5%
  • Curriculum Development, 5%
  • Staff Development, 5%
  • School Administration, 5%

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