Everything You Need to Know About Being a School Administrator

We often hear that it takes a special type of person to thrive as a teacher. The most effective educators seem to have continuous streams of compassion and vast supplies of patience embedded in their DNA. That doesn’t even cover the impeccable planning and organizational skills they draw upon to craft engaging, informative lesson plans.

But not every educator wants to teach in the classroom for their entire life. If you’re interested in moving beyond being a teacher leader and taking your career to the next level, you may want to consider a position as a school administrator.

Generally speaking, administrative positions in schools allow you to take on a leadership role, impacting organizational decisions related to hiring, budget allocation, policy, and more. If that piques your interest, read on as we sift through some of the job titles within school administration. We’ll also cover the typical duties a school administrator may encounter and the educational requirements you’ll need to get there.

What is a School Administrator?

School administration encompasses career paths ranging from the primary school level to the collegiate system. While daily duties may vary depending on the job title, these professionals share some common overarching responsibilities: assisting students, supporting faculty, maintaining academic records, and more.

School administrators typically work a 12-month year. During the summers, their efforts may focus more on hiring new teachers, coordinating infrastructure maintenance, or managing curriculum development.

Different job titles may require different skills, but the best candidates for most school administrator positions are typically compassionate, adaptable, patient, and organized. They must also be well-versed in collaboration and negotiation to effectively advocate for policies that benefit the school.

School Administrator Jobs: Primary and Secondary School Levels

You are likely curious about the day-to-day school administrator responsibilities. It’s easiest to separate them into a few categories. You will find specific duties for principals, assistant principals, and superintendents, and directors of curriculum, all of which are involved with elementary, middle, and high schools. 

Principals

Principals manage all school operations. This can include overseeing daily school activities, coordinating curricula, providing a safe and productive learning environment for students, and more.

Principals assist teachers in making decisions to meet student needs, work with parents to create student success plans and manage relationships between students and staff. They also represent and advocate for their schools at the district level, sharing successes and requesting resources. On average, principals in California earn $134,005 a year as of 2024.

School principals also evaluate teachers’ performance and manage budgets. While the principal typically handles issues related to the school and its personnel, assistant principals — also referred to as vice principals — help with student discipline, scheduling, and other day-to-day issues.

Assistant Principals

Assistant principals are educational leaders who work under the direction of the principal and assume leadership of the school in the principal's absence. They assist in planning, developing, organizing, coordinating, and supervising instructional programs and activities.

Assistant principals also play a crucial role in setting standards, expanding their purview, preparing for principalship, and transitioning into the principal role. They are responsible for creating safety policies, developing curriculum standards, setting class schedules, monitoring student attendance, meeting with parents, hiring and training staff, and evaluating teachers. Assistant principals in California earn $104,778 on average as of 2024.

Superintendents

What does a school administrator do if they don’t fit into those roles? Consider superintendents, who are responsible for overseeing an entire school district. Superintendents are responsible for managing day-to-day operations, improving student achievement, and promoting the district's vision and values. They act as advocates, confidants, and experts, adapting to the role their district and students need them to fulfill. Superintendents possess strong communication and interpersonal skills, rallying entire communities behind a shared vision.

Superintendents work closely with the board of education and treasurer to create a unified leadership team. They are responsible for creating a shared district vision, using data to set appropriate teaching and learning goals, and monitoring progress toward fulfilling that vision and achieving those goals. Superintendents in California earn an average of $116,331 per year as of 2024.

Director of Curriculum and Instruction

Directors of Curriculum and Instruction play a crucial role in ensuring an effective educational program is in place, helping students reach their learning potential. They work closely with students and teachers to implement and oversee a curriculum that meets the unique challenges faced by each particular school board. Their responsibilities include developing, implementing, and overseeing the curriculum, and keeping it up-to-date with the latest educational theories and developments. Directors of Curriculum earn an average of $104,124 in California as of 2024.

School Administrator Jobs: Postsecondary School Level

Deans, provosts, and department chairs are some of the educational leaders you’ll find at the collegiate level.

