We surveyed 1,176 school principals to better understand the work environment and required skills of a typical school principal. Here are the results.
How much intelligence is required as a school principal?
Low
High
Working as a school principal typically doesn’t require the use of high levels of intelligence in daily tasks.
Can I learn to become a school principal?
Intrinsic Talent
Acquired Talent
A career as a school principal typically depends predominantly on qualities you can gain through experience, with a small aspect of skills you are born with.
Is it easy to get a job as a school principal?
Easy
Hard
It’s typically difficult to find a job as a school principal. If you’re curious about the numbers, check out the job market for school principals.
Do school principals work full-time or part-time?
90% of school principals work in full-time roles while 10% work part-time.
Is being a school principal stressful?
Low
High
Stress is very commonplace for school principals, contributing negatively towards career satisfaction.
Is being organized important as a school principal?
Low
High
Organization is considered a very important trait for school principals, and is critical to success in the field.
How competitive is the workplace for school principals?
Low
High
School principals tend to see lots of competition in the workplace, with desire to get ahead of co-workers being common.
Does being a school principal require frequent time pressure to complete tasks?
Low
High
School principals will see frequent time pressure on the job, likely contributing to an occasionally stressful work environment.
Are school principals allowed to express themselves creatively?
Low
High
Creativity is intrinsic to being a school principal, and a highly valuable part of the career.
Do school principals have control over the direction of their work?
Low
High
School principals have high flexibility in the direction of their work, allowing them a lot of freedom in how they accomplish their goals.
Is being a school principal physically demanding?
Low
High
Being a school principal may occasionally require demanding physical activity, which may make it not a suitable career choice for everyone.
Are school principals exposed to a wide variety of work?
Low
High
The workload of a school principal changes frequently, with their day-to-day rarely being the same.
Does being a school principal require attention to detail?
Low
High
Attention to detail isn't necessarily required to be successful as a school principal.
Does being a good school principal require compassion and empathy?
Low
High
Strong compassion and empathy are critical to success as a school principal.