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The differences between school directors 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 director and a middle school principal. Additionally, a middle school principal has an average salary of $92,607, 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 middle school principal are professional growth, instructional program, and student achievement.
| School Director | Middle School Principal | |
| Yearly salary | $68,563 | $92,607 |
| Hourly rate | $32.96 | $44.52 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 37,761 | 59,247 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| 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 middle school principal is an individual who is responsible for managing the operations of a school that caters to children from the fifth to the eighth grades. This principal must supervise the responsibilities of all employees of the school, such as teachers, maintenance workers, and administrative staff members. The principal is required to conduct regular staff and parents' meetings to create a cooperative relationship that supports student learning. This principle must also lead and direct the development of educational programs that can optimize learning among middle school students.
School directors and middle school principals have different pay scales, as shown below.
| School Director | Middle School Principal | |
| Average salary | $68,563 | $92,607 |
| Salary range | Between $46,000 And $100,000 | Between $62,000 And $137,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Rafael, CA | Oakland, CA |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Learning Care Group | Paulding County High School |
| Best paying industry | Education | Education |
There are a few differences between a school director and a middle school principal in terms of educational background:
| School Director | Middle School Principal | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| Most common major | Business | Educational Leadership |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between school directors' and middle school principals' demographics:
| School Director | Middle School Principal | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 36.4% Female, 63.6% | Male, 56.4% Female, 43.6% |
| 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, 11.7% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 4.3% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 16% |