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SOC 11-9032
Under U.S. O*NET-SOC 11-9032.00, plan, direct, or coordinate academic, administrative, and auxiliary activities in kindergartens, elementary schools, or secondary schools: supervise curricula and teaching according to school objectives and applicable regulations, develop teachers, handle student affairs and home-school communication, prepare and implement budgets, arrange school buildings and operational support, and take responsibility for school operational outcomes.
Model impact index for three equally weighted representative core tasks; not a measured share of working time or a job-loss probability. floor((75+25+25)/3+0.5)=42; fermatmind-ai-impact-v1; 2026-10-18.
First assess whether you are willing to take responsibility for school operational outcomes and persist in making decisions based on procedures and evidence under pressure,Then verify through this page's paper-based exercises and seven-day experience, rather than focusing only on the idea of being a principal.
This page does not establish eligibility for a position, appointment, or hiring. Teacher qualifications and principal appointments can only be obtained by qualified individuals under local rules.
More likely to fit: willing to make decisions based on evidence and procedures, able to clearly document reasons for tradeoffs,and proactively stop and escalate when evidence is unclear or work exceeds authorization.
This page's U.S. 11-9032 K-12 school/district administrative scope does not automatically map to all Chinese kindergarten management roles; preschool and childcare 11-9031 is listed separately. Check Chinese eligibility requirements by specific public/private school, position, and competent authority.
O*NET11-9032 covers planning, directing, and coordinating academic, administrative, or auxiliary activities in U.S. K-12 education, including principals and district and curriculum administrators. Not every administrator independently holds all school budget and personnel powers. U.S. kindergarten is not automatically equivalent to all Chinese kindergartens; preschool and childcare 11-9031 is listed separately.
Career direction comparison
These occupations all relate to school education, but their responsibility scopes, levels of responsibility, and entry requirements differ. Use them to check your direction rather than treating them as interchangeable.
| Career direction | Core work and outputs | Key differences | Which choice is better suited |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preschool and daycare education and childcare administrators | Responsible for daily operations, teaching, and care management in kindergartens and childcare institutions. | Focuses on preschool and childcare stages, with different institutional scales, care requirements, and regulatory systems. | Choose that occupation if preschool and childcare interest you more; choose this occupation for overall K-12 school operations. |
| Postsecondary education administrators | Coordinate academic, research, and administrative affairs in higher education, involving departmental and admissions systems. |
AI's impact on the occupation
AI and digital tools can assist with organizing achievement and attendance data, drafting reports and notices, drafting schedules and budget calculations, and information searches. They cannot replace professional judgments on curricula and teaching, handling of student discipline and safety incidents, staff assessment and personnel decisions, or tradeoffs in budgets and resource allocation, and do not bear administrative or legal responsibility for school operations. AI Impact Score 42% is an editorial estimate. Model impact index for three equally weighted representative core tasks; not a measured share of working time or a job-loss probability. floor((75+25+25)/3+0.5)=42; fermatmind-ai-impact-v1; 2026-10-18.The three tasks, ratings and sources are listed in the FermatMind method source record on this page.
FermatMind AI Impact Score estimation method v1
FermatMind / 费马测试 · 2026-10-18
Editorial ratings use the existing occupational responsibilities and AI task analysis on this page. They are not adoption rates, measured effects, job-disappearance or personal-unemployment probabilities, or official scores from Stanford or another external institution. No measured time weights or future robot deployment are assumed.
Mainland Chinese salary reference
Chinese salary definitions
Public material categories
Insufficient evidence: nationwide data for this individual occupation were not obtained
Insufficient evidence: mainland Chinese nationwide wage percentiles precisely matching this individual occupation were not obtained2025 nationwide average annual pretax wages in non-private/private education: 133,539/63,908 yuan. These are broad industry proxies, not principals' or administrators' median wages, individual take-home pay, or nationwide occupational percentiles.
Insufficient evidence: a single recruitment offer does not substitute for occupational wages
U.S. salary reference
U.S. 11-9032: median of USD 105,870 per year in month 5 of 2025; the five distribution points share the same source. The checked localwages and OOH list only annual wages; do not convert them into an official hourly wage.
| Definitions | Value | Statistical position | Limitations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower end | USD 76,280 per year (nationwide percentile 10, 2025) | Nationwide percentile 10 | Lower end: percentile 10, USD 76,280 per year. This is the lower end of the distribution, not a starting salary. |
| Median | USD 105,870 per year (month 5 of 2025) | Nationwide median | Median: USD 105,870 per year (month 5 of 2025); half of workers earn less and half earn more. |
Career fit guide
The key question is not whether you know how to lead,Instead, consider whether you can make explainable, traceable decisions based on evidence and procedures amid competing requests and resource constraints, and take responsibility for school operational outcomes.
Worth exploring further： Willing to document decision objectives, evidence, and reasons for tradeoffs clearly so others can review them.
First check practical conditions： When requests or policy interpretations conflict, first record them and seek verification instead of deciding based on experience.
First try a small experience： Remain attentive to fairness, privacy, and safety consequences for students, preferring an additional check over skipping steps.
Work pressure and occupational boundaries
The six risk categories and measures are editorial summaries. No accident rates or measured risk reductions were obtained; tasks, eligibility/decision-making systems, and personal information law support boundaries but cannot replace actual decision procedures.
O*NET supports task contexts; the 2026 measures support Chinese public school leadership eligibility and decision-making management; PIPL supports Chinese information processing. U.S. student records law and local safety/disciplinary procedures were not individually checked.
Typical scenarios：Citing superseded regulations, local policies, or evaluation definitions.
Main roles：Teaching and administrative decision roles
Possible consequences：This may cause decisions to fail current requirements, leading to appeals or corrective action.
Entry, qualifications, and career development
Typical U.S. principals have a master's degree in educational administration/leadership and several years of teaching experience; 62/27/10 educational feedback does not establish a uniform five-year requirement. Most states require public principals to hold an administrator license; private principals do not require a state-issued license.
