If you are a classroom teacher of if you are considering becoming a part of the world of education, you might be considering becoming a school administrator. As a school administrator, you will have many different career opportunities to explore. In addition to serving as a principal or assistant principal, getting your administrative degree and licensure can also help prepare you for a career as a curriculum specialist, a department head, a superintendent, or even the dean of a college. Before you pursue a degree in educational leadership or administration, however, it is a good idea to explore the pros and cons of becoming a school administrator.

Pro: Reach Even More Students

One of the greatest benefits to becoming a school administrator is the fact that it allows you to touch the lives of even more students each school year. As an elementary teacher, you might work with up to 30 students each year. As a middle school or high school teacher, you might see up to 250 students per year. As a school administrator, however, you have the opportunity to affect the education of literally hundreds or even thousands of students ever school year. For someone who loves education and wants to make as much of an impact as possible, becoming a school administrator is certainly the way to do it.

Con: Lose Out on One-on-One Interaction

Although becoming a school administrator makes it possible for you to touch the lives of hundreds or even thousands of students, you may find the lack of one-on-one personal interaction to be disheartening. While you can certainly still make an effort to get to know the students rather than sitting behind a desk all day, school administrators generally do not get to know the students at the same personal level as classroom teachers. Therefore, if this personal interaction is meaningful to you, becoming a school administrator might not be the right path for you.

Pro: More Money Per Year

It is no secret that classroom teachers do not make the same type of annual salary as other professionals with the same level of education. Therefore, if you are looking for a way to make an attractive wage while still working in the world of education, you might want to considering becoming a school administrator. Depending upon the size of the school or district you are overseeing, you can potentially make over $100,000 per year when you become a school administrator.

Con: Longer Work Hours

Of course, the primary reason you earn more per year as a school administrator is because you have to work more days per year as well as more hours per week. School administrators are often called upon to work throughout the entire school year rather than having the summers off. In addition, they generally have to report to work earlier than classroom teachers and stay later. Furthermore, school administrators are often required to attend school events, including awards nights, sporting events, dances, PTO meetings and more. Therefore, they may have to stay well into the evening or they may even have to come to work on the weekends. If you are not prepared to get fully involved in all of your school or your school district’s activities, you might want to reconsider becoming a school administrator.

Simply put, becoming a school administrator will allow you to make more money each year while also touching the lives of a greater number of students. If you enjoy having your summers off or if you want to be able to get to know your students on a more personal level, however, becoming a school administrator may not be the right choice for you.