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The differences between vice principals and 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 vice principal and a school principal. Additionally, a school principal has an average salary of $97,138, which is higher than the $88,764 average annual salary of a vice principal.
The top three skills for a vice principal include curriculum development, vice-principal and classroom management. The most important skills for a school principal are professional development, curriculum development, and student achievement.
| Vice Principal | School Principal | |
| Yearly salary | $88,764 | $97,138 |
| Hourly rate | $42.67 | $46.70 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 67,974 | 60,093 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A vice-principal works as an assistant educational administrator whose primary responsibility is to assist the school's principal with daily school administrative tasks, such as certifying and hiring teachers and school staff. In addition to these tasks, a vice-principal conducts parent interviews and serves as mentors and counselors to students. The qualifications to become a vice principal include possessing strong leadership, decision-making, and organizational skills and obtaining a master's or doctoral degree in education.
A School Principal supervises and directs education and teaching programs within a school. They develop and implement policies, programs, curriculum activities, budgets, and more.
Vice principals and school principals have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Vice Principal | School Principal | |
| Average salary | $88,764 | $97,138 |
| Salary range | Between $64,000 And $121,000 | Between $71,000 And $131,000 |
| Highest paying City | Paterson, NJ | Newark, NJ |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Princeton Public Schools | Lexington School and Center for the Deaf |
| Best paying industry | Education | Non Profits |
There are a few differences between a vice principal and a school principal in terms of educational background:
| Vice Principal | School Principal | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Most common major | Educational Leadership | Educational Leadership |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between vice principals' and school principals' demographics:
| Vice Principal | School Principal | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 50.3% Female, 49.7% | Male, 44.6% Female, 55.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 4.4% White, 65.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 4.4% White, 64.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 16% |