Career outlook and transitions to related occupations
U.S. 11-9032: 2025 employment of 343,800; 2025–2035 essentially unchanged at 0% (rounded); average annual openings of 20,600.Average annual openings of 20,600 include growth and replacement needs, not net additions, current recruitment, or individual hiring probability.
United States · O*NET-SOC 11-9032.00 (Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary)
0% (essentially unchanged, rounded, not AI causation)
Employment growth
BLS qualitatively discusses the effects of enrollment, school numbers, and local budgets. Essentially unchanged employment in the updated version does not mean there is no worker replacement, and is not a causal estimate of AI effects.
Cannot establish：Projections are not actual outcomes and do not guarantee individual employment.
Coordinate overall operations of kindergartens, elementary schools, or secondary schools: supervise curricula and teaching according to school objectives and applicable regulations, recruit and develop teachers, handle student affairs and home-school communication, prepare and implement budgets, arrange school buildings and operational support, and take responsibility for school operational outcomes.
This occupation bears administrative responsibility and accountability for overall school operations. Instructional coordinators focus on curriculum and teaching support, without administrative responsibility for school budgets, staff, and safety; teachers mainly undertake classroom teaching and student assessment.
Choose a real task from this page for a small practice project or a conversation with someone in the field. Use the planning guides to set a date, an output and feedback questions before deciding whether to continue.
This only assesses preferences for working methods,It does not assess teaching ability or eligibility for a position, or make hiring determinations.
Verify through a paper-based management task:Given a fictional school operational situation and budget constraints, see whether you can document priorities, evidence, reasons for tradeoffs, and authorization boundaries.
Includes teaching, administration, and auxiliary activities such as operational support
Main deliverables are school operation plans, budgets, and work reports
A valid decision involves the full chain from confirming evidence and objectives, checking information, developing options and judgments, and deciding under procedures, to follow-up and review; If any step lacks evidence, records, or authorization, conclusions cannot be carried forward.
| Dimension | Main directions | Comparison direction |
|---|---|---|
| Evidence and objectives | School objectives align with applicable regulations | Record evidence and unresolved items; stop and escalate conflicts |
| Information and definitions | Document data sources and statistical definitions | Do not mix definitions for achievement, attendance, and funding |
| Options and judgments | Develop options using professional judgment | Document reasons for tradeoffs and the scope of impacts |
| Decisions and records | Decide within your authorization | Public disclosure, communication, and records must not be omitted |
| Communication and consultation | Communicate with teachers, parents, and communities | Do not substitute unilateral notice for necessary consultation |
| Implementation and adjustment | Track implementation and evaluate effectiveness | Retain the basis for adjustments and the division of responsibilities |
| Archiving and review | Decisions enter controlled records | Retain responsible personnel and evidence |
Supervise curricula and teaching according to school objectives and applicable regulations, observe classes, review teaching materials, and promote teaching improvement.
Organize teacher recruitment, evaluation, and professional development, maintaining teaching teams and the division of responsibilities under procedures.
Handle student affairs, discipline, and attendance, communicate with parents and relevant departments, and keep records under procedures.
Prepare and implement budgets, allocate funding, supplies, and facilities according to public standards, and authorize procurement.
Arrange school building safety, operational support, and emergency matters, organizing inspections and drills and following corrective actions through resolution.
Make and report school operational decisions within authorization; do not handle personnel, disciplinary, or safety matters beyond authority.
School administrators undertake school/district operational responsibilities according to their actual roles. Instructional coordinators focus on curriculum and teaching support and may also manage curriculum projects; do not claim they have no administrative responsibilities. Teachers mainly work in classrooms; check preschool and childcare, higher education, and corporate training scopes separately.
Overall school operations
Undertake administrative responsibility and accountability for outcomes
Check degrees, relevant teaching experience, local eligibility requirements, and appointment/licensing separately
U.S. statistics cover this individual occupation
| Focuses on higher education institutions, including departments, research, admissions, and academic governance. |
| Choose that occupation if you prefer higher education governance; choose this occupation if you prefer elementary and secondary school operations. |
| Instructional coordinators | Guide teachers in improving curricula and teaching methods, providing instructional support and organizing teaching research. | Undertake curriculum and teaching support without principals' overall administrative responsibility and accountability for school operational outcomes. | Choose that occupation for teaching improvement and teaching research; choose this occupation for school management. |
|---|
| Elementary and secondary school teachers | Undertake classroom subject teaching, student assessment, and class management. | Mainly undertake classroom teaching and student assessment, without administrative responsibility for school budgets, staff, and safety. | Choose teaching if you prefer classroom instruction; choose this occupation if you prefer overall planning and coordination. |
|---|
| Special education teachers | Provide teaching, assessment, and individualized support to students with special needs. | Focus on special education students and individualized education plans; responsibilities do not include whole-school operations. | Choose that occupation if special education interests you more; choose this occupation if whole-school coordination interests you. |
|---|
| Training and development managers | Design and manage employee training and skill development programs for businesses. | Focus on employee skills and training systems in businesses, not school teaching and student affairs. | Choose that occupation if you prefer corporate training and organizational development; choose this occupation if you prefer school management. |
|---|
Adjacent directions differ in responsibility scope (overall school operations, curriculum and teaching support, classroom subject teaching, special education, preschool and childcare, or corporate training), responsibility level (principals' administrative responsibility and accountability for outcomes, instructional coordination, classroom teaching, or corporate training management), and entry requirements (educational administration degrees, teacher qualifications and years of teaching, or appointment procedures). Check your target role's actual tasks and requirements before choosing.
Compare first whether the role coordinates an entire school's operations or focuses only on teaching support or classroom teaching, then consider entry requirements and appointment.
This means tasks tools can perform under controlled conditions, such as organizing data and drafting reports and notices; outputs are not necessarily suitable for direct use in formal management decisions.
This depends on whether data are digitized, privacy and permissions are controllable, internet access is permitted, and the school has governance and review procedures.
