Elementary School Principal Salary

Elementary school principals must almost always have a master’s degree in education or a related field. Some employers prefer that candidates possess a PhD in Education or Educational Leadership. Some positions require a principal’s certification and/or license.

They must have leadership and interpersonal skills. They must have work experience in supervising and evaluating staff. They must have experience working in the educational field. They must perform teachers’ evaluations in a timely manner, based on their school district’s policies and guidelines. They must have certain personal characteristics that are required for working effectively with students, their parents, teachers, school district administrators, and the general public. They must encourage and inspire their students to succeed academically. They must lead and guide the teachers to be fair and transparent in working with students. They may have to attend various meetings related to their teachers’ unions. They must have excellent oral and written communication skills. They must be flexible, since they may be required to work longer hours.

In addition to maintaining academic expectations and goals, they must maintain a safe learning environment for all students. They must be able to multitask. They must have strong decision-making skills. They must have excellent presentation skills since they are often required to make presentations to the community, students’ parents, district administrators, and many others. They must be able to manage and develop a school budget. (Copyright 2017 PayScale.com)

Elementary School Principal Tasks

• Oversee school administration, curriculum, programs, services, and resources.
• Communicate school goals, vision, and needs to teachers, parents, the community, and school board.
• Establish academic and behavioral standards for students and administer student discipline.
• Ensure compliance with all laws, implement emergency plans, and establish safety regulations.
• Hire, supervise, and evaluate school teaching staff, administrative staff, kitchen staff, and custodians.

For Elementary School Principals, Chicago provides a pay rate that is 43 percent greater than the national average. Elementary School Principals can also look forward to large paychecks in cities like New York (+35 percent), Washington (+29 percent), Detroit (+25 percent), and Dallas (+10 percent). Compared to the national average, Orlando Elementary School Principals have considerably lower salaries, 27 percent below the national average to be exact. Location appears to be a major driving force in pay for those in this profession. Two other places where employers offer below-median salaries are San Antonio (10 percent less) and Denver (7 percent less).