School Principals
Overview
Snapshot
Summary
School Principals plan, organise, direct, control and coordinate the educational and administrative aspects of primary, middle or intermediate, and secondary schools including physical and human resources.
Also known as: Headmaster or Headmistress.
Specialisations: Middle or Intermediate School Principal, Primary School Principal, Secondary School Principal.
A university degree in teaching and teaching experience is usually needed to work as a School Principal.
Tasks
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determining educational programs based on curricula set by educational authorities
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implementing systems and procedures to monitor school performance and student enrolments
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directing administrative and clerical activities concerning student admissions and educational services
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preparing school budgets and maintaining budgetary controls
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promoting the educational program, and representing schools in the wider community
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supervising the maintenance of school facilities
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enforcing a disciplinary code to create a safe and conducive environment for students and teachers
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organising and implementing methods of raising additional funds in conjunction with parent groups
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controlling selection, training and supervision of staff
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may teach students
Characteristics
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University
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Administrative
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Enterprising
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Helping
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Sedentary
Outlook
JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. The latest data are for the five years from November 2021 to November 2026. Over this period, the number of workers:
- is expected to grow strongly
- is likely to reach 24,900 by 2026.
Source: Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.
Notes: The number employed includes people who work in this occupation as their main job. People who work in more than one job are counted against the occupation they work the most hours in.
Employment projections figures are rounded to the nearest 100. Calculations based on these rounded figures may result in differences to the numbers that are displayed on this page. Employment projections data (including occupations) can be downloaded from the Employment Projections page.
Number of Workers
Year | Employment |
---|---|
2011 | 19,300 |
2012 | 20,100 |
2013 | 19,700 |
2014 | 27,500 |
2015 | 21,700 |
2016 | 18,100 |
2017 | 20,200 |
2018 | 26,900 |
2019 | 26,800 |
2020 | 23,500 |
2021 | 22,300 |
2026 | 24,900 |
Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2021 and Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.
Earnings and hours
Working arrangements
-
Around 96% of people employed as School Principals work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 30 percentage points above the all jobs average (66%).
Full-time workers work an average of 53 hours per week in their main job. This is 9 hours more than the all jobs average (44 hours per week).
More than three-quarters of workers regularly work overtime or extra hours (either paid or unpaid).
Sources: Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average. Overtime hours: ABS, Characteristics of Employment, 2021.
Industries
Main industries
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Most School Principals work in the Education and training industry.
Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, annual average 2021.
Regions
Employment across Australia
NSW
VIC
QLD
SA
WA
TAS
NT
ACT
Employment by State and Territory (% Share)
State | School Principals | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
NSW | 34.7 | 31.6 |
VIC | 21.3 | 25.6 |
QLD | 18.9 | 20.0 |
SA | 7.3 | 7.0 |
WA | 12.6 | 10.8 |
TAS | 2.3 | 2.0 |
NT | 1.5 | 1.0 |
ACT | 1.4 | 1.9 |
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Around 46% of School Principals live outside of capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 38%.
New South Wales has a large share of employment relative to its population size.
The regions with the largest share of workers are:
- Perth - North West
- Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains
- Melbourne - Outer East
- Melbourne - Inner
- Perth - South West.
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian states, territories and regions, in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Worker profile
Age and gender
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The median age of School Principals is 50 years. This is higher than the all jobs average of 40 years.
A large share of workers are aged 45 to 54 years.
Females make up 60% of the workforce. This is 12 percentage points above the all jobs average of 48%.
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.
Age Profile (% Share)
Age Bracket | School Principals | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
15-19 | 0.0 | 5.0 |
20-24 | 0.1 | 9.3 |
25-34 | 7.2 | 22.9 |
35-44 | 24.8 | 22.0 |
45-54 | 33.4 | 21.6 |
55-59 | 20.5 | 9.0 |
60-64 | 10.9 | 6.0 |
65 and Over | 3.1 | 4.2 |
Median Age | 50 | 40 |
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Employment Pathways
Education, training and experience
A university degree in teaching and teaching experience is usually needed to work as a School Principal.
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- ComparED to compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes.
Highest Level of Education (% Share)
Type of Qualification | School Principals | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate | 42.7 | 10.1 |
Bachelor degree | 52.1 | 21.8 |
Advanced Diploma/Diploma | 4.4 | 11.6 |
Certificate III/IV | 0.2 | 21.1 |
Year 12 | 0.6 | 18.1 |
Year 11 | 0.0 | 4.8 |
Year 10 and below | 0.1 | 12.5 |
Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Skills and Knowledge
Employers look for School Principals who can communicate clearly with a diverse range of people, and provide leadership, direction and planning.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
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64%
Learning strategiesFiguring out the best way to teach or learn something new.
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64%
MonitoringKeeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
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63%
Active listeningListening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
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63%
SpeakingTalking to others.
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61%
Reading comprehensionReading work related information.
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61%
Critical thinkingThinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
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61%
Judgment and decision makingFiguring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
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61%
Management of personnel resourcesMotivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.
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61%
WritingWriting things for co-workers or customers.
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59%
Active learningBeing able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
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59%
Complex problem solvingNoticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
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59%
Coordination with othersBeing adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
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59%
Social perceptivenessUnderstanding why people react the way they do.
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59%
Time managementManaging your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
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57%
InstructingTeaching people how to do something.
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57%
PersuasionTalking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.
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57%
Systems evaluationMeasuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
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54%
NegotiationBringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.
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50%
Serving othersLooking for ways to help people.