This means changes in employment and task structure, which require industry-level statistics. Technical capabilities and adoption do not directly establish job outcomes.
| Work direction | Task | Current changes | Human control points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data and reports | Summarize achievement, attendance, and behavior data and produce reports | Can assist: organize data and draft statistical charts and reports. | Administrators confirm definitions and conclusions; data involving student records must be authorized and de-identified. |
| Curriculum and teaching supervision | Observe classes, review teaching materials, and promote teaching improvement | Can assist: search teaching materials and organize classroom observation records. | Administrators with educational expertise and qualifications are responsible for teaching judgments and improvement decisions. |
| Scheduling and resource allocation | Coordinate course schedules and the use of classrooms and facilities | Can assist: draft schedules and resource calculations. | Administrators assess constraints, priorities, and fairness. |
| Budgeting and procurement | Prepare budget requests and authorize procurement | Can assist: organize budget tables and procurement price comparison materials. | Administrators decide and document funding allocation and authorization under procedures. |
| Student affairs and home-school communication | Handle discipline, attendance, and home-school communication | Can assist: draft notices and meeting records. | Administrators are responsible for judgments and commitments in discipline handling and home-school communication. |
| Personnel and professional development | Recruit and assess teachers and organize their professional development | Can assist: organize role requirements and training materials. | Administrators make personnel decisions and evaluation conclusions under procedures. |
| Boundaries and exceptions | Identify uncertainty and situations beyond authority or scope | Adoption conditions: reliable data sources, privacy and permission models, and procedural basis. | Stop and escalate when evidence is unclear, authority is exceeded, or matters involve protection of minors. |
Evidence has three levels: what tools can do, whether schools actually use them, and their impact on job numbers and structure. None can be inferred directly from another.
Public and private schools, elementary and secondary schools, and urban and rural settings have different regulations, resources, and governance structures, so AI's role also differs.
AI mainly changesEditorial trial of achievement, attendance, and budget report drafts requires checks of lawful scope, definitions, and accuracy; no measured acceleration data were obtained.
People remain responsiblePrincipals remain responsible for judgments on resource allocation, discipline handling, and implementation of local policies.
AI mainly changesAdmissions and parent communication texts and scheduling calculations can be assisted.
People remain responsibleAdministrators remain responsible for school positioning and staff and curriculum tradeoffs.
AI mainly changesReport and compliance document drafts can be assisted.
People remain responsibleAdministrators remain responsible for priorities and on-site judgments when multiple roles are combined.
When AI enters school management processes, people remain responsible throughout the chain. Preserve traceability through the steps below.
Check school objectives, applicable regulations, and local policies, recording evidence and unresolved items.
Confirm sources and definitions of achievement, attendance, and funding data, recording uncertainties and privacy boundaries.
Develop teaching, resource, or response plans using professional judgment, documenting reasons for tradeoffs and the scope of impacts.
Make decisions within authorization, completing public disclosure, communication, and recordkeeping under procedures.
Track implementation results, evaluate effectiveness, and adjust and report under procedures.
This may cause decisions to fail current requirements, leading to appeals or corrective action.
Control:Control: use the controlled list of regulations and policies; check versions and applicability before citing.
This may overlook privacy, fairness, and individual circumstances, leading to inappropriate handling.
Control:Control: tool outputs are drafts only; administrators review and sign judgments and decisions.
This may violate records management rules and harm students' and families' rights and interests.
Control:Control: use data within permissions and according to minimum necessity, retaining access and use records.
This may increase differences between classes or schools, leading to disputes.
Control:Control: decide according to publicly disclosed standards and processes, retaining evidence and review records.
This may invalidate decisions or create accountability risks.
Control:Control: confirm authority under school and competent authority procedures; stop and escalate if authority is exceeded.
First develop classroom teaching and class management experience, using reviewable teaching improvement and collaboration records to prepare for administrative roles.
Trial data and document drafts within your existing authorization. Review teaching, personnel, and disciplinary decisions against the decision-making agenda; do not treat the principal title as exclusive authority over all decisions.
First check your target region's degree, teacher qualification, and teaching-duration requirements for management roles, demonstrating ability through management or coordination experience.
Define tool usage scope, data permissions, and decision responsibility, ensuring decisions involving student rights and interests are made by authorized personnel.
Replacement rates cannot be inferred from assistance with tasks. Data and document drafts can be trialed; teaching, personnel, and safety decisions must remain within actual authority. No measured acceleration data were obtained.
Source:O*NET OnLine — 11-9032.00 Education Administrators, Kindergarten through SecondaryOriginal materials ↗
No. Tool outputs are drafts. Administrators must review definitions, evidence, and individual circumstances, and complete public disclosure or recordkeeping under procedures.
Source:NIST AI RMF1.0Original materials ↗
Trial information, report, and document drafts in approved, lawful data environments, reviewing definitions, accuracy, and time spent. Faster work is not guaranteed.
Source:O*NET OnLine — 11-9032.00 Five nationwide wage distribution pointsOriginal materials ↗
Demonstrate ability through records of teaching improvement projects, teaching research collaboration, mentoring, or coordination across departments, clearly documenting objectives, evidence, and results.
Source:O*NET OnLine — 11-9032.00 Five nationwide wage distribution pointsOriginal materials ↗
Focus on education regulations and student records management, school governance and budgeting methods, curriculum and teaching supervision, communication, and crisis handling.
Source:BLS OOH — Elementary, Middle, and High School Principals (education administrators, kindergarten through secondary)Original materials ↗
Yes. School operators, funding sources, governance structures, and regulatory requirements differ. Check direction choices against the target institution.
Source:O*NET OnLine — 11-9032.00 Education Administrators, Kindergarten through SecondaryOriginal materials ↗
They provide directional reference only. Employment and wages use statistical definitions; actual requirements depend on job postings in your target region, university curricula, and local rules.
Source:NIST AI RMF1.0Original materials ↗
Assess technical capabilities, actual adoption, and job outcomes separately; none substitutes for another.
