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What is a school principal and how to become one
A school principal sees the day-to-day running of his/her school. It is your job to ensure that educational standards are maintained and that students are taught in a safe and productive environment. Your day-to-day activities might include coordinating the curriculum, assessing teaching methods and teacher's performance, encouraging students, calling for parent participation, and overseeing the management of the school facility.
Your responsibilities also include administering the budget, implementing safety protocols and other school policies, and hiring and training staff. You must be readily available to address urgent concerns regarding students, sitting in meetings with students, teachers, and parents, and ensuring that all decisions taken are in the student's best interest.
Becoming a school principal entails that you have at least a few years of teaching experience. You would also be expected to own a master's degree in school administration after your first degree in an educational field to get your school administrator license. You will be paid an average of $44.77 an hour and $99,367 annually.
What general advice would you give to a school principal?
Dr. Albert Boerema Ph.D.
Professor, Calvin University
This is true for all leadership work. In school or educational leadership, it means paying attention to how pedagogical, curricular, and assessment choices provide real opportunities for those on the margins to thrive.
Avg. Salary $97,138
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 5%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.70%
Asian 4.39%
Black or African American 11.61%
Hispanic or Latino 14.43%
Unknown 4.01%
White 64.86%
Genderfemale 55.41%
male 44.59%
Age - 47American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 47Stress level is very high
7.1 - high
Complexity level is advanced
7 - challenging
Work life balance is poor
6.4 - fair
School principal career paths
Key steps to become a school principal
Explore school principal education requirements
Start to develop specific school principal skills
Skills Percentages Professional Development 12.10% Curriculum Development 8.14% Student Achievement 6.33% Professional Growth 5.05% Student Learning 4.91% Complete relevant school principal training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New school principals learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a school principal based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real school principal resumes.Research school principal duties and responsibilities
- Lead school in partnership with local high school to promote higher math, science and technology achievement.
- Create a PBIS system for teachers on how to manage behavior on a daily basis and reward positive outcomes.
- Train volunteers to reach kids for Christ.
- Experience with the Scott Foresman mathematics series for second grade.
Prepare your school principal resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your school principal resume.
You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a school principal resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Choose from 10+ customizable school principal resume templates
Build a professional school principal resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your school principal resume.
Apply for school principal jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a school principal job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How did you land your first school principal job
Are you a school principal?
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Average school principal salary
The average school principal salary in the United States is $97,138 per year or $47 per hour. School principal salaries range between $71,000 and $131,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do school principals rate their job?
School principal reviews
Working with children, teachers and parents. Developing programs to suit a child's needs and interests, mmoments in learning and understanding.
Pressure from parents, pressure from the board, stressful and time demanding obstacles. The fact that people treat you so utterly poorly once you become a Principal.
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Updated January 8, 2025
