Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
What is a secondary school principal and how to become one
What general advice would you give to a secondary 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 $92,688
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 5%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.70%
Asian 4.30%
Black or African American 11.60%
Hispanic or Latino 13.92%
Unknown 3.99%
White 65.49%
Genderfemale 29.20%
male 70.80%
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
Secondary school principal career paths
Key steps to become a secondary school principal
Explore secondary school principal education requirements
Start to develop specific secondary school principal skills
Skills Percentages Curriculum Development 10.74% Student Achievement 10.69% Staff Development 9.48% School Administration 8.56% Instructional Program 8.06% Complete relevant secondary school principal training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New secondary 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 secondary school principal based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real secondary school principal resumes.Research secondary school principal duties and responsibilities
- Lead the NCA steering committee to assist with the school improvement process.
- Provide oversight of significant curriculum changes design to better meet the needs of the diverse student body.
- Develop academic curriculum, prepare budget, execute in-service teacher training, oversight for discipline and athletic programs.
- Establish and maintain relationships with colleges, community organizations, and other schools to coordinate educational services.
Prepare your secondary school principal resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your secondary 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 secondary 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 secondary school principal resume templates
Build a professional secondary 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 secondary school principal resume.
Apply for secondary school principal jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a secondary 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 secondary school principal job
Are you a secondary school principal?
Share your story for a free salary report.
Average secondary school principal salary
The average secondary school principal salary in the United States is $92,688 per year or $45 per hour. Secondary school principal salaries range between $63,000 and $134,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do secondary school principals rate their job?
Secondary 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.
Updated January 8, 2025