Historical case status
| Role or scope | Compensation and disclosure | Applicability and gaps |
|---|---|---|
| Entry requirements | Teacher qualifications and teaching experience | 2026 public school leadership teams generally require a bachelor's degree; kindergartens and elementary schools in difficult remote areas may relax this to a junior college qualification according to actual conditions. Generally, corresponding teacher qualifications and appointment to a Level One Teacher position or above are required; high school principals have additional senior-position requirements. Check private schools and ordinary administrative roles separately. |
| On-the-job training | Education management and leadership | On-the-job training focuses on education management and leadership, curriculum and teaching supervision, school finance and safety governance, and regulations and records management. |
| Qualifications and appointment | Principal eligibility and appointment procedures | Public school principals generally require at least 5 years of educational and teaching experience. Internal promotion to the top position generally requires 2 years as a deputy or 3 years in middle management, and successful completion of training; exceptional promotions may complete training within 1 year. Article 7 provides additional relaxations. Do not generalize to all management roles nationwide. |
| Occupational wage definitions | Nationwide individual occupation | Occupational wage data: insufficient evidence; no nationwide distribution for this individual occupation was obtained. |
When viewing recruitment or publicly disclosed figures, first check whether they are monthly pay, annual pay, performance pay, position allowances, or include other components.
Check specific qualifications, training, and selection and appointment procedures for public elementary and secondary school leadership teams under the 2026 measures; these are not uniform conditions for all teaching/administrative roles.
Do not substitute industry averages for occupational wages.
Private elementary and secondary schools need teaching management, student affairs, and operations management roles.
Check against the specific role.
Public secondary vocational school leadership teams fall within the 2026 measures. Other training institutions are adjacent settings only; do not combine their qualifications, compensation, and services into the exact occupation 11-9032.
Check against the specific role.
AI assistance with information and documents is an editorial suggestion; Chinese occupation-specific adoption and the magnitude of causal wage and demand effects were not obtained.
| Upper end |
|---|
| USD 167,770 per year (nationwide percentile 90, 2025) |
| Nationwide percentile 90 |
| Percentile 90: USD 167,770 per year (2025). This is a distribution position, not an income ceiling, seniority level, or causal effect of qualifications on wages. |
Salary · percentile 10：USD 76,280 per year (nationwide percentile 10, 2025)；Nationwide percentile 10； not a starting salary.
Salary · percentile 25：USD 86,040 per year (nationwide percentile 25, 2025)；Nationwide percentile 25, from the same wage statistical classification.
Salary · median：USD 105,870 per year (month 5 of 2025)；Nationwide median (month 5 of 2025)； half of workers earn less and half earn more.
Salary · percentile 75：USD 134,630 per year (nationwide percentile 75, 2025)；Nationwide percentile 75, from the same wage statistical classification.
Salary · percentile 90：USD 167,770 per year (nationwide percentile 90, 2025)；Nationwide percentile 90； does not represent continuous paid hours or total income.
Statistical SOC11-9032 is a U.S. K-12 education administration occupation. OOH focuses on elementary and secondary school principals, while O*NET also includes district and curriculum administrative roles; not everyone is a principal or a manager of any Chinese kindergarten.
cannot be directly extrapolated. No mainland Chinese nationwide wage percentiles precisely matching this occupation were obtained; broad industry or personnel category averages and recruitment offers cannot substitute for them.
No. Medians and percentiles are statistics. Individual compensation depends on education stage, public/private status, region, role level, and experience; openings do not equal hiring probability.
Use them to understand scale and definitions: first check occupation, region, period, and units, then whether performance pay or allowances are included. Keep U.S. and Chinese definitions in separate columns.
| Industry | Original source value | How to interpret |
|---|---|---|
| Local elementary and secondary schools (month 5 of 2025) | USD 107,860 per year (this occupation's median within the industry) | Public elementary and secondary education services are a major employment industry (median annual wage of USD 107,860 in month 5 of 2025). |
| Private elementary and secondary schools (month 5 of 2025) | USD 98,020 per year (this occupation's median within the industry) | Private elementary and secondary education services are another major employment industry (median annual wage of USD 98,020 in month 5 of 2025). |
| Industry disclosure scope | Precise wages in other industries were not obtained in this round | Employment mainly changes with student enrollment and the number of educational institutions. |
| Period | Wage data for month 5 of 2025 | Wages for month 5 of 2025; 2025 employment baseline and 2025–2035 projections. The principal title and SOC task scope are explained separately. |
The 2025 median is USD 105,870 per year; half of workers earn less and half earn more.
School operators and regions: compensation and outcomes differ by public/private status, education stage, and region. Do not consider only the occupational title.
Most U.S. states require public school principals to hold an administrator license, with varying rules; private school principals do not require a state-issued license. Check relevant master's degrees, teaching experience, licensing, and appointment separately; their causal effects on wages were not obtained.
U.S. 11-9032, not net additions, current recruitment, or AI attribution.
U.S. 11-9032, not net additions, current recruitment, or AI attribution.
U.S. 11-9032, not net additions, current recruitment, or AI attribution.
Social (S): working with teachers, students, and home-school communication; Enterprising (E): organizing, coordinating, and promoting improvements; Conventional (C): recording and checking according to regulations and procedures.
The SEC interest code describes preferences for work activities only; it does not establish ability, appointment, or personality conclusions.
Are you willing to clearly document the basis for decisions and reasons for tradeoffs?
Use a fictional decision record to check whether objectives, evidence, and impact scope are documented.
Do not use it this way:No personality diagnosis or appointment determination is made.
Explore my career interestsDo you check regulation and policy versions before citing them?
Use a fictional situation to observe whether you first confirm the current versions and applicability of regulations and policies.
Do not use it this way:No eligibility determination is made.
Explore my Big Five traitsDo you use student data within permissions and according to minimum necessity?
Use a data use scenario to see whether you assess authorization and de-identification requirements.
