How much does a Principal make?
Experience
- All years of Experience
- 0-1 Years
- 1-3 Years
- 4-6 Years
- 7-9 Years
- 10-14 Years
- 15+ Years
Industry
- All industries
- Legal
- Aerospace & Defense
- Agriculture
- Arts, Entertainment & Recreation
- Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology
- Management & Consulting
- Construction, Repair & Maintenance Services
- Personal Consumer Services
- Education
- Financial Services
- Government & Public Administration
- Healthcare
- Information Technology
- Insurance
- Manufacturing
- Media & Communication
- Nonprofit & NGO
- Energy, Mining & Utilities
- Real Estate
- Restaurants & Food Service
- Retail & Wholesale
- Telecommunications
- Transportation & Logistics
- Hotels & Travel Accommodation
- Human Resources & Staffing
$312,247
/ yrThe 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?
Your input helps Glassdoor refine our pay estimates over time.
For Principal
Download as data table
What is the total pay trajectory for Principal?
| Job Title | Salary |
|---|---|
| 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.
Top Paying Companies
For Principal in United States
| 1 | $447,698 | ||
| 2 | GCM Grosvenor | $418,857 | |
| 3 | Heidrick & Struggles | $409,136 | |
| 4 | Amazon Web Services | $404,532 | |
| 5 | The Blackstone Group | $397,677 | |
| 6 | Genentech | $374,202 | |
| 7 | Oliver Wyman | $372,060 | |
| 8 | Intuit | $368,173 | |
| 9 | Amazon | $366,226 | |
| 10 | Boston Consulting Group | $365,330 |
For Principal
Download as data table
What is the total pay trajectory for Principal?
| Job Title | Salary |
|---|---|
| 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?
- Popular
- Most Reports
- Salary: high to low
- Salary: low to high
$365,330
/ yr
$236,658
/ yr
Is this salary info helpful?
Let’s pay it forward! The Glassdoor community relies on people like you to share accurate salary info to promote fair compensation everywhere
$149,586
/ yr
$305,831
/ yr
$132,357
/ yr
$139,375
/ yr
Principal Salaries
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.
- Pharmaceutical & BiotechnologyPharmaceutical & Biotechnology$298,297
28% Higher than other industries
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
Job Title
Location
Total Pay
Base Pay | Additional Pay
Total Years of Experience
Years at Recent Employer
Submitted
Date or Time
United States of America
| 10-14 years
/yr
Submitted Yesterday
United States of America
| 15+ years
/yr
Submitted Yesterday
United States of America
| 1-3 years
/yr
Submitted Yesterday
United States of America
| 4-6 years
/yr
$150K | $37K
Submitted Yesterday
United States of America
| 15+ years
/yr
Submitted Yesterday
United States of America
| 15+ years
/yr
Submitted Yesterday
United States of America
| 7-9 years
/yr
$199K | $20K
Submitted Yesterday
United States of America
| 7-9 years
/yr
Submitted 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.