High school principals work in a challenging environment as they help students, staff, and parents meet the challenges of high school life. They may also be overworked, understaffed, and underpaid. While there was a 25 percent increase in salaries for Texas high school principals from 2016 to 2017, there is still a wide variation of salaries across the state.
high school principal salary in texas
The average high school principal salary in Texas is ,540 USD. The median high school principal salary in Texas is ,190 USD. The highest high school principal salary in Texas was reported by Metropolitan School District of Boone County at $99,000 USD and the lowest high school principal salary in Texas was reported by Fort Bend Independent School District as $60,000 USD.
What Are the Requirements to Be a High School Principal?
The job duties of high school principals include managing the school budget and implementing policies. Learn the education and experience you’ll need to become a principal, and discover the median salary for this career.View Schools
What Degree Do I Need to Become a High School Principal?
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), most high school principals have a master’s degree, although a small number have either a bachelor’s degree or a doctorate. The BLS mentions that most schools require that principals have at least a master’s degree and many earn it in education administration or educational leadership. You can earn a Master in Education (M.Ed.) or a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership or in educational administration. Admittance requirements include a bachelor’s degree and a year or more of experience as a teacher.
| Career Requirements | Most principals need a master’s degree and teaching experience |
| Coursework | Learning methods, leadership methods, classroom instruction and curriculum development |
| Online Options | Online programs are available and require the use of web tools to communicate with instructor and classmates |
| Job Outlook (2019-2029) | 4% growth (elementary, middle, and high school principals)* |
| Median Salary (2020) | $98,490 (elementary, middle, and high school principals)* |
Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
What Subjects Will I Study?
Master’s degree programs in educational leadership and education administration include courses that emphasize learning methods and teaching standards. You may study leadership methods that can help develop relationships with teachers and implement a good work environment. Some courses pertain to developing new ways to provide classroom instruction and setting realistic goals. Other courses cover financial efforts that develop technology, integrate new programs and update facilities. You may also learn to:
- Create better community relationships
- Instigate education reform
- Meet state and federal education laws
- Support and supervise teachers
- Improve curriculum
Can I Earn the Degree Online?
Online learning is available for master’s degree programs in educational leadership and education administration. Many of these use Blackboard or Angel as the online learning environments that allow you to access your syllabus, courses and assignments remotely. You can interact with your classmates through topical discussions on Web chats or discussion boards and you can access the online library to write a thesis and complete other research projects. In some instances, you may break into small groups to complete group projects and offer challenges and critiques to your classmates.
We hope this article has been helpful in giving you some insight of what principal salary is actually like in Texas. Remember that your salary is based on a lot of different factors including location, years of experience, education level, etc. It can also vary significantly state to state and school district to school district. So take your findings with a grain of salt and use this article as more of a guideline.
