Salaries › School Principal
School Principal Salary by State (2026)
School Principals (Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary) hold 328,360 jobs across the US. Typical pay is $114,720 per year, but the median ranges from $80,650 in West Virginia to $166,590 in Washington. Pick your state for the full pay range and an estimated take-home after taxes.
Median School Principal salary in every state
| State | Median salary | Jobs |
| Washington | $166,590 | 6,470 |
| California | $159,950 | 31,370 |
| Connecticut | $156,240 | 4,610 |
| New York | $138,830 | 19,210 |
| District of Columbia | $137,470 | 1,930 |
| New Jersey | $137,440 | 11,450 |
| Delaware | $132,710 | 1,100 |
| Maryland | $131,510 | 7,200 |
| Oregon | $130,050 | 4,160 |
| Utah | $128,880 | 2,940 |
| Massachusetts | $128,430 | 10,570 |
| Minnesota | $127,000 | 4,120 |
| Hawaii | $126,760 | 1,910 |
| Alaska | $125,520 | 890 |
| Rhode Island | $119,980 | 1,160 |
| Pennsylvania | $118,710 | 14,460 |
| Wisconsin | $117,010 | 4,030 |
| Illinois | $113,360 | 14,850 |
| Nebraska | $110,580 | 1,860 |
| Colorado | $110,530 | 5,760 |
| Nevada | $109,420 | 2,490 |
| North Dakota | $107,940 | 810 |
| New Mexico | $107,720 | 2,290 |
| Virginia | $106,100 | 8,470 |
| Wyoming | $105,480 | 410 |
| Vermont | $105,350 | 1,000 |
| New Hampshire | $104,910 | 1,590 |
| Iowa | $104,260 | 3,310 |
| Michigan | $104,020 | 9,610 |
| Georgia | $103,360 | 7,530 |
| Maine | $102,890 | 1,710 |
| South Carolina | $102,440 | 5,000 |
| Idaho | $101,090 | 1,830 |
| Kansas | $100,530 | 2,520 |
| Missouri | $100,400 | 7,120 |
| Kentucky | $99,920 | 4,940 |
| Ohio | $99,590 | 12,480 |
| Indiana | $98,770 | 6,990 |
| Tennessee | $97,590 | 6,180 |
| Alabama | $97,480 | 3,020 |
| Arizona | $97,480 | 5,270 |
| Florida | $96,490 | 16,960 |
| Montana | $95,700 | 930 |
| Texas | $93,910 | 37,140 |
| South Dakota | $88,390 | 680 |
| Oklahoma | $86,630 | 4,320 |
| Arkansas | $86,330 | 2,760 |
| Louisiana | $83,360 | 5,080 |
| North Carolina | $83,180 | 11,220 |
| Mississippi | $82,800 | 3,170 |
| West Virginia | $80,650 | 1,480 |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the average School Principal salary in the US?
- The typical (employment-weighted median) School Principal salary in the US is about $114,720 per year, based on the latest BLS data covering 328,360 jobs nationwide.
- Which state pays School Principals the most?
- Washington has the highest median School Principal salary at $166,590 per year. Remember that taxes and cost of living vary — a high gross salary can shrink after state taxes.
- Which state pays School Principals the least?
- West Virginia has the lowest median at $80,650 per year. Lower-paying states often also have lower living costs and, in some cases, no state income tax.
Sources and methodology
All figures: BLS OEWS May 2025 (state file, released April 2026) (Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary, code 11-9032). “Typical pay” is the employment-weighted average of state medians. Take-home estimates on state pages use 2026 federal and verified state tax rules from our PaycheckTally engine.