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The differences between contracting engineers and principal engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a contracting engineer and a principal engineer. Additionally, a principal engineer has an average salary of $130,213, which is higher than the $122,620 average annual salary of a contracting engineer.
The top three skills for a contracting engineer include C++, C # and R. The most important skills for a principal engineer are java, architecture, and python.
| Contracting Engineer | Principal Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $122,620 | $130,213 |
| Hourly rate | $58.95 | $62.60 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 115,631 | 312,683 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A contracting engineer specializes in overseeing engineering projects, focusing on the legalities of contracts between clients and engineers to ensure fairness in all parties involved. Most of their duties are administrative, such as gathering and analyzing data, conducting research and analyses, setting budgets and guidelines, drafting commercial tenders and other paperwork, maintaining records, and executing contracts. They are also responsible for handling contract issues and concerns, solving them promptly and efficiently. Additionally, a contracting engineer maintains an open communication line with all parties to ensure a smooth workflow.
A principal engineer is responsible for monitoring the overall design phase of the construction process, including coordinating with the client for progress and updates, as well as performing adjustments as needed based on clients' specifications and requirements. Principal engineers also inspect the materials and resources used to ensure that the project stays within the budget goals and set timeframe. They should have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in preparing reports and training new staff.
Contracting engineers and principal engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Contracting Engineer | Principal Engineer | |
| Average salary | $122,620 | $130,213 |
| Salary range | Between $86,000 And $173,000 | Between $95,000 And $177,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | California |
| Best paying company | EquiLend | Grubhub |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a contracting engineer and a principal engineer in terms of educational background:
| Contracting Engineer | Principal Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between contracting engineers' and principal engineers' demographics:
| Contracting Engineer | Principal Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.2% Female, 11.8% | Male, 92.6% Female, 7.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 11.8% White, 70.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.6% White, 67.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |