How to Become a Vice Principal
Many vice principals have prior classroom teaching experience, and graduate-level preparation in educational leadership or administration is commonly required for an administrator credential, though requirements vary by state. Nationally, education administrators at the K-12 level earned a mean annual salary of $116,100 and a median of $105,870 as of May 2025, per the BLS.
A vice principal, also called an assistant principal, runs alongside the school principal on the administrative and disciplinary side of running a school. It's one of many education career paths that build on classroom experience rather than replacing it. They handle student discipline, staff scheduling, and the day-to-day logistics that keep a building functioning, while the principal sets the overall direction. As one longtime principal put it, the best ones aren't heroes so much as hero-makers, and the same is true for the vice principals who make that work possible.
The role isn't a 10-month job. Vice principals are usually on a 12-month contract, spending summers on scheduling and planning for the year ahead, and picking up evening hours for community events. Most districts also expect a vice principal to have taught for a set number of years before moving into the role.
How Do You Become a Vice Principal?
The first step is a bachelor's degree. Many vice principals have prior classroom teaching experience, which typically means holding a bachelor's degree and a valid teaching credential along the way. State requirements for the administrator credential itself vary.
From there, you need real classroom time. Some states require prior teaching or other qualifying educational experience before licensing someone as a vice principal, and that experience is often where administrators pick up the curriculum, classroom management, and student-evaluation background the role draws on.
The next step is a graduate program. Teachers usually prepare for the move by earning a master's degree in educational leadership or administration, typically a two-year program covering administrative leadership, school law, and school finance, often with an internship or capstone project attached.
Most states require public school vice principals to hold a school administrator or vice principal credential from the state's educator-licensing agency. Depending on the state and credential, requirements may include graduate preparation, specified experience or clinical practice, and an assessment. Exact requirements vary by state. Licensure requirements for private-school administrators vary by state and employer.
Vice Principal Skills and Duties
Vice principals work across elementary, middle, and high schools, and the job moves fast: classrooms one hour, a bus lane the next, then a parent meeting or a staff huddle. It calls for real multitasking and leadership, and it can be stressful too: reviewing new programs, coordinating student transportation, managing staff schedules, and overseeing facilities are all part of a normal week. One principal's account of a single day on the job gives a good sense of just how much ground an administrator covers before the bell even rings.
Vice Principal Job Description
A vice principal reports to the principal but carries a lot of the daily operational weight. The role looks broadly similar at the elementary and secondary level, with a few real differences in emphasis.
Elementary Vice Principal Duties
Elementary vice principals handle the day-to-day management of their school's students and staff. They typically:
- Support school functions and make sure every classroom has a teacher meeting clear achievement standards
- Prepare students for transitions: a new grade, graduation, or a move to secondary school
- Administer school policy on student conduct and discipline
- Track data on the school's progress toward its goals
- Present to parents and the community on school culture, academics, and safety
- Organize school events that connect the community, the school, and the district
- Serve as the point of contact for students who need crisis intervention
- Help teachers and parents build individual education plans and behavior contracts
- Lead staff development on school culture and consistent discipline enforcement
- Recruit, train, and retain teaching and non-teaching staff
- Sit on the school improvement committee and similar leadership teams
- Plan short- and long-term goals for the school's direction
- Take on other duties assigned by the principal or superintendent
High School Vice Principal Duties
Secondary vice principals carry a similarly broad role, adjusted for an older student body. They typically:
- Work with district administrators, superintendents, and staff serving grades 9-12
- Coordinate programs, timelines, facility use, agendas, and budget concerns
- Set high academic and personal expectations for students and staff
- Administer discipline after due process, and enforce boundaries that keep the school safe
- Track data on progress toward the school's strategic goals
- Present to the community and other stakeholders on culture, academics, and safety
- Encourage teaching strategies and materials consistent with the school's philosophy and current research
- Report violence, vandalism, attendance, and discipline issues to authorities, and coordinate with them on safety
- Hold themselves to high ethical and professional standards as a role model for students and staff
- Take responsibility for student health, safety, and welfare on school grounds
- Run emergency drills and benchmark readiness with community and emergency personnel
- Maintain and protect the confidentiality of student records and information
New and experienced vice principals alike have several paths open to them from here.
Where Can Vice Principals Work?
Certified vice principals work in private and public elementary, middle, and high schools.
Public Elementary, Middle, and High Schools
Public schools charge no tuition and run on state and federal funding. A vice principal here works closely with the district, which controls curriculum and other regulations, and typically manages larger, more diverse classes than a private school would.
Private Elementary, Middle, and High Schools
Private schools charge tuition and answer to fewer government requirements, which gives them more room to set their own direction. Licensure requirements for private-school administrators vary by state and employer.
Charter Elementary, Middle, and High Schools
Charter schools have grown fast over the past 20 years. They charge no tuition but run independently, with more operational flexibility than a typical public school, and can be affiliated with or independent of the local district depending on their charter. They're also usually held to higher performance standards.
Vice Principal Salary
The BLS doesn't break out a separate salary line for vice principals. It groups them with principals under Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary, which had a mean annual salary of $116,100 and a median of $105,870 nationally as of May 2025.
Some vice principals go on to become principals or district-level administrators. The National Association of Elementary School Principals and the National Association of Secondary School Principals both offer professional development and networking that many administrators use along that path.
Neither the BLS nor Projections Central publishes a separate job-growth projection for this specific occupation, so we can't cite a reliable growth number here. Treat any "X% growth" figure you see elsewhere for vice principals specifically as an estimate, not a sourced BLS figure.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a vice principal do?
A vice principal handles the administrative and disciplinary side of running a school alongside the principal: student discipline, staff scheduling, transportation logistics, and facilities oversight, among other duties. The exact split of responsibilities varies by school and district.
How long does it take to become a vice principal?
Expect a bachelor's degree (four years), often followed by classroom teaching experience many vice principals have before moving into administration, and a graduate degree in educational leadership or administration for states that require one (typically two more years). Exact timelines vary by state and pathway.
Do you need a master's degree to become a vice principal?
Graduate-level preparation is commonly required for an administrator credential, but degree requirements vary by state and pathway. Check with your state's educator-licensing agency for specifics.
How much does a vice principal make?
The BLS doesn't report a vice-principal-specific figure. It groups the role with principals under Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary, which had a mean annual salary of $116,100 and a median of $105,870 nationally as of May 2025.
Is a vice principal the same as an assistant principal?
Yes, "vice principal" and "assistant principal" refer to the same role. Which term a school uses is mostly a matter of local or state convention, not a difference in job duties or requirements.
- Many have classroom experience - some states require prior teaching or other qualifying educational experience before licensure, but requirements vary by state.
- Graduate preparation is commonly required - degree requirements for an administrator credential vary by state and pathway.
- An assessment or practicum may be the last step - depending on the state and credential, so confirm specifics with your state's educator-licensing agency.
- Pay is reported jointly with principals - the BLS reports a mean of $116,100 and median of $105,870 (May 2025) for Education Administrators, K-12 as a category, not vice principals specifically.
- No sourced growth figure exists for this role - treat any specific growth percentage you see elsewhere for vice principals as an estimate, not a BLS number.
May 2025 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures for Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary. Figures reflect national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed August 2026.
Licensure requirements are only one piece of planning a move into school administration. The sponsored graduate programs listed here include educational leadership and administration degrees built for working teachers, several with online or evening formats.