K-12 School Principal Demographics and Statistics [2024]: Number Of K-12 School Principals In The US (2024)

K-12 School Principal gender statistics

36.3% of k-12 school principals are women and 63.7% of k-12 school principals are men.

  • Male, 63.7%
  • Female, 36.3%

K-12 School Principal gender ratio

GenderPercentages
Male63.7%
Female36.3%

K-12 School Principal gender pay gap

Women earn 88¢ for every $1 earned by men

K-12 School Principal Demographics and Statistics [2024]: Number Of K-12 School Principals In The US (1)K-12 School Principal Demographics and Statistics [2024]: Number Of K-12 School Principals In The US (2)

Male Income

$65,680

K-12 School Principal Demographics and Statistics [2024]: Number Of K-12 School Principals In The US (3)K-12 School Principal Demographics and Statistics [2024]: Number Of K-12 School Principals In The US (4)

Female Income

$58,048

K-12 School Principal gender ratio over time

This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in k-12 school principal positions over time. Currently, 36.3% of k-12 school principals are female.

Male

Female

100

%

80

%

60

%

40

%

20

%

%

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

K-12 School Principal gender ratio by year

YearMaleFemale
201066.95%33.05%
201167.02%32.98%
201265.58%34.42%
201367.55%32.45%
201466.05%33.95%
201565.81%34.19%
201666.22%33.78%
201764.78%35.22%
201865.53%34.47%
201964.06%35.94%
202064.84%35.16%
202163.73%36.27%

K-12 School Principal related jobs gender ratio

We compared k-12 school principals with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, pipeline superintendent and agronomy research manager have the biggest gender ratio gaps.

Job TitleMaleFemale
Community Health Nursing Director7%93%
Early Childhood Services Coordinator7%93%
Tourist Home Keeper8%92%
K-12 School Principal64%36%
Station Superintendent98%2%
Agronomy Research Manager98%2%
Pipeline Superintendent99%1%

Male

Female

Pipeline Superintendent

Station Superintendent

Agronomy Research Manager

K-12 School Principal

Tourist Home Keeper

Early Childhood Services Coordinator

Community Health Nursing Director

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

K-12 School Principal demographics by race

The most common ethnicity among k-12 school principals is White, which makes up 71.0% of all k-12 school principals. Comparatively, 9.9% of k-12 school principals are Hispanic or Latino and 9.2% of k-12 school principals are Black or African American.

  • White, 71.0%
  • Hispanic or Latino, 9.9%
  • Black or African American, 9.2%
  • Asian, 5.0%
  • Unknown, 4.1%
  • American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%

K-12 School Principal Race

K-12 School Principal RacePercentages
White71.0%
Hispanic or Latino9.9%
Black or African American9.2%
Asian5.0%
Unknown4.1%
American Indian and Alaska Native0.8%

K-12 School Principal race and ethnicity over time

See how k-12 school principal racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.

  • White
  • Asian
  • Hispanic or Latino
  • Black or African American

K-12 School Principal race and ethnicity by year

YearWhiteBlack or African AmericanAsianHispanic or Latino
201075.69%10.39%4.51%7.07%
201175.38%10.40%4.03%7.60%
201275.25%10.03%4.38%7.81%
201374.87%9.95%4.40%8.02%
201474.39%9.56%4.92%8.57%
201574.59%9.62%4.59%8.25%
201674.18%9.06%4.97%8.87%
201773.84%9.02%5.16%9.48%
201873.88%9.17%5.09%9.26%
201974.27%8.29%5.24%9.49%
202073.09%8.22%5.36%8.82%
202171.02%9.22%5.01%9.89%

K-12 School Principal wage gap by race

According to our data, asian k-12 school principals have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. White k-12 school principals have the lowest average salary at $63,605.

$68,000

$67,000

$66,000

$65,000

$64,000

$63,000

Unknown

White

Black or African American

Asian

Hispanic or Latino

EthnicitySalary
Unknown$66,768
White$63,605
Black or African American$64,247
Asian$66,990
Hispanic or Latino$66,872

Average k-12 school principal age

See how the average age of k-12 school principals varies based on ethnicity and gender.

