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School principal salary
Average school principal salary
$97,138
Understanding School Principal Salaries
The average salary for a School Principal in the United States is $97,138 per year, or approximately $47 per hour. This figure varies significantly depending on several factors such as geographic location, years of experience, and the specific educational institution.
State Variations in Salary
School principals in states like New York and California often earn more due to higher living costs and demand for experienced educators. For example, principals in New York report salaries exceeding $120,000 annually, reflecting the competitive market for skilled administrators.
Factors Influencing Salary
In addition to location, experience plays a crucial role. Principals with over ten years of experience can expect salaries significantly higher than entry-level positions. Furthermore, those working in specialized schools or urban districts may also see increased compensation to attract and retain qualified leaders.
Career Advancement Opportunities
For aspiring school principals, understanding these salary dynamics is essential. It allows you to set realistic career goals, pursue necessary certifications, and seek positions in higher-paying districts or unique educational settings, ensuring a rewarding career path.
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Where can a School Principal earn more?
School principal salary estimates from across the web
Average school principal salary by state
The highest-paying states for school principals are New Jersey, Delaware, and New York. The lowest average school principal salary states are Nebraska, Colorado, and Hawaii.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for school principals
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vermont | $100,143 | $48.15 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $106,505 | $51.20 |
| 3 | Delaware | $105,750 | $50.84 |
| 4 | Washington | $96,351 | $46.32 |
| 5 | New Hampshire | $93,426 | $44.92 |
| 6 | New York | $100,934 | $48.53 |
| 7 | Oregon | $94,171 | $45.27 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | $93,819 | $45.11 |
| 9 | West Virginia | $98,552 | $47.38 |
| 10 | Maryland | $95,276 | $45.81 |
| 11 | Connecticut | $89,228 | $42.90 |
| 12 | Rhode Island | $84,510 | $40.63 |
| 13 | South Dakota | $95,428 | $45.88 |
| 14 | Indiana | $91,392 | $43.94 |
| 15 | Minnesota | $86,614 | $41.64 |
| 16 | Alaska | $89,941 | $43.24 |
| 17 | Michigan | $87,502 | $42.07 |
| 18 | Texas | $86,532 | $41.60 |
| 19 | Ohio | $85,989 | $41.34 |
| 20 | Massachusetts | $85,204 | $40.96 |
| 21 | California | $99,296 | $47.74 |
| 22 | North Dakota | $86,654 | $41.66 |
| 23 | Georgia | $86,270 | $41.48 |
| 24 | Virginia | $83,541 | $40.16 |
| 25 | Wisconsin | $82,773 | $39.79 |
| 26 | Arkansas | $76,422 | $36.74 |
| 27 | New Mexico | $76,823 | $36.93 |
| 28 | Arizona | $74,603 | $35.87 |
| 29 | Missouri | $77,056 | $37.05 |
| 30 | Idaho | $73,845 | $35.50 |
| 31 | Maine | $76,685 | $36.87 |
| 32 | Montana | $73,027 | $35.11 |
| 33 | Illinois | $73,866 | $35.51 |
| 34 | North Carolina | $74,266 | $35.70 |
| 35 | Mississippi | $76,082 | $36.58 |
| 36 | District of Columbia | $82,771 | $39.79 |
| 37 | Oklahoma | $73,122 | $35.15 |
| 38 | Nevada | $71,492 | $34.37 |
| 39 | Kentucky | $72,319 | $34.77 |
| 40 | Tennessee | $72,069 | $34.65 |
| 41 | Wyoming | $68,091 | $32.74 |
| 42 | Colorado | $68,280 | $32.83 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $71,915 | $34.57 |
| 44 | Iowa | $71,741 | $34.49 |
| 45 | Utah | $72,658 | $34.93 |
| 46 | Louisiana | $71,187 | $34.22 |
| 47 | Nebraska | $68,734 | $33.05 |
| 48 | Florida | $66,653 | $32.04 |
| 49 | Alabama | $68,829 | $33.09 |
| 50 | Kansas | $67,361 | $32.39 |
| 51 | Hawaii | $68,230 | $32.80 |
Highest paying cities for school principals
The highest-paying cities for school principals are Newark, NJ, San Francisco, CA, and New York, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Newark, NJ | $106,629 | $51.26 |
| 2 | San Francisco, CA | $103,865 | $49.94 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $101,057 | $48.59 |
| 4 | Baltimore, MD | $95,536 | $45.93 |
| 5 | Hillsboro, OR | $94,945 | $45.65 |
| 6 | Philadelphia, PA | $94,212 | $45.29 |
| 7 | Indianapolis, IN | $91,153 | $43.82 |
| 8 | Detroit, MI | $87,659 | $42.14 |
| 9 | Cleveland, OH | $87,025 | $41.84 |
| 10 | Atlanta, GA | $86,388 | $41.53 |
| 11 | Boston, MA | $85,184 | $40.95 |
| 12 | Dallas, TX | $84,704 | $40.72 |
| 13 | Washington, DC | $82,813 | $39.81 |
| 14 | Springfield, MO | $75,845 | $36.46 |
| 15 | Albuquerque, NM | $75,807 | $36.45 |
| 16 | Phoenix, AZ | $74,548 | $35.84 |
| 17 | Chicago, IL | $74,209 | $35.68 |
| 18 | Baton Rouge, LA | $71,209 | $34.24 |
| 19 | Jacksonville, FL | $70,048 | $33.68 |
| 20 | Denver, CO | $68,366 | $32.87 |
School principal salary details
A school principal's salary ranges from $71,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $131,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a school principal's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $131,000 | $10,917 | $63 |
| 75th Percentile | $113,000 | $9,417 | $54 |
| Average | $97,138 | $8,095 | $47 |
| 25th Percentile | $82,000 | $6,833 | $39 |
| 10th Percentile | $71,000 | $5,917 | $34 |
Highest paying school principal jobs
The highest paying types of school principals are principal associate, principal, and high school principal.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Superintendent | $82,458 | $6,871 | $39.64 | 22,580 |
| Educational Administrator | $67,252 | $5,604 | $32.33 | 52,917 |
| Principal Investigator | $84,635 | $7,053 | $40.69 | 44,475 |
| After School Program Coordinator | $34,475 | $2,873 | $16.57 | 86,881 |
| School Business Manager | $62,224 | $5,185 | $29.92 | 87,493 |
| School Superintendent | $93,341 | $7,778 | $44.88 | 30,220 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for school principals, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Dr. Albert Boerema Ph.D.