Do not use it this way:No ability score is assigned.
Explore my personality preferencesCan you align objectives with teachers, parents, and communities?
Use a consultation record to see whether requests from each party and responsibility boundaries are clear.
Do not use it this way:No hiring determination is made.
Explore my motivation cluesAre you willing to keep updating education policy knowledge and management methods?
Check through learning records on updates to regulations and management methods.
Do not use it this way:No personality determination is made.
Explore my cognitive performanceCan you still follow procedures under emergency and public opinion pressure?
Use a hypothetical emergency to see whether verification, reporting, and recordkeeping steps are retained.
Do not use it this way:No ability score is assigned.
Explore my communication cluesBetter suited:Willing to observe classes based on evidence and promote teaching improvement.
Note:Do not substitute experience-based preferences for curriculum and teaching judgments.
Better suited:Willing to handle discipline and individual cases according to procedures and fairness principles.
Note:Do not bypass verification and recordkeeping under pressure.
Better suited:Willing to learn higher education governance, admissions, research, and student service systems.
Note:Check 11-9033 degree/experience requirements and role authority separately; school management experience does not automatically establish them.
View related occupation:Postsecondary Education Administrators (education-administrators-postsecondary)Better suited:Willing to learn care, safety, family communication, and institutional management standards.
Note:Check 11-9031 preschool and childcare preparation separately; do not automatically equate U.S. K-12 with Chinese kindergartens.
View related occupation:Preschool and Daycare Education and Childcare Administrators (education-and-childcare-administrators-preschool-and-daycare)Better suited:Willing to study curriculum design, teacher training, and program evaluation in depth.
Note:Moving to curriculum support is not a reverse promotion into whole-school administrative responsibility.
View related occupation:Instructional Coordinators (instructional-coordinators)Better suited:Willing to develop elementary subject teaching, class management, and assessment skills.
Note:Check teacher licensing/qualifications by jurisdiction and education stage; eligibility as a principal does not replace teaching qualifications.
View related occupation:Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education (elementary-school-teachers-except-special-education)Observe willingness to explain evidence, record tradeoffs, communicate, and take responsibility for school operations within actual authority; a single preference is not a personality, ability, or eligibility determination.
U.S. 62% master's degree, 27% bachelor's degree, and 10% post-master's certificate figures are educational feedback. China's 2026 public school leadership qualifications have education-stage/regional relaxations; do not infer a uniform bachelor's degree and teacher qualification requirement for all management roles.
Most U.S. states require public school principals to hold an administrator license; private principals do not require a state-issued license. Chinese public school leadership eligibility, training, and selection and appointment follow the 2026 measures; check private schools and specific teaching qualifications separately.
First build foundations in classroom teaching and class management experience, then demonstrate management ability through teaching research organization, mentoring, or coordination across departments, clearly documenting objectives, evidence, and results.
Tools can assist with data organization, reports, and documentation, but administrators remain responsible for curriculum and teaching judgments, discipline and safety handling, and personnel and resource decisions.
The 2025 U.S. median annual wage for this individual occupation is USD 105,870. Corresponding mainland Chinese percentiles were not obtained; U.S. figures cannot be directly extrapolated.
Work in public or private elementary and secondary schools, usually year-round without taking time off when students are on vacation. Often attend parent meetings and school events in evenings or on weekends, and handle emergencies and crises.
Education regulations and student records management, curriculum and teaching supervision methods, budget and resource management, staff development organization, communication and consultation, and crisis handling skills.
Complete a full cycle in a paper-based management task: read a fictional situation and budget constraints, list priorities and evidence, and document reasons for tradeoffs and authorization boundaries.
This page is a career exploration reference, not a basis for eligibility, appointment, or hiring. Actual requirements follow local education authorities' rules and job postings.
Evidence：Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee and Ministry of Education: Measures for the Management of Leadership Personnel in Elementary and Secondary Schools (revised in 2026)
Typical scenarios：Using student data beyond authorization or sharing it without de-identification.
Main roles：Academic and student affairs roles
Possible consequences：This may violate records management rules and harm students' and families' rights and interests.
Reduce risks：Use student data according to the PIPL basis for processing, minimum necessity, and actual permissions. De-identification is not anonymization; do not infer that de-identified data can therefore be uploaded to external tools.
Evidence：Personal Information Protection Law of the People's Republic of China
Typical scenarios：Using AI or software outputs directly as the basis for management decisions.
Main roles：Data and reporting roles
Possible consequences：This may overlook privacy, fairness, and individual circumstances, leading to inappropriate handling.
Reduce risks：Tool outputs are drafts only. Manually review student, personnel, and resource decisions according to roles and decision-making agendas, retaining evidence.
Evidence：NIST AI RMF1.0
Typical scenarios：Failing to allocate limited resources according to procedures and fairness principles.
Main roles：Budget and resource roles
Possible consequences：This may increase differences between classes or schools, leading to disputes.
Reduce risks：Decide according to publicly disclosed standards and processes, retaining evidence and review records.
Evidence：O*NET OnLine — 11-9032.00 Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary · Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee and Ministry of Education: Measures for the Management of Leadership Personnel in Elementary and Secondary Schools (revised in 2026)
Typical scenarios：Making personnel, disciplinary, or safety decisions without authorization.
Main roles：Personnel and safety management roles
Possible consequences：This may invalidate decisions or create accountability risks.
Reduce risks：Confirm authority under school and competent authority procedures; stop and escalate if authority is exceeded.
Evidence：O*NET OnLine — 11-9032.00 Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary · Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee and Ministry of Education: Measures for the Management of Leadership Personnel in Elementary and Secondary Schools (revised in 2026)
Typical scenarios：Insufficiently checking school building safety, drills, or emergency risks.
Main roles：Safety and operational support roles
Possible consequences：This may cause injuries to teachers and students and incidents involving accountability.
Reduce risks：Conduct safety inspections and emergency drills under procedures, retaining corrective action and drill records.
