Job description
Principals work in elementary, middle and high schools, as well as pre-schools, daycares, colleges and universities, the entire year. He or she will manage public and private school operations and other daily activities.
They are responsible for managing staff and teachers, completing administrative tasks, coordinating curriculum with the local school board, and giving students a safe and productive environment to learn and grow.
Duties
- Plan academic calendars for the entire school
- Design new programmes, restructure old ones, and maintain these agendas
- Establish and enforce school policies
- Supervise faculty, staff and students, and ensure they are doing what they need to do
- Handle student recruitment and admissions into the school
- Communicate with parents when it is necessary
- Secure funding for the school, and handle the institution’s budget
- Discipline students when they have violated school policies
- Hire new staff members and terminate current employees
- Assess teaching methods by monitoring their performance in the classroom and examining test results
- Oversee facilities and determine if renovations, repairs or replacements are needed
- Attend school functions after hours, like school board meetings, plays, concerts and sporting events
- Speak with the media should a newsworthy incident happen to the school
Skills, qualities and knowledge
Working hours and environment
Average working hours
40hweek
Typical schedule
Full Time
Evenings and weekends occasionally
A principal will complete the standard 40-hour work week. However, principals may need to come into the school on evenings or weekends to meet with parents, speak with members of the community or attend school events related to arts and sports. Principals do not enjoy summers off as teachers do, and they will work year-round.
Salary
Bottom 10%
$61k
Median
$95k
Top 10%
$150k
Annual salary estimates are based on percentile wage data collected through the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) survey of US workers.
Qualifications and training
Education level
Postgraduate
DVM / VMD degree
Study time
6years
To become a principal, a bachelor’s degree is required, preferably in education. You then typically need a master’s degree in either education leadership or education administration. This degree will educate you on learning theories, curriculum design, ethics, teacher evaluation and budget management.
Jurisdictions do have different rules and regulations that might mandate licensing or certification to become a principal. You will also need to pass a background check.
Job outlook
Projected growth
8%
No of new jobs
19.8k
Automation risk
N/A
Career progression
Before getting hired as a principal at a private high school or a public elementary school, you will often need to spend a few years in a teaching position first. This allows you to better understand how schools operate, what common student needs are and what the various teacher concerns a principal will come across.
Also, many principals serve as assistant principals first.
After succeeding in this field and receiving numerous accolades, principals will advance to various roles like superintendent and school district manager. Principals could later transfer to other areas, such as publishing, grants development, pupil services and authorship.
Sources
Bureau of Labor Statistics