United States · BLS May 2025
Also called principal, school administrator. SOC 11-9032.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics counted 328,330 school principals or district administrators across the country. Pay varies more by state than most people expect, and the state that pays most is not always the one that leaves most.
Median pay · the United States
$105,870A year. BLS publishes no hourly wage for this occupation.| Percentile | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentileEntry and lowest-paid | $76,280 | Not published |
| 25th percentile | $86,040 | Not published |
| MedianHalf earn more, half less | $105,870 | Not published |
| 75th percentile | $134,630 | Not published |
| 90th percentileMost experienced and senior | $167,770 | Not published |
| MeanThe average, pulled up by the top | $116,100 | Not published |
Method occupation-wage-v1Data bls-oews-2025-05-v1
Washington pays a median of $166,590, West Virginia $80,650. That is a gap of $85,940 before either state's taxes or prices are counted.
Common questions
The median wage for school principals or district administrators in the United States is $105,870 a year.
Half earn more than that and half earn less. The figure comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational wage survey for May 2025.
The top tenth earn $167,770 a year or more, against $76,280 at the bottom tenth.
Experience, specialism, employer and the part of the United States someone works in all move a wage inside that range; the survey reports the spread, not the reason for it.
The survey counted 328,330 of these jobs in the United States for May 2025.
It counts wage and salary jobs, so the self-employed are outside it.
Sources