Evidence：O*NET OnLine — 11-9032.00 Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary · Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee and Ministry of Education: Measures for the Management of Leadership Personnel in Elementary and Secondary Schools (revised in 2026)
| Entry direction | Main initial tasks | Employer requirements and observation evidence | How to demonstrate ability without experience | Differences from other directions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry through subject teaching and class management | Undertake subject teaching and class management, developing classroom, attendance, and home-school communication records. | Teacher qualifications, subject teaching ability, and class management experience. | Demonstrate your process through teaching outcomes, open classes, and class management records. | Focuses on classroom teaching and student management, with attention to teaching and assessment skills. |
| Entry through teaching research and curriculum coordination | Organize lesson preparation, quality analysis, and teaching improvement within a teaching research group. | Experience organizing curricula and teaching research, and quality analysis skills. | Demonstrate rigor through teaching research organization records and quality analysis reports. | Focuses on curriculum and teaching support, with attention to teaching research and improvement methods. |
| Entry through student affairs and moral education | Organize moral education activities, discipline, and mental health support work. |
Check disciplines, degree levels, and qualification requirements in recruitment or appointment announcements; record announcement dates and whether recruitment is still open.
Check years of teaching, middle-management experience, and areas of responsibility, distinguishing participation from ownership.
Check teacher qualifications, eligibility, and appointment procedure requirements, recording the applicable region and competent organization.
Check explicit requirements for curriculum and teaching supervision, budget management, safety governance, and home-school communication.
Write a school operation or teaching improvement plan for a fictional situation, including objectives, evidence, and tradeoffs.
Record priorities, allocation rationale, and public disclosure processes, specifying constraints.
Simulate a student affairs case under fictional provisions, documenting evidence, communication, and records.
Simulate a safety inspection or drill, clearly documenting corrective action items and the division of responsibilities.
| Situation | What to check | How to observe | What cannot be inferred from this |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interview | Whether you can explain school objectives, evidence, and reasons for tradeoffs. | Check whether evidence, impact scope, and unresolved items are clear. | When conditions are not met, the competent authority and role requirements determine the outcome, not the individual's own assessment. |
| Plan or experience review | Whether you can complete a management plan based on procedures and evidence. | Check data sources, definitions, assumptions, and authorization boundaries. | If you do not pass, you must not independently undertake responsibility for school operations. |
| Probation and mentoring period | Complete assigned areas of work under supervision, retaining records. |
| Qualification/preparation item | Mainly suited to whom | Practical role in job seeking | Whether it is a common entry requirement | Application/processing conditions | Investment considerations | Important limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree in education or a related discipline | Starting point for candidates for some management roles | Depends on the role: approximately 27% of O*NET survey respondents report that a bachelor's degree is required | Not a uniform requirement for all roles; public school leadership generally requires a bachelor's degree, with education-stage/regional relaxations | Apply according to university and program requirements | A four-year program, tuition, and investment in teaching internships | A degree does not equal teacher qualifications or eligibility for appointment |
| Master's degree in educational administration or educational leadership |
Provide school objectives, resource constraints, and requests from multiple parties as exercise inputs.
Exercise output: a list of priorities, evidence, and unresolved items.
Provide applicable provisions, procedural requirements, and public disclosure rules.
Exercise output: document the sources and applicability of evidence for this decision.
Provide funding, authorized staffing, and demand data, including a conflict and a gap.
Exercise output: flag the conflict and gap, and document handling and review requirements.
List reference deliverables and boundaries that must not be exceeded (no actual personnel decisions, disciplinary actions, or safety handling).
Transcribe an applicable provision and describe its applicability and uncertainties.
Organize objectives, resources, and constraints using a fictional situation, flagging assumptions and unresolved items.
Set priorities under limited resources and document the evidence.
Document the evidence, procedures, and recordkeeping requirements for making decisions.
Write communication and consultation points addressing requests from multiple parties.
Change a resource constraint in one variant and a request in the other; clearly document impact scope and adjustment items.
Summarize the conditions requiring a stop and escalation in a one-page review record.
Typical responsibilities：Undertake subject teaching and participate in teaching research, developing classroom and class management records.
Promotion evidence：Teaching outcomes, open classes, and teaching research records.
Qualification boundaries：Verify by work location and competent authority.
Next step：Undertake grade-level or subject leadership.
Typical responsibilities：Organize teaching research, lesson preparation, and quality analysis for the grade or subject.
Promotion evidence：Teaching research organization records and quality analysis reports.
Qualification boundaries：Verify by work location and competent authority.
Next step：Undertake coordination across subjects.
Typical responsibilities：Assist with coordinating curricula, scheduling, examinations, and teaching quality monitoring.
Promotion evidence：Teaching management plans and implementation records.
Qualification boundaries：Verify by work location and competent authority.
Next step：Prepare to meet management role eligibility requirements.
Typical responsibilities：Oversee teaching and teacher development within authorization.
Promotion evidence：Summaries and improvement plans for your areas of responsibility.
Qualification boundaries：Verify by work location and competent authority.
Next step：Check principal eligibility and appointment procedures.
Typical responsibilities：Responsible for class management, student attendance, and home-school communication.
Promotion evidence：Class management records and home-school communication registers.
Qualification boundaries：Verify by work location and competent authority.
Next step：Undertake grade-level moral education work.
Typical responsibilities：Organize moral education, discipline, and mental health support work.
Promotion evidence：Moral education activity plans and individual case handling records.
Qualification boundaries：Verify by work location and competent authority.
Next step：Coordinate student development work.
Typical responsibilities：Coordinate student development, clubs, and home-school cooperation.
Promotion evidence：Student development plans and outcome records.
Qualification boundaries：Verify by work location and competent authority.
Undertake student safety and crisis coordination.
Typical responsibilities：Assist with budgets, procurement, facilities, and operational support matters.
Promotion evidence：Budget and procurement support records.
Qualification boundaries：Verify by work location and competent authority.
Next step：Undertake budget and asset coordination.
