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The differences between vice 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 vice principal and a school superintendent. Additionally, a school superintendent has an average salary of $93,341, 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 superintendent are curriculum development, K-12, and student achievement.
| Vice Principal | School Superintendent | |
| Yearly salary | $88,764 | $93,341 |
| Hourly rate | $42.67 | $44.88 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 67,974 | 30,220 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| 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 superintendent leads and oversees a school district, working with school leaders to ensure that operations run smoothly and efficiently according to standards and regulations. They are primarily in charge of establishing short and long-term goals, developing strategies to meet them. They are also responsible for supervising the employment procedures, selecting the ideal resources to support the students' and schools' needs, monitoring operations, and solving issues and concerns when any arise. Moreover, a school superintendent has the authority to make significant decisions while adhering to the district's vision and mission.
Vice principals and school superintendents have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Vice Principal | School Superintendent | |
| Average salary | $88,764 | $93,341 |
| Salary range | Between $64,000 And $121,000 | Between $66,000 And $131,000 |
| Highest paying City | Paterson, NJ | - |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | - |
| Best paying company | Princeton Public Schools | - |
| Best paying industry | Education | - |
There are a few differences between a vice principal and a school superintendent in terms of educational background:
| Vice Principal | School Superintendent | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| 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 superintendents' demographics:
| Vice Principal | School Superintendent | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 50.3% Female, 49.7% | Male, 71.5% Female, 28.5% |
| 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, 11.1% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 4.4% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 16% |