Deans

A dean of students is responsible for overseeing the conduct and general well-being of a college or university’s student body. They meet with students and advise them on personal problems, academics, or housing. In this role, administrators may also create and oversee student services and campus life activities.

Deans of admissions can also be responsible for deciding whether prospective students should be admitted to their college or university. The details of this task include determining how many new students can be admitted, reviewing applications, and analyzing data about applicants and admitted students.

Provosts

Provosts — also called chief academic officers — assist college presidents and chancellors in making faculty hiring and tenure decisions, developing academic policies, and managing budgets. They may also be responsible for overseeing faculty research.

Collegiate School Administrators

The collegiate school administrator role that many of us are most familiar with is the department chair, referred to as associate dean at some schools. One faculty member from each department fills this role. Department chairs and associate deans act as liaisons between students and faculty in their respective departments, assisting with things like student complaints about professors, disputed grades, or allegations of harassment or discrimination.

Benefits of Becoming an Education Administrator

While school administrators can refer to any professional who is in a leadership role within a school, multiple job titles fall under this umbrella. Each one has slightly different roles to fulfill, or the title may be specific to a particular grade level.

Job Satisfaction and Impact

School administrators frequently report high levels of job satisfaction, stemming from their significant impact on students' lives. In 2024, 83% of superintendents expressed high satisfaction levels in their careers. This role enables them to shape educational policies and practices that directly influence student success and well-being, offering a profound sense of accomplishment.

Competitive Pay

One reason to consider a career in school administration is due to the high level of pay these professionals earn. This is one of the few career paths in education that offer a six-figure income. The average school administrator salary at all grade levels is $119,514 per year as of 2024. The typical salary range for school administrators is between $105,832 and $134,527. Public school administrators make more than private school administrators, on average.

Opportunities for Professional Growth and Advancement

Education administrators have significant opportunities for professional growth. They can advance to higher levels of leadership or explore other leadership roles within the educational field. Continuous learning is encouraged through training programs, workshops, and conferences, allowing administrators to stay up-to-date with current research and best practices. This not only enhances their skills but also positions them for further career advancements.

How to Become a School Administrator

So how can you pursue one of these school administrator roles? It depends on the education level in which you’re involved.

At the Primary and Secondary School Levels

To become a principal, you’ll first need to garner several years of work experience as a teacher. Principals also typically require a master’s degree in educational leadership or educational administration and state-specific principal licensure. Candidates who have a diverse range of experiences as well as expertise in topics like public safety and security are especially in demand.

Vice principals also begin their careers as baccalaureate-qualified teachers. After garnering some classroom experience, educators with their sights set on assistant principal positions will want to pursue a master’s degree in educational leadership or educational administration.

While it’s not required, many administrators find that the most effective path toward becoming a superintendent is to first serve as a principal. This would require a master’s degree in an appropriate field. Most candidates work as a principal for 5 to 10 years before pursuing a superintendent position. In competitive markets, a doctoral degree in education can give hopefuls a leg up.

At the Postsecondary School Level

In general, administrative positions in schools at the college level require at least a master’s degree in a field like educational leadership or educational administration. That said, some small colleges or community colleges consider a bachelor’s degree sufficient.

The outliers are provost and dean positions, which often seek candidates with doctoral degrees. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that those who began their careers as professors may possess a doctorate in the field they taught, while other provosts and deans will have earned a Ph.D. in higher education or a related subject.

Department chairs are required to hold full-time faculty status as an assistant or associate professor to be eligible for appointment. Most of the successful department chair candidates have at least five years of experience along with graduate degrees in their fields.

While many college administrator roles require several years of experience in a postsecondary administrative setting, some positions — such as roles in admissions or student affairs — are less dependent on prior administrative experience.

Work Your Way Toward a School Administrator Career

If you’ve been considering the idea of advancing to a school administrator position, now you have a better idea of how to make it happen. In all likelihood, you’ll want to consider advancing your education.

To learn more about your options for school admin programs, take a look at University of Massachusetts Global’s master’s in educational leadership and administration, which includes a California-approved preliminary administrative services credential. Apply to UMass Global today to get started.