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The differences between aerospace engineers and senior principal engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become an aerospace engineer, becoming a senior principal engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a senior principal engineer has an average salary of $130,642, which is higher than the $100,401 average annual salary of an aerospace engineer.
The top three skills for an aerospace engineer include C++, DOD and FAA. The most important skills for a senior principal engineer are python, architecture, and java.
| Aerospace Engineer | Senior Principal Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $100,401 | $130,642 |
| Hourly rate | $48.27 | $62.81 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 42,086 | 272,459 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 44 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
An aerospace engineer specializes in designing, maintaining, and repairing aircraft and spacecraft. Their responsibilities revolve around conducting tests and procedures to identify faults and inconsistencies, lead production processes, performing repairs and improvements, designing systems, and ensuring that all equipment complies with the safety regulations and standards. They are also responsible for producing technical materials such as reports, proposals, and manuals. Furthermore, there are instances where they must set the policies and standards on the equipment they are developing while utilizing their expertise in mathematics, engineering, and sciences.
A senior principal engineer is responsible for leading engineering tasks within an organization and reports project updates to senior management. Senior principal engineers develop strategic methods and principles to improve the technical stability and efficiency of the company's systems, creating business proposals according to clients' specifications, and negotiating contracts with suppliers and other service providers. They also train new staff and identify innovations and business opportunities that would generate more revenue resources for the company.
Aerospace engineers and senior principal engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Aerospace Engineer | Senior Principal Engineer | |
| Average salary | $100,401 | $130,642 |
| Salary range | Between $71,000 And $140,000 | Between $93,000 And $182,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Arizona | California |
| Best paying company | Thrush Aircraft | Airbnb |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Professional |
There are a few differences between an aerospace engineer and a senior principal engineer in terms of educational background:
| Aerospace Engineer | Senior Principal Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Aerospace Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Georgia Institute of Technology | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between aerospace engineers' and senior principal engineers' demographics:
| Aerospace Engineer | Senior Principal Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.8% Female, 11.2% | Male, 88.2% Female, 11.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.1% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 11.0% White, 69.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 17.2% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 5% |