Official national median: US$105,870 a year for Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary (SOC 11-9032).
Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025). Observed figure, published May 2025.
For context, the SalaryByRole job-title median is US$112,000 a year.
Showing amounts in USD (USD default). FX as of Sun, 01 Nov 2026 00:02:31 +0000. Convert currencies
The United States national median for a school principal is US$112,000 a year, or about US$9,300 a month before tax.
BLS OEWS (May 2025) publishes the national spread for the matching occupation: US$76,280 at the 10th percentile and US$167,770 at the 90th, a 2.2× gap.
The closest official occupation is Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary (SOC 11-9032). In May 2025 its national median was $105,870 a year.
That is 5% below the SalaryByRole median above. The sources define the job differently (an official occupation group versus a job title), so read them as a range rather than one figure.
The published 10th and 90th percentiles are $76,280 and $167,770, a 2.2× spread.
BLS estimates 328,330 jobs in this occupation nationwide.
51 states have a published figure. Washington is highest at $166,590 (+57% vs national) and West Virginia lowest at $80,650, a 2.07× gap.
23 of the 51 pay above the national median; the next highest after Washington are California ($159,950) and Connecticut ($156,240).
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Median annual pay Observed | $105,870 |
| Mean annual pay Observed | $116,100 |
| 10th percentile Observed | $76,280 |
| 25th percentile Observed | $86,040 |
| 75th percentile Observed | $134,630 |
| 90th percentile Observed | $167,770 |
| Employment (jobs) Observed | 328,330 |
| # | State | Median | vs national |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $166,590 | +57% |
| 2 | California | $159,950 | +51% |
| 3 | Connecticut | $156,240 | +48% |
| 4 | New York | $138,830 | +31% |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $137,470 | +30% |
| … | |||
| 49 | North Carolina | $83,180 | -21% |
| 50 | Mississippi | $82,800 | -22% |
| 51 | West Virginia | $80,650 | -24% |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (Public domain (U.S. Government work)). Figures are copied from the published table without adjustment; ranks and percentage differences are calculated by us. All states · Methodology
The United States is 2nd of 2 countries for this role once medians are converted at the same exchange rate (US$112,000). Australia pays 18% more (US$132,168 at today's rate).
That median is about 1.2× GDP per person (US$90,000, World Bank 2025). That is a rough sign of how far the role pays above the average national income.
| # | Country | Median (USD) | In USD | vs United States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Australia | US$132,200 | US$132,168 | +18% |
| 2 |  United States | US$112,000 | US$112,000 | — |
Using our take-home calculator for the United States, the US$112,000 median loses income tax US$15,810, Social Security US$6,944 and Medicare US$1,624, leaving US$87,622 a year or US$7,302 a month. Total deductions: 22% of gross.
At the published 10th percentile from BLS OEWS (May 2025) (US$76,280) deductions are 18%; at the 90th (US$167,770) they reach 25%, leaving US$10,495 a month.
Consumer prices in the United States rose 2.9% in 2024 (World Bank). Matching that on the US$112,000 median takes a raise of about US$3,248.
Unemployment was 4.2% of the labour force in 2025.
The United States has 14 public holidays in 2026 (Nager.Date); at the median, one working day is worth about US$431 before tax.
Figures are estimates, updated 2026-11-01. See our methodology for sources and limitations.