K-12 School Principal age by race and gender

RaceMale AgeFemale Age
Black or African American4749
Unknown4645
Asian4445.5
Hispanic or Latino4845
White4848
American Indian and Alaska Native49.546

K-12 School Principal age breakdown

The average age of k-12 school principals is 40+ years years old, representing 75% of the k-12 school principal population.

40+ years

30-40 years

20-30 years


K-12 School Principal age breakdown

K-12 School Principal YearsPercentages
40+ years75%
30-40 years21%
20-30 years3%

K-12 School Principal educational attainment

The most common degree for k-12 school principals is bachelor's degree, with 49% of k-12 school principals earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 45% and master's degree degree at 3%.

  • Bachelor's, 49%
  • Master's, 45%
  • Doctorate, 3%
  • Associate, 1%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

K-12 School Principals by degree level

K-12 School Principal DegreePercentages
Bachelor's49%
Master's45%
Doctorate3%
Associate1%
Other Degrees2%

K-12 School Principal Jobs You Might Like

K-12 School Principal wage gap by degree level

According to the data, k-12 school principals with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $104,083 annually. With a Master's degree, k-12 school principals earn a median annual income of $85,844 compared to $65,228 for k-12 school principals with an Bachelor's degree.

$106,000

$98,000

$90,000

$82,000

$74,000

$66,000

$58,000

Master's Degree

Bachelor's Degree

Doctorate Degree

EducationSalary
Master's Degree$85,844
Bachelor's Degree$65,228
Doctorate Degree$104,083

Learn More About K-12 School Principal Required Education

K-12 School Principal employment statistics

Company size where k-12 school principals work

Below, you can see the size of companies where k-12 school principals work.

< 50 employees

50 - 100 employees

100 - 500 employees

500 - 1,000 employees

1,000 - 10,000 employees

K-12 School Principal jobs by employer size

Company SizePercentages
< 50 employees8%
50 - 100 employees42%
100 - 500 employees37%
500 - 1,000 employees3%
1,000 - 10,000 employees11%

K-12 School Principal turnover and employment statistics

K-12 School Principal unemployment rate over time

The unemployment rate for k-12 school principals between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

  • Unemployment rate

K-12 School Principal unemployment rate by year

YearK-12 School Principal Unemployment Rate
20102.73%
20112.70%
20122.57%
20132.68%
20142.05%
20151.69%
20161.71%
20171.44%
20181.35%
20191.23%
20201.84%
20211.95%

Average k-12 school principal tenure

The average k-12 school principal stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 106 k-12 school principals resumes in Zippia's database.

Less than one year

1-2 years

3-4 years

5-7 years

8-10 years

11+ years

K-12 School Principal tenure statistics

Number of yearsPercentages
Less than 1 year5%
1-2 years39%
3-4 years26%
5-7 years17%
8-10 years4%
11+ years9%

K-12 School Principal LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs

Review the percent of k-12 school principals that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.

Job TitleLGBTJob Openings
Construction/Program Manager4.08%120,897
Gaming Manager8.19%95,196
Postal Service Sectional Center Manager9.30%33,761
Cemetery Manager11.54%9,959
Health Care Manager11.66%153,821
Grant Manager14.16%7,726
K-12 School Principal16.21%-

Similar k-12 school principal jobs LGBT demographics

ProfessionPercentages of LGBT Job Openings
Construction/Program Manager4.08%120,897
Gaming Manager8.19%95,196
Postal Service Sectional Center Manager9.30%33,761
Cemetery Manager11.54%9,959
Health Care Manager11.66%153,821
Grant Manager14.16%7,726

Foreign languages spoken by k-12 school principals

The most common foreign language among k-12 school principals is Spanish at 33.3%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is Czech at 16.7% and German is the third-most popular at 16.7%.

  • Spanish, 33.3%
  • Czech, 16.7%
  • German, 16.7%
  • Japanese, 16.7%
  • French, 16.7%

K-12 School Principal languages spoken

Foreign LanguagePercentages
Spanish33.3%
Czech16.7%
German16.7%
Japanese16.7%
French16.7%

K-12 School Principal Jobs

K-12 School Principal Demographics and Statistics [2024]: Number Of K-12 School Principals In The US (2024)

FAQs

What are the demographics of principals in the US? ›

The percentage of public school principals who were female was 10 percentage points higher in 2017–18 than in 1999–2000 (54 vs. 44 percent). In 2017–18, about 78 percent of public school principals were White, 11 percent were Black, and 9 percent were Hispanic.

