How much does a Principal make?

Updated Sep 29, 2023

Experience

Industry

$312,247 / yrTotal Pay
$184,800 / yrBase Pay
$127,447 / yrAdditional Pay

$312,247

 / yr
$190K$528K
Most Likely Range
Possible Range

The estimated total pay for a Principal is $312,247 per year in the United States area, with an average salary of $184,800 per year. These numbers represent the median, which is the midpoint of the ranges from our proprietary Total Pay Estimate model and based on salaries collected from our users. The estimated additional pay is $127,447 per year. Additional pay could include cash bonus, commission, tips, and profit sharing. The "Most Likely Range" represents values that exist within the 25th and 75th percentile of all pay data available for this role.

How accurate does $312,247 look to you?

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Total Pay Trajectory

For Principal

$312,247 /yr
Principal
$258,024 /yr
Senior Principal
$191,461 /yr
Assistant Head Principal
See Full Career Path

Download as data table

What is the total pay trajectory for Principal?

Job TitleSalary
Principal$312,247 /yr
Senior Principal$258,024 /yr
Assistant Head Principal$191,461 /yr

Top Paying Companies

For a Principal in United States

Below is the total pay for the top 10 highest paying companies for a Principal in United States. Employers include Google, GCM Grosvenor and Heidrick & Struggles.

1
Google
Google
$447,698/yr
1K open jobs
See pay for all companies for a Principal in United StatesView data as table

Top Paying Companies

For Principal in United States

1Google$447,698
2GCM Grosvenor$418,857
3Heidrick & Struggles$409,136
4Amazon Web Services$404,532
5The Blackstone Group$397,677
6Genentech$374,202
7Oliver Wyman$372,060
8Intuit$368,173
9Amazon$366,226
10Boston Consulting Group$365,330
Total Pay Trajectory

For Principal

$312,247 /yr
Principal
$258,024 /yr
Senior Principal
$191,461 /yr
Assistant Head Principal
See Full Career Path

Download as data table

What is the total pay trajectory for Principal?

Job TitleSalary
Principal$312,247 /yr
Senior Principal$258,024 /yr
Assistant Head Principal$191,461 /yr

What are total pay estimates for a Principal at different companies?

or
Sort:
Company
Jobs
Total Pay Range
Kearney
4.2
PrincipalSee 280 salaries from all locations

$354,157

 / yr
Infosys
3.3
PrincipalSee 254 salaries from all locations

$201,845

 / yr
Boston Consulting Group
4.3
PrincipalSee 243 salaries from all locations

$365,330

 / yr
Mercer
3.9
PrincipalSee 191 salaries from all locations

$278,614

 / yr
Slalom
4.3
PrincipalSee 113 salaries from all locations

$259,090

 / yr
Booz Allen Hamilton
4.2
PrincipalSee 84 salaries from all locations

$236,658

 / yr
North Highland
4.1
PrincipalSee 82 salaries from all locations

$262,904

 / yr

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Capgemini
3.7
PrincipalSee 74 salaries from all locations

$223,833

 / yr
Deloitte
4
PrincipalSee 72 salaries from all locations

$217,462

 / yr
Harmony Public Schools
3.6
PrincipalSee 71 salaries from all locations

$149,586

 / yr
KKR
4.2
PrincipalSee 56 salaries from all locations

$357,389

 / yr
Oliver Wyman
4.3
PrincipalSee 54 salaries from all locations

$372,060

 / yr
Booz & Company
3.8
PrincipalSee 48 salaries from all locations

$309,260

 / yr
Pacific Gas and Electric
4
PrincipalSee 43 salaries from all locations

$305,831

 / yr
IQVIA
4
PrincipalSee 41 salaries from all locations

$222,391

 / yr
New York City Department of Education
3.6
PrincipalSee 41 salaries from all locations

$132,357

 / yr
Pariveda
4.6
PrincipalSee 37 salaries from all locations

$212,596

 / yr
Chicago Public Schools
3.4
PrincipalSee 36 salaries from all locations

$139,375

 / yr
SelfEmployed.com
4.4
PrincipalSee 35 salaries from all locations

$202,129

 / yr
Korn Ferry
3.6
PrincipalSee 35 salaries from all locations

$243,851

 / yr
Download as data table

Principal Salaries

Job TitleSalary
Kearney Principal salaries - 280 salaries reported$354,157/yr
Infosys Principal salaries - 254 salaries reported$201,845/yr
Boston Consulting Group Principal salaries - 243 salaries reported$365,330/yr
Mercer Principal salaries - 191 salaries reported$278,614/yr
Slalom Principal salaries - 113 salaries reported$259,090/yr
Booz Allen Hamilton Principal salaries - 84 salaries reported$236,658/yr
North Highland Principal salaries - 82 salaries reported$262,904/yr
Capgemini Principal salaries - 74 salaries reported$223,833/yr
Deloitte Principal salaries - 72 salaries reported$217,462/yr
Harmony Public Schools Principal salaries - 71 salaries reported$149,586/yr
KKR Principal salaries - 56 salaries reported$357,389/yr
Oliver Wyman Principal salaries - 54 salaries reported$372,060/yr
Booz & Company Principal salaries - 48 salaries reported$309,260/yr
Pacific Gas and Electric Principal salaries - 43 salaries reported$305,831/yr
IQVIA Principal salaries - 41 salaries reported$222,391/yr
New York City Department of Education Principal salaries - 41 salaries reported$132,357/yr
Pariveda Principal salaries - 37 salaries reported$212,596/yr
Chicago Public Schools Principal salaries - 36 salaries reported$139,375/yr
SelfEmployed.com Principal salaries - 35 salaries reported$202,129/yr
Korn Ferry Principal salaries - 35 salaries reported$243,851/yr
Viewing 1 - 20 of 3,700