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46%
MathematicsUsing maths to solve problems.
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
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91%
Education and trainingCurriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
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82%
Customer and personal serviceUnderstanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
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81%
English languageEnglish language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
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69%
Administration and managementBusiness principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
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67%
Personnel and human resourcesRecruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
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65%
Computers and electronicsCircuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
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65%
Therapy and counsellingDiagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and career counselling and guidance.
-
64%
PsychologyHuman behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.
-
62%
ClericalWord processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
-
60%
Sociology and anthropologyGroup behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
-
60%
Public safety and securityUse of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
-
57%
Philosophy and theologyPhilosophical systems and religions, including their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and impact on society.
-
55%
MathematicsArithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
-
52%
Law and governmentHow our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
-
51%
Communications and mediaMedia production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.
-
48%
Economics and accountingEconomics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.
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43%
Sales and marketingShowing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
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43%
History and archeologyEvents of the past, their causes, how we learn about them, and how they influence the way we live today.
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38%
Fine artsCompose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
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27%
TelecommunicationsTransmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities..
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66%
Oral expressionCommunicate by speaking.
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64%
Oral comprehensionListen to and understand what people say.
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63%
Deductive reasoningUse general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
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63%
Written expressionWrite in a way that people can understand.
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61%
Problem spottingNotice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
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61%
Written comprehensionRead and understand written information.
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59%
Speech recognitionIdentify and understand the speech of another person.
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57%
BrainstormingCome up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.
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57%
Inductive reasoningUse lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.
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57%
OriginalityCome up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.
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55%
Speech claritySpeak clearly so others can understand you.
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55%
Near visionSee details that are up-close (within a few feet).
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52%
CategorisingCome up with different ways of grouping things.
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50%
Sorting or orderingOrder or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
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48%
MathematicsChoose the right maths method or formula to solve a problem.
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46%
Far visionSee details that are far away.
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45%
Flexibility of closureSee a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.
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43%
Selective attentionPay attention to something without being distracted.
-
39%
MemorizationRemember things like words, numbers, pictures, and procedures.
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39%
MultitaskingDo two or more things at the same time.
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
-
87%
Making decisions and solving problemsUsing information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
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87%
Planning and prioritising workDeciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.
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86%
Building good relationshipsBuilding good working relationships and keeping them over time.
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85%
Guiding and directing staffGuiding and directing staff, including setting and monitoring performance standards.
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83%
Communicating within a teamGiving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
82%
Coordinating the work of a teamGetting members of a group to work together to finish a task.
-
82%
Coaching and developing othersWorking out the needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or helping them to improve.
-
79%
Scheduling work and activitiesWorking out the timing of events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
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79%
Negotiating and resolving conflictsHandling complaints and disagreements, and negotiating with people.
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78%
Communicating with the publicGiving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.
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78%
Training and teaching othersUnderstanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.
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77%
Leading and encouraging a teamEncouraging and building trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
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76%
Making sense of information and ideasLooking at, working with, and understanding data or information.
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76%
Coming up with systems and processesDeciding on goals and figuring out what you need to do to achieve them.
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73%
Collecting and organising informationCompiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.
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71%
Assessing and evaluating thingsWorking out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.
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68%
Researching and investigatingLooking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
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66%
Looking for changes over timeComparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
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65%
Checking compliance with standardsDeciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
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49%
Working with computersUsing computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
Interests and demands
Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.
Interests
Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.
-
95%
EnterprisingStarting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.
-
90%
HelpingWorking with people. Helping or providing service to others.
-
62%
AdministrativeFollowing set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.
-
38%
CreativeWorking with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.
-
29%
AnalyticalIdeas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.
-
19%
PracticalPractical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
Values
-
90%
IndependenceWork alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.
-
90%
RelationshipsServe and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.
-
86%
Working conditionsJob security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.
-
81%
AchievementResults oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.
-
81%
RecognitionAdvancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.
-
62%
SupportSupportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.
Demands
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100%
Face-to-face discussionsTalk with people face-to-face.
-
100%
TelephoneTalk on the telephone.
-
98%
Contact with peopleHave contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
-
97%
TeamworkWork with people in a group or team.
-
97%
Electronic mailUse electronic mail.
-
95%
Freedom to make decisionsHave freedom to make decision on your own.
-
94%
Contact with the publicWork with customers or the public.
-
93%
Lead or coordinate a teamLead others to do work activities.
-
91%
Unstructured workHave freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
-
91%
Health and safety of othersTake responsibility for the health and safety of others.
-
90%
Frequent decision makingFrequently make decisions that impact other people.
-
90%
Impact of decisionsMake decisions that have a large impact on other people.
-
88%
Responsible for outcomesTake responsibility for the results of other people's work.
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87%
Conflict situationsDeal with conflict or disagreements.
-
87%
Letters and memosWrite letters and memos.
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84%
Angry or unpleasant peopleDeal with unpleasant, angry, or rude people.
-
82%
Time pressureWork to strict deadlines.
-
80%
Being exact or accurateBe very exact or highly accurate.
-
76%
Indoors, heat controlledWork indoors with access to heating or cooling.
-
68%
Public speakingTalk to a group of people.
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 11-9032.00 - Education Administrators, Elementary and Secondary School.
Links and downloads
Research and reports
The Skills Priority List provides a current labour market rating and a future demand rating for nearly 800 occupations nationally. Current labour market ratings are available for occupations at a state and territory level.
Downloads
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Occupation profiles data are available for download.
The Employment Projections are available for download.