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The differences between communications systems engineers and principal systems engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a principal systems engineer has an average salary of $133,208, which is higher than the $127,832 average annual salary of a communications systems engineer.
The top three skills for a communications systems engineer include RF, communications systems and C++. The most important skills for a principal systems engineer are systems engineering, DOD, and C++.
| Communications Systems Engineer | Principal Systems Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $127,832 | $133,208 |
| Hourly rate | $61.46 | $64.04 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 105,092 | 146,444 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 45 | 43 |
| Years of experience | - | 2 |
Communication systems engineers are engineering professionals who are responsible for developing communication systems and general electrical designs for their clients. These engineers are required to prepare communication designs, including diagrams, instructions, and the cost of materials for large-scale telecommunications projects. They must undergo certification training so that they can perform maintenance on communication and navigation systems. Communication systems engineers must also work with the development and test engineering to select for proper communication system components and to ensure that features are working properly.
A Principal Systems Engineer supervises a group of other engineers in technical projects. They develop and lead systems engineering projects and efforts.
Communications systems engineers and principal systems engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Communications Systems Engineer | Principal Systems Engineer | |
| Average salary | $127,832 | $133,208 |
| Salary range | Between $90,000 And $179,000 | Between $97,000 And $181,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Mexico | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | eBay |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a communications systems engineer and a principal systems engineer in terms of educational background:
| Communications Systems Engineer | Principal Systems Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Northeastern University |
Here are the differences between communications systems engineers' and principal systems engineers' demographics:
| Communications Systems Engineer | Principal Systems Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 85.4% Female, 14.6% | Male, 89.7% Female, 10.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 14.1% Asian, 12.7% White, 58.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 8.3% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 12.1% Asian, 12.8% White, 61.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 9% |