Top Paying Industries

For a Principal in United States

The top 5 paying industries for a Principal in United States are Manufacturing with a median total pay of $300,586, Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology with a median total pay of $298,297, Energy, Mining & Utilities with a median total pay of $292,486, Hotels & Travel Accommodation with a median total pay of $272,634, and Healthcare with a median total pay of $261,632.

IndustryTotal PayTotal Pay Insight
  • ManufacturingManufacturing$300,586

    28% Higher than other industries

  • Pharmaceutical & BiotechnologyPharmaceutical & Biotechnology$298,297

    28% Higher than other industries

  • Energy, Mining & UtilitiesEnergy, Mining & Utilities$292,486

    26% Higher than other industries

  • Hotels & Travel AccommodationHotels & Travel Accommodation$272,634

    21% Higher than other industries

  • HealthcareHealthcare$261,632

    17% Higher than other industries

Manufacturing

The top paying company in Manufacturing for Principal is Medtronic.

MedtronicMedtronic$300,586/yr

Glassdoor Economist Pay Overview

What is the pay outlook for Education?

Job growth in education remains steady, with modest growth in salaries and greater opportunities for workers with STEM specialization or those with advanced degrees. Opportunities are likely to persist with the projected rise in student enrollment in the coming years. Jobs are often reliant upon state and local budgets with public sector benefits being an attractive feature for many job-seekers.

What people are saying about Principal salaries

Recent Salaries Shared

For principal

Salary Share
Anonymously share your pay to help the community

Job Title

Location

Total Pay

Base Pay | Additional Pay

Total Years of Experience

Years at Recent Employer

Submitted

Date or Time

Principal

United States of America

 | 10-14 years

$125,000

/yr

Submitted Yesterday

10-14 years
Yesterday
Principal

United States of America

 | 15+ years

$160,000

/yr

Submitted Yesterday

15+ years
Yesterday
Principal

United States of America

 | 1-3 years

$120,000

/yr

Submitted Yesterday

1-3 years
Yesterday
Principal

United States of America

 | 4-6 years

$186,875

/yr

$150K | $37K

Submitted Yesterday

4-6 years
Yesterday
Principal

United States of America

 | 15+ years

$65,000

/yr

Submitted Yesterday

15+ years
Yesterday
Principal

United States of America

 | 15+ years

$160,000

/yr

Submitted Yesterday

15+ years
Yesterday
Principal

United States of America

 | 7-9 years

$218,350

/yr

$199K | $20K

Submitted Yesterday

7-9 years
Yesterday
Principal

United States of America

 | 7-9 years

$60,000

/yr

Submitted Yesterday

7-9 years
Yesterday

Principal pay FAQ

The average salary for a Principal is $312,247 per year in United States. Salaries estimates are based on 8287 salaries submitted anonymously to Glassdoor by a Principal employees in United States.

The highest salary for a Principal in United States is $414,713 per year.

The lowest salary for a Principal in United States is $240,117 per year.

If you are thinking of becoming a Principal or planning the next step in your career, find details about the role, the career path and salary trajectory of a Principal.

The principal is the top position in a school and is responsible for keeping it running smoothly. About 77% of school principals report being satisfied with their salaries. In addition, they may also earn bonuses and profit sharing totaling around $127,447.46.

The school principal career covers nearly two decades of teaching and administrative experience. By the time their careers come to an end, some principals can earn a salary of around $527,959.23. Those just starting their roles as principals will be in the low range of pay, around $189,791.29. The average principal salary is $184,799.69.

There are a number of things you can do to increase your earning potential as a school principal. Many school districts provide tuition assistance, allowing school professionals to go back to college to receive additional degrees or certificates. Upon graduating, you may be eligible for a salary increase. It is common for principals to change schools, districts, and states to find an area with larger school budgets and higher average pay. Principals may also want to consider moving to under-served schools, as some districts attract top talent to these schools by offering higher salaries, signing bonuses, and performance bonuses.

Principals who have turned around under-performing schools should have the confidence to ask for an increase in their salaries. Be prepared to draw attention to the positive performance of your current school across standardized tests and in metrics such as graduation rates. Review school principal jobs and interview questions to see what qualifications are expected of new principals. These sources may give you some ideas of additional certifications that can be earned and what metrics to bring when negotiating a higher salary as a principal. It is also helpful to keep an eye on what other districts are requiring in case you want to relocate in the future.

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