Also called: Head of school, Building principal
Leads a school: hiring teachers, setting the culture, handling discipline, and being responsible for results.
A principal's day might include greeting kids at the bus line, observing classrooms, meeting angry parents, solving a broken boiler, reviewing test data, and running a staff meeting, plus Friday night games. It's demanding and influential.
BLS education administrators, kindergarten through secondary.
Master's degree, about 9 years after high school. Master's in educational leadership, a state administrator license, and usually 5+ years of teaching.
Ways in: Graduate school, Certification. Training cost: $60k – $150k.
Majors to look at: Educational Leadership, Education.
Growing slowly (about 0% over 10 years). BLS projects little change.
Low risk for 10 years. AI drafts schedules, newsletters and data reports; leading teachers, handling parents and setting school culture stay human.
Classes: Speech or debate, Psychology, Government.
Official data: O*NET occupation 11-9032.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.