Typical responsibilities：Participate in budget preparation, expenditure implementation, and asset register management.
Promotion evidence：Budget implementation reports and asset registers.
Qualification boundaries：Verify by work location and competent authority.
Next step：Undertake compliance and safety inspections.
Typical responsibilities：Organize school building safety, emergency drills, and compliance self-checks.
Promotion evidence：Safety inspection and corrective action records.
Qualification boundaries：Verify by work location and competent authority.
Check school objectives, applicable regulations, and local policies, recording evidence and unresolved items.
Organize curricula, teaching staff, and resource allocation, recording evidence and the division of responsibilities individually.
Assess the impacts of disputes, complaints, and emergencies, submitting them for handling under procedures and retaining records.
Make decisions and report within authorization, submitting them to personnel with authority for confirmation or approval.
United States · O*NET-SOC 11-9032.00 (Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary)
343,800 people
Employment scale
Employment scale and openings are different measures; the vast majority of openings arise from replacement needs rather than net new jobs.
Cannot establish：Statistics cover this individual occupation, excluding instructional coordinators and teachers.
United States · O*NET-SOC 11-9032.00 (Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary)
Approximately 20,800 per year
Projected openings
Tools change data organization, reporting, and documentation tasks, but administrators remain responsible for curriculum and teaching judgments, discipline and safety handling, and personnel and resource decisions.
Cannot establish：Aggregate projections were obtained; evidence of AI-caused changes and current regional recruitment scale was not obtained.
These are relationships between adjacent skills, not automatic promotion or exemption from further learning.
Transferable：Foundations in education management and organizational coordination experience.
Skills to develop：Need to develop knowledge of higher education governance, research, and admissions systems.
View occupation detailsTransferable：Experience with school/institutional operations and collaboration in educational organizations.
Skills to develop：Moving to preschool and childcare requires care, safety, family communication, and relevant institutional standards.
View occupation detailsTransferable：Experience in curriculum and teaching improvement and teaching research organization.
Skills to develop：Moving to instructional coordination requires curriculum design, teacher training, and curriculum implementation evaluation.
View occupation detailsTransferable：Experience with classroom teaching, class management, and home-school communication.
Skills to develop：Moving to elementary teaching requires elementary teaching, class management, student assessment, and corresponding licensing/qualifications.
View occupation detailsTransferable：Experience with subject teaching and grade-level management.
Skills to develop：Moving to middle school teaching requires target subject teaching, adolescent student support, and teacher licensing/qualifications.
View occupation detailsTransferable：Experience with subject teaching, examinations, and further education guidance.
Skills to develop：Moving to high school teaching requires subject depth, curriculum teaching, and education-stage qualifications.
View occupation detailsTransferable：Experience with individualized support, assessment, and collaboration among multiple parties.
Skills to develop：Moving to special education requires individualized teaching, assessment, and special education licensing/qualifications.
View occupation detailsTransferable：Training design, organizational coordination, and program evaluation methods.
Skills to develop：Moving to corporate training management requires adult learning, job competency analysis, and evaluation of business program outcomes.
View occupation detailsThe individual U.S. occupation O*NET-SOC 11-9032.00, Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary, corresponds to BLS elementary, middle, and high school principals.
BLS OES/O*NET show a 2025 nationwide median annual wage of USD 105,870; the five distribution points are USD 76,280/86,040/105,870/134,630/167,770. BLS OOH does not list this occupation's median hourly wage.
O*NET/BLS show approximately 333,300 people employed in 2024, projected decline (-1% or lower) in 2024–2034, and approximately 20,800 projected openings per year; openings arise mainly from the replacement component of growth and replacement needs.
The National Bureau of Statistics materials checked in this round cover only broad industries and personnel categories. Nationwide wage percentiles precisely matching this individual occupation were not obtained; this page records insufficient evidence rather than substituting industry averages or a single recruitment offer.
In the U.S. O*NET survey, approximately 62% report that a master's degree is required, 27% a bachelor's degree, and 10% a post-master's certificate, and many require more than five years of classroom teaching experience. Under the Measures for the Management of Leadership Personnel in Elementary and Secondary Schools (revised in 2026), mainland Chinese public school leaders generally require a bachelor's degree or above, corresponding teacher qualifications, and appointment to a professional technical position at Level One Teacher or above. Principals generally require at least 5 years of educational and teaching experience, and must complete leadership eligibility training and obtain a completion certificate. Follow recruitment announcements and competent authorities' rules for specific requirements.
Tools can assist with data organization and report and document drafts, but administrators remain responsible for curriculum and teaching judgments, student discipline and safety handling, staff assessment and personnel decisions, and budgets and resource allocation. Public sources are insufficient to establish changes in job numbers.
Work in public or private elementary and secondary schools, usually year-round without taking time off when students are on vacation. Often attend parent meetings and school events in evenings or on weekends, and handle emergencies and crises.
These figures provide directional reference only. Employment and wages use statistical definitions; openings do not equal hiring probability, and U.S. figures cannot be extrapolated to mainland China. Actual requirements follow local education authorities' rules and job postings.
FermatMind research workflow
2026-09-20
This page's source and fact registers (O*NET, BLS OES/OOH, National Bureau of Statistics, and others)
Usage limitations：The portal page does not provide this occupation's figures.
Usage limitations：Does not provide this occupation's wage or demand figures.
Usage limitations：The portal page does not provide this occupation's figures.
Usage limitations：Applies only to U.S. definitions; the median is not a starting salary, and openings do not equal net additions.
Usage limitations：Applies to members of public elementary and secondary school leadership teams, not uniform entry requirements for all roles in this occupation, including private schools. Follow the original measures and competent authorities' rules.
Usage limitations：Does not provide adoption rate or job outcome data for this occupation.
Usage limitations：Applies only to the adjacent occupation, to explain differences between directions.
Usage limitations：Applies only to the adjacent occupation, to explain differences between directions.
Usage limitations：Applies only to the adjacent occupation, to explain differences between directions.
