Efforts to understand the relationship between gender and school administration have usually focused on explaining the limited numbers of women administrators. Explanations of leadership style differences have stressed sex-role socialization theory, though some researchers suggest that the structure of power, opportunity, and social proportions in organizations strongly influence individual behavior. In the latter view, women are negatively affected by the structural niche they occupy. Other writers suggest that biological and societal forces contribute to gender differences in moral development and interpretations of life experience. If so, there may be differences in the relative importance female and male administrators ascribe to various competencies demanded by their jobs. Also, the general pattern of these differences would remain consistent across roles. Data for this study were gathered through the Maine School Administrator Competency Survey which was sent to all school administrators in the state in 1986. The response rate was 61 percent of all school principals and 66 percent of all superintendents (100 percent of female secondary principals and superintendents responded). This study explores differences and similarities in how women and men administrators view the competency demands of their jobs. The results are summarized in three tables. While most differences were statistically insignificant, women demonstrated higher perceived competency demands across administrative roles. Also, women scored significantly higher on people-related and cognitive competencies and attributes, while the few areas in which men were higher are related to "things" and conflict (facilities management, computer usage, and collective bargaining). Included are six references. (MLH)