What does a Principal do?

A principal owns major decisions around Instructional Leadership, Staff Supervision and Evaluation, School Budget Management and sets the technical direction for education projects. You'll spend your days splitting time between hands-on work, mentoring other team members, and working with stakeholders to figure out what's worth building next. This isn't a role where you just write specs and hand them off. You're expected to stay close to the work.

The people who do well in this role tend to be strong in Strategic Planning, Data-Driven Decision Making, School Culture Development, but more importantly, they know how to figure out what they don't know. Education moves fast, and the best principals are the ones who can adapt without needing someone to hand them a playbook every time something changes.

Right now, principal roles pay in the range of $90,000 - $130,000, and most positions are looking for senior level candidates. It's a competitive field, but companies are hiring. If you've got the right skills and can show real project work, you're in a strong position.

How to get there

Build your foundation in principal

Before anything else, get solid on the fundamentals. For principal roles, that means understanding Instructional Leadership and Staff Supervision and Evaluation at a level where you can explain them to someone else. Don't try to learn everything at once. Pick the core topics that show up in every job posting for this role and get genuinely good at them.

Get hands-on with Instructional Leadership and Staff Supervision and Evaluation and School Budget Management

Reading docs and watching tutorials won't get you hired. You need to actually build things with Instructional Leadership and Staff Supervision and Evaluation and School Budget Management. Set aside time every week to write code, run experiments, or practice in a real environment. Hiring managers can tell the difference between someone who has used a tool and someone who has just read about it.

Work on real projects

Tutor, mentor, or teach workshops. Create lesson plans and get feedback from actual learners. The goal is to have something concrete you can talk about in interviews. "I built X, it does Y, and here's what I learned" is worth more than any course certificate.

Get certified in State Principal License/Administrative

For principal roles, certifications like State Principal License/Administrative Certification actually carry weight with hiring managers. They won't get you the job on their own, but they signal that you've put in structured effort. If you're choosing between certifications, pick the one you see mentioned most in job postings for roles you want.

Target your first principal role

Most principal positions are senior level and pay around $90,000 - $130,000. When you're applying, tailor your resume for each job. Use the exact skills and keywords from the posting. Don't be picky about company size or brand name early on. A role where you'll learn fast is more valuable than a prestigious name on your resume.

Grow from here

Once you've got a couple years as a principal, you'll have options. Roles like Dean, Professor are natural next steps in education. The key is to keep building depth in your specialty while picking up broader skills like leadership, architecture, and cross-team collaboration. Your career path isn't a straight line, but this gives you a strong starting point.

Skills you'll need

These are the skills that show up most often in principal job postings. You don't need all of them on day one, but you should be working toward them.

Instructional LeadershipStaff Supervision and EvaluationSchool Budget ManagementStrategic PlanningData-Driven Decision MakingSchool Culture DevelopmentCommunity EngagementPolicy ImplementationCrisis ManagementTeacher Recruitment and Retention

Certifications that help

These won't get you hired on their own, but they show hiring managers you've put in real study time. Worth it if you're switching careers or don't have much experience yet.

State Principal License/Administrative Certification

EdD or EdS in Educational Leadership

CPR/First Aid Certified