Usage limitations：Applies only to the adjacent occupation, to explain differences between directions.
Usage limitations：The portal page does not provide occupational wage distributions.
Usage limitations：Interest results do not establish ability or hiring decisions.
Usage limitations：Cannot replace occupational wages; used only to explain definitional boundaries.
Usage limitations：International information does not provide adoption rate or replacement rate data for this occupation.
Usage limitations：Explains statistical methods without replacing specific occupational figures.
Usage limitations：Applies only to this individual occupation, not other education management roles or Chinese roles.
Usage limitations：Does not provide adoption rate or job change data for this occupation.
Usage limitations：Applies only to the adjacent occupation, not wage conclusions for this occupation.
Usage limitations：Applies only to U.S. definitions, not mainland Chinese education and eligibility requirements.
Usage limitations：Method explanations do not replace specific occupational figures.
Usage limitations：Does not replace safety and records management rules of specific countries or schools.
Usage limitations：Applies only to the adjacent occupation, to explain differences between directions.
Usage limitations：Applies only to this individual occupation; percentiles are not seniority levels.
Usage limitations：Applies only to the adjacent occupation, to explain differences between directions.
Usage limitations：Not measured school adoption/efficiency or authorization for disciplinary decisions.
Usage limitations：Applies in China, not U.S. FERPA. De-identification is not anonymization; do not infer that de-identified data can be shared externally without restriction.
Usage limitations：Editorial ratings use the existing occupational responsibilities and AI task analysis on this page. They are not adoption rates, measured effects, job-disappearance or personal-unemployment probabilities, or official scores from Stanford or another external institution. No measured time weights or future robot deployment are assumed.
11-9032 wages/updated employment were checked. Check Articles 2/6/7/26 of the 2026 public school leadership measures and PIPL applicability separately. Do not extrapolate to all private schools or U.S. records rules; the protected FAQ has not been signed off as consistent across the whole page. Read degree, teacher qualification, teaching-duration, and management experience requirements in recruitment or appointment announcements individually. Flexibility on one requirement does not mean the others can be substituted. U.S. 11-9032 wages: month 5 of 2025; projections: 2025–2035. Chinese public school leadership follows the 2026 measures; check private schools and other administrative roles separately. Precise Chinese occupational wages were not obtained. This page does not establish eligibility, appointment, or compliance. Teacher qualifications and principal appointments can only be obtained by qualified individuals under local rules and competent authority procedures.
Test whether my career interests suit school administration · Explore my Big Five traits · Explore my personality type · Explore my career anchors
Corresponding occupation-specific percentiles were not obtained
This page does not replace regulations and appointment rules
| Student affairs experience, communication, and individual case handling skills. |
| Demonstrate communication skills through moral education activity plans and case handling records. |
| Focuses on students and moral education, with attention to fairness and recordkeeping standards. |
| Entry through academic and general affairs management | Assist with scheduling, examinations, budgets, procurement, and facilities matters. | Academic or general affairs experience, and data and register management skills. | Demonstrate adherence to standards through budget support records and asset registers. | Focuses on school operations and resources, with attention to procedures and registers. |
|---|
| Entry through safety and compliance governance | Organize school building safety inspections, emergency drills, and compliance self-checks. | Safety or compliance experience and risk identification skills. | Demonstrate awareness of follow-through through safety inspection and corrective action records. | Focuses on safety and compliance, with attention to regulations and emergency procedures. |
|---|
| Stop immediately and retrain when authority is exceeded or errors occur. |
| Period of independent appointment | Independently take responsibility for school operations according to your appointment. | Check public disclosure records, records generally, and reports to competent authorities. | Handle compliance issues or actions beyond authority under competent authority procedures. |
|---|
| Candidates for most management roles |
| Yes: approximately 62% of O*NET survey respondents report that a master's degree is required |
| Typical preparation for U.S. principals, not a uniform global requirement |
| Apply according to university and specialization requirements |
| Check actual program duration, costs, and arrangements for working students separately |
| Degree level does not equal appointment authority for a role |
| Post-master's certificate in educational leadership | Leadership roles in some states or schools | Depends on the role and region: approximately 10% report it is required | No: not a universal requirement | Apply according to university and state requirements | Investment in certificate courses and maintenance costs | Valid only within its applicable regions and systems |
|---|
| Teacher qualifications | Roles with teaching and classroom responsibilities | Depends on the jurisdiction: usually a prerequisite | Chinese public school leadership roles covered by the rules generally require corresponding qualifications; check specific teaching requirements and U.S. licensing separately | Meet examination and practicum requirements under local rules | Examination, certification, and maintenance costs | Valid only within its applicable jurisdiction and education stage |
|---|
| Principal eligibility or appointment procedures | Roles serving as principals or campus heads | Depends on the jurisdiction and competent authority: usually required | Chinese public school leadership roles covered by the rules require successful training and appointment through procedures; not the same certificate across all jurisdictions | 2026 public school rules: in exceptional cases, missing training may be completed within 1 year after promotion; check relaxations separately | Investment in leadership training and assessment | Cannot be inferred from a degree or occupational title |
|---|
| Required years of teaching and management | Entry conditions for most management roles | Depends on the role and region: multiple years are usually required | Under 2026 rules, public school principals generally require 5 years of educational and teaching experience; check relaxations and other roles separately | Check required years individually against job postings | Investment in accumulating years of experience and role experience | Definitions of required years differ across regions and schools |
|---|
Typical responsibilities：Oversee student affairs, safety, and stability under authorization.
Promotion evidence：Summaries of your areas of responsibility and emergency response records.
Qualification boundaries：Verify by work location and competent authority.
Next step：Check principal eligibility and appointment procedures.
Next step：Prepare for appointment as a principal or campus head.
Typical responsibilities：Take responsibility for school operations within authorization according to your appointment.
Promotion evidence：School operation plans and annual work reports.
Qualification boundaries：Verify by work location and competent authority.
Next step：Accountable to the district or competent authority.
