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The differences between vice principals and 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 superintendent. Additionally, a vice principal has an average salary of $88,764, which is higher than the $82,458 average annual salary of a superintendent.
The top three skills for a vice principal include curriculum development, vice-principal and classroom management. The most important skills for a superintendent are OSHA, quality standards, and construction management.
| Vice Principal | Superintendent | |
| Yearly salary | $88,764 | $82,458 |
| Hourly rate | $42.67 | $39.64 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 67,974 | 22,580 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| 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.
Superintendents oversee the administration of schools in a specific school district. They manage the educational programs of each school and create strategic decisions to ensure that the students are learning important subjects. They also supervise school administrators or principals and are responsible for hiring and guiding them. Superintendents should be familiar with their constituents and must always be ready to listen to their needs. It is important that superintendents are good decision-makers and communicators. They are expected to lead their respective districts in achieving their vision. Superintendents drive the team towards their goals and create strategic steps to ensure success.
Vice principals and superintendents have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Vice Principal | Superintendent | |
| Average salary | $88,764 | $82,458 |
| Salary range | Between $64,000 And $121,000 | Between $57,000 And $119,000 |
| Highest paying City | Paterson, NJ | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Princeton Public Schools | BP America Inc |
| Best paying industry | Education | Construction |
There are a few differences between a vice principal and a superintendent in terms of educational background:
| Vice Principal | Superintendent | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| Most common major | Educational Leadership | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between vice principals' and superintendents' demographics:
| Vice Principal | Superintendent | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 50.3% Female, 49.7% | Male, 93.3% Female, 6.7% |
| 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, 12.0% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 13.6% Asian, 4.2% White, 65.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 16% |