Professor, Calvin University
Which companies pay school principals the most?
School principal salaries at Lexington School and Center for the Deaf and Learning Care Group are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average school principal salary at companies like Acadia Healthcare and Cincinnati Public Schools are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lexington School and Center for the Deaf | $118,069 | $56.76 |
| 2 | Learning Care Group | $108,346 | $52.09 |
| 3 | Acadia Healthcare | $107,432 | $51.65 |
| 4 | Cincinnati Public Schools | $105,582 | $50.76 |
| 5 | Catholic Diocese of Sacramento | $100,697 | $48.41 |
| 6 | Springfield City Library | $100,116 | $48.13 |
| 7 | Maxim Healthcare Group | $99,119 | $47.65 |
| 8 | Basis Educational Group Inc | $97,777 | $47.01 |
| 9 | Baltimore City Public Schools | $97,765 | $47.00 |
| 10 | WAYMAN ACADEMY OF THE ARTS | $97,726 | $46.98 |
| 11 | French American International School | $96,508 | $46.40 |
| 12 | Careerstaff Unlimited - A Genesis Healthcare Company | $94,960 | $45.65 |
| 13 | Atlanta International School | $93,148 | $44.78 |
| 14 | CoSA VFX | $93,056 | $44.74 |
| 15 | Wichita Public Schools | $92,650 | $44.54 |
| 16 | Archdiocese of New York | $91,929 | $44.20 |
| 17 | Birch Family Services | $91,718 | $44.10 |
| 18 | The Menta Group | $91,602 | $44.04 |
| 19 | Ann Arbor Christian School | $91,554 | $44.02 |
| 20 | Pearson | $90,080 | $43.31 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
School Principal salary by industry
The average school principal salary varies across industries:
- The average school principal salary in the non profits industry is $98,222, the highest of any industry.
- The average school principal salary in the finance industry is $90,551.
- School principals in the government industry earn an average salary of $74,782, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for school principals
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Non Profits | $98,222 | $47.22 |
| 2 | Technology | $90,551 | $43.53 |
| 3 | Education | $85,302 | $41.01 |
| 4 | Government | $74,782 | $35.95 |
High paying school principal jobs
School principal salary trends
The average school principal salary has risen by $10,868 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average school principal earned $86,270 annually, but today, they earn $97,138 a year. That works out to a 6% change in pay for school principals over the last decade.
Compare school principal salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average school principal salary over time
Compare school principal salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
School principal salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $97,100 | $46.70 | +2.1% |
| 2024 | $95,100 | $45.71 | +1.1% |
| 2023 | $94,000 | $45.19 | +1.0% |
| 2022 | $93,100 | $44.76 | +2.0% |
| 2021 | $91,200 | $43.87 | +2.3% |
Recently added school principal salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lyce Franais de La Nouvelle Orlans | School Principal (LA Certified: Educational Leadership Junior | New Orleans, LA | 06/30/2025 | $89,000 |
| Riverhead Central School District (Ny | School | Riverhead, NY | 06/27/2025 | $36,523 |
| Edmonds School District | Substitute Principal Pool School Year | Lynnwood, WA | 06/27/2025 | $188,874 |
| Yorktown CSD (Ny | Secretary To School Principal-Temporary | Yorktown Heights, NY | 06/26/2025 | $35,000 |
| Yorktown Central School Dist | Secretary To School Principal-Temporary | Fine, NY | 06/25/2025 | $35,000 |
| GHR Education | School | Pine Lake Park, NJ | 06/25/2025 | $150,264 |
| Amergis | School Slps Needed | Morgantown WV SY | Morgantown, WV | 06/25/2025 | $125,220 |
| GHR Education | School | Kingston, PA | 06/25/2025 | $131,481 |
| Amergis | School Cota | Oklahoma City, OK | 06/25/2025 | $71,428 |
| Christian Career | K-8 Principal-Redwood Christian School | Eureka, CA | 06/25/2025 | $69,000 |
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