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Secondary school principal vs school superintendent

The differences between secondary school principals and school superintendents can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a secondary school principal and a school superintendent. Additionally, a school superintendent has an average salary of $93,341, which is higher than the $92,688 average annual salary of a secondary school principal.

The top three skills for a secondary school principal include curriculum development, student achievement and staff development. The most important skills for a school superintendent are curriculum development, K-12, and student achievement.

Secondary school principal vs school superintendent overview

Secondary School PrincipalSchool Superintendent
Yearly salary$92,688$93,341
Hourly rate$44.56$44.88
Growth rate5%5%
Number of jobs58,24530,220
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 50%Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Average age4747
Years of experience44

Secondary school principal vs school superintendent salary

Secondary school principals and school superintendents have different pay scales, as shown below.

Secondary School PrincipalSchool Superintendent
Average salary$92,688$93,341
Salary rangeBetween $63,000 And $134,000Between $66,000 And $131,000
Highest paying CityMenlo Park, CA-
Highest paying stateNew Jersey-
Best paying companyJefferson County Public School-
Best paying industryEducation-

Differences between secondary school principal and school superintendent education

There are a few differences between a secondary school principal and a school superintendent in terms of educational background:

Secondary School PrincipalSchool Superintendent
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 50%Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Most common majorEducational LeadershipEducational Leadership
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Secondary school principal vs school superintendent demographics

Here are the differences between secondary school principals' and school superintendents' demographics:

Secondary School PrincipalSchool Superintendent
Average age4747
Gender ratioMale, 70.8% Female, 29.2%Male, 71.5% Female, 28.5%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 4.3% White, 65.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 4.4% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage16%16%

Differences between secondary school principal and school superintendent duties and responsibilities

Secondary school principal example 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.

School superintendent example responsibilities.

  • Create a PBIS system for teachers on how to manage behavior on a daily basis and reward positive outcomes.
  • Establish and maintain relationships with colleges, community organizations, and other schools to coordinate educational services.
  • Reconcile special activity bank accounts and run reports using QuickBooks and upload into SharePoint.

Secondary school principal vs school superintendent skills

Common secondary school principal skills
  • Curriculum Development, 11%
  • Student Achievement, 11%
  • Staff Development, 9%
  • School Administration, 9%
  • Instructional Program, 8%
  • Classroom Observations, 7%
Common school superintendent skills
  • Curriculum Development, 12%
  • K-12, 9%
  • Student Achievement, 7%
  • Public Schools, 6%
  • Elementary Schools, 6%
  • Pre-K, 5%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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