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The differences between school directors and high 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 director and a high school principal. Additionally, a high school principal has an average salary of $96,329, which is higher than the $68,563 average annual salary of a school director.
The top three skills for a school director include professional development, K-12 and curriculum development. The most important skills for a high school principal are student achievement, curriculum development, and staff development.
| School Director | High School Principal | |
| Yearly salary | $68,563 | $96,329 |
| Hourly rate | $32.96 | $46.31 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 37,761 | 61,948 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A school director oversees educational programs, ensuring everything runs smoothly and efficiently. They typically gather and analyze data, review reports, monitor faculty staff's performance and the progress of all teaching methods, and resolve issues should any arise. They usually work together with the teaching staff to research and develop educational curricula and programs, participate in hiring educators, and supervise staff. Moreover, a school director leads and encourages the workforce to reach goals while implementing the school's policies and regulations, developing new ones when necessary.
A High School Principal oversees and supervises the daily operations of a high school. They are typically in charge of setting goals and objectives, establishing budgets and guidelines, creating schedules, spearheading academic programs, developing strategies to accomplish objectives, and conducting regular workforce assessments, ensuring efficiency and smooth workflow. It is also their responsibility to address issues and concerns, resolving them promptly and efficiently. Moreover, a High School Principal implements policies and regulations to maintain a healthy and safe learning environment for everyone.
School directors and high school principals have different pay scales, as shown below.
| School Director | High School Principal | |
| Average salary | $68,563 | $96,329 |
| Salary range | Between $46,000 And $100,000 | Between $70,000 And $131,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Rafael, CA | East Palo Alto, CA |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | Washington |
| Best paying company | Learning Care Group | Jo-Ann Stores |
| Best paying industry | Education | Education |
There are a few differences between a school director and a high school principal in terms of educational background:
| School Director | High School Principal | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Most common major | Business | Educational Leadership |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between school directors' and high school principals' demographics:
| School Director | High School Principal | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 36.4% Female, 63.6% | Male, 64.1% Female, 35.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 13.7% Asian, 4.3% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 4.4% White, 66.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 16% |