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School administrator vs vice principal

The differences between school administrators 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 school administrator and a vice principal. Additionally, a vice principal has an average salary of $88,764, 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 vice principal are curriculum development, vice-principal, and classroom management.

School administrator vs vice principal overview

School AdministratorVice Principal
Yearly salary$48,331$88,764
Hourly rate$23.24$42.67
Growth rate5%5%
Number of jobs73,01867,974
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 54%Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Average age4747
Years of experience44

School administrator vs vice principal salary

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

School AdministratorVice Principal
Average salary$48,331$88,764
Salary rangeBetween $31,000 And $73,000Between $64,000 And $121,000
Highest paying CityNew York, NYPaterson, NJ
Highest paying stateNew YorkNew Jersey
Best paying companyKIPP Northern California Public SchoolsPrinceton Public Schools
Best paying industryProfessionalEducation

Differences between school administrator and vice principal education

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

School AdministratorVice 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 vice principal demographics

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

School AdministratorVice Principal
Average age4747
Gender ratioMale, 40.6% Female, 59.4%Male, 50.3% Female, 49.7%
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, 10.9% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 4.4% White, 65.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage16%16%

Differences between school administrator and vice 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

Vice principal example responsibilities.

  • Lead the NCA steering committee to assist with the school improvement process.
  • Educate students in economics, mathematics and social studies.
  • Design and facilitate dynamic and effective staff development programs for language arts, mathematics, discipline, and character education.
  • Serve as facilitator for IEP meetings and provide training and direction for ESE students.
  • Conduct IEP when necessary both with and without parents when age of student are appropriate.
  • Establish and maintain relationships with colleges, community organizations, and other schools to coordinate educational services.
  • Show more

School administrator vs vice principal skills

Common school administrator skills
  • Student Issues, 21%
  • Student Attendance, 19%
  • Curriculum Development, 9%
  • Classroom Management, 6%
  • School Administration, 5%
  • Payroll, 4%
Common vice principal skills
  • Curriculum Development, 12%
  • Vice-Principal, 11%
  • Classroom Management, 10%
  • Professional Development, 10%
  • Mathematics, 4%
  • Staff Development, 3%

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