Sit in on a teacher's class
Watch a lesson, look through its materials, and discuss with the teacher what could help students follow it.
Career profile
School Administrator
School administrators run school or district programs, backing teachers and handling money, supplies and staff.
Classrooms short on adults and a budget stretched thin call for a decision. Administrators share in making it and explain it to everyone affected.
A day in the life
Meet a family about absences
Meet with the student, family and staff, learn why days were missed, and tell everyone what's next.
Approve or push back on supplies
Check a supply request against the budget spreadsheet before you approve it or ask for something cheaper.
Rework the plan when gains stall
Review progress with teachers, and if students stall, revise the improvement plan and arrange targeted staff training.
Quick facts
Master’s + experience
United States · 2025
$105,870/year
United States · 2025
Little change
United States · 2025–2035
Quick orientation
Preparation, pay & outlook
Preparation
Master’s + experienceTypical preparation includes a master’s degree and five or more years in related work.
Pay
$105,870/year2025 median for kindergarten through secondary education administrators. Pay is reported annually, without an hourly rate.
Outlook
Little changeEmployment is projected to decline 0.3% from 2025 to 2035, with about 20,600 openings annually.
Fit, tradeoffs & changing tools
You might like this if…
- You can listen to a complaint without deciding immediately who is right.
- You like helping adults improve their work.
- You are willing to check the numbers before committing money.
Things to weigh
- Principals usually work year-round, with some evening and weekend events.
- Evaluating staff and limiting spending can mean uncomfortable conversations with people you work beside every day.
Where AI may help
Student-record software organizes attendance and results. Tools that generate content or recognize patterns—artificial intelligence (AI)—can also support instructional planning.
What people still lead
You decide which tools fit the school, involve teachers in their use, and judge whether changes help students learn.
What we can’t predict yet
How much AI will reduce planning work depends on its reliability and the checking it requires. New tools may also add work: choosing them, training staff, and revising school practices.
Pay in context
Earnings
The national median is $105,870 a year, not a starting salary. The principal figures below show how widely earnings can vary.
The spread for principals
The lowest-paid 10% earned under $76,280; the highest-paid 10% earned over $167,770. These are wage percentiles, not beginner and veteran salaries.
Workplace affects the comparison
Principal median annual pay was $107,860 in local-government elementary and secondary schools and $98,020 in private schools.
Openings despite little growth
Across kindergarten through secondary administration, projected employment falls 0.3%, but about 20,600 openings are expected annually. Openings include replacement needs, not just new positions.
Getting started
Teach, then prepare for school leadership
- What the route involves
- Earn a bachelor’s degree, gain teaching experience, and complete a master’s in education administration or leadership.
- What it can lead to
- This is the usual preparation for principal work.
- What to check
- Most states license public-school principals; requirements vary and commonly include an exam and background check.
Use an experienced-educator examination route
- What the route involves
- In California, eligible educators can pass the California Preliminary Administrative Credential Examination instead of completing an administrative preparation program.
- What it can lead to
- With the other requirements met, you can apply for a Certificate of Eligibility to seek work, then the Preliminary Administrative Services Credential after securing an administrative position.
- What to check
- This route requires a qualifying California credential or license and five years of qualifying full-time experience. Passing the exam alone is insufficient; employment must be verified for the preliminary credential.
This is usually a later step in an education career. Build experience before moving into responsibility for other staff and school operations.
After entry
Career paths
This starts where the entry routes leave off: early work, growing capability, and advancement or specialization.
Get established
Learn the school’s routines and records. Make staff assignments, spending checks, and promised follow-ups dependable.
Lead an improvement
Take an improvement effort from student results to staff learning, then check whether the changes are working.
Lead a larger operation
Move from assistant principal to principal, or toward district leadership supporting several schools. Further education may be required.
Where you can work
A public elementary school
You work close to classrooms and families, while coordinating custodians, office staff, and after-school activities. Building problems compete with instructional priorities.
- Indoors
- Office
A district office
Some administrators support and evaluate principals across several schools. You work with finance, curriculum, and student-support staff to coordinate budgets and programs beyond one building.
- Indoors
- Office
Try it
See whether the job clicks before you commit to the path.
Sketch a fictional after-school schedule: four clubs, two rooms, and three staff members, with one room unavailable on Tuesday. Allocate space and coverage, then write a short explanation for the club that must change days. Notice whether balancing needs and explaining the tradeoff interests you.
Sources
- O*NET OnLine. Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational projections and worker characteristics. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Elementary, Middle, and High School Principals. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- Salem-Keizer Public Schools. Principal, Elementary School. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- Salem-Keizer Public Schools. Director of Middle Schools. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. Administrative Services Credential California Prepared (CL-574c). Accessed 2026-10-02.
- Institute of Education Sciences. AI in K–12 Education: The Good, the Bad, and the Guardrails to Consider. Accessed 2026-10-02.