What are the gender statistics for principals? ›

The odds of your high school principal, the second person, being a man or a woman are about even. Slightly more men were principals than women until around 2000. Since then the numbers have flipped: about 55 percent of principals are now women, about 45 percent are men.

What percentage of principals are black female? ›

Our SASS analytic sample includes 7,510 principals, with 360 identified as Black female principals. Using sampling weights to adjust these raw counts, we observe that Black female principals make up 6 and 7 percent of United States principals, according to SASS and NTPS, respectively.

Who is the youngest principal in America? ›

Kenneth Gorham knows that many school leaders are at least two decades older than he is. But he didn't let that stop him from becoming one of the youngest principals in the nation at the age of 24.

What are the demographics of schools in the US? ›

Kindergarten Through 12th Grade

3 In 2021, there were 6.9 million Black K–12 students (12.8 percent of the total), 2.7 million Asian students in these grades (4.9 percent of the total), and 13.9 million Hispanic students (25.7 percent of the total). Most K–12 students were native-born.

What are the demographics of public school teachers in the US? ›

In 2022, 77.6% of the Elementary & middle school teachers workforce were White, of which 80.3% were women and 19.7% men. Other races that concentrated a significant number of workers were Black (9.86%) and Two or More Races (6.18%).

What is the difference between a principal and a principle? ›

A principle is a rule, a law, a guideline, or a fact. A principal is the headmaster of a school or a person who's in charge of certain things in a company. Principal is also an adjective that means original, first, or most important.

Which gender dominates education? ›

Teaching is increasingly a female-dominated profession…

Globally, women are over-represented in the teaching force. And their numbers are rising: Since 2015, globally, the proportion of female teachers has increased across primary, lower, and upper secondary levels.

Are most principals men? ›

Here is a statistical breakdown of school principals in the US based on gender, age, and race/ethnicity: Gender: Male: 54.9% Female: 45.1%

How many principals are white? ›

Overall, during the 2020-21 school year, 78.4 percent of school principals were non-Hispanic White, 9.5 percent were Black or African American, 8.7 percent were Hispanic, and 3.6 percent were another race/ethnicity. In the 2017-18 school year, Blacks were 11 percent of all school principals.

How many black teachers are there compared to white teachers? ›

In 2020–2021, 79.9% of public school teachers were white, 9.4% were Hispanic, 6.1% were Black, 2.4% were Asian, and 1.6% were multiracial.

Which gender has the most teachers? ›

In general education, women account for 63% of teachers on average across OECD countries, and there are more female than male teachers in all countries except Switzerland (48%). The share of female teachers is particularly high in countries such as Latvia and Lithuania, where over 80% are women.

What is the average lifespan of a principal? ›

The national average of the tenure of school principals is 4 years, with 35% of principals remaining less than 2 years (Levin et al., 2019).

What is the average age of a principal? ›

While the average age of a public school principal was 48.5, nearly 40 percent of charter school principals were younger than 45. A master's degree was the most common advanced degree for public school principals.

What are the demographics and statistics of school superintendents in the US? ›

School superintendent demographics research summary.

There are over 7,292 school superintendents currently employed in the United States. 28.5% of all school superintendents are women, while 71.5% are men. The average school superintendent age is 47 years old.

What are the racial demographics of schools in the US? ›

Of the 49.4 million students enrolled in public elementary and secondary schools in fall 2021,4 • 22.4 million were White; • 14.1 million were Hispanic; • 7.4 million were Black; • 2.7 million were Asian; • 2.3 million were of Two or more races; • 0.5 million were American Indian/Alaska Native; and • 182,000 were ...

Which racial group has the highest level education attainment rates in the United States? ›

In 2022, the percentage of 25- to 29-year-olds who had completed at least high school was higher for those who were Asian (99 percent) than for those who were White (97 percent), Black (95 percent), American Indian/Alaska Native (92 percent), and Hispanic (88 percent).

What age are most principals? ›

There are over 44,219 school principals currently employed in the United States. 55.4% of all school principals are women, while 44.6% are men. The average school principal age is 47 years old.

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