Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between data engineers and principal software engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a data engineer and a principal software engineer. Additionally, a principal software engineer has an average salary of $134,230, which is higher than the $109,675 average annual salary of a data engineer.
The top three skills for a data engineer include python, java and cloud. The most important skills for a principal software engineer are java, python, and software development.
| Data Engineer | Principal Software Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $109,675 | $134,230 |
| Hourly rate | $52.73 | $64.53 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 303,105 | 345,893 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A data engineer is someone who makes data science possible. This IT job requires the search for data set trends and algorithm development to make raw data more beneficial to the enterprise. Data engineers are responsible for establishing and maintaining an environment that permits other data functions. The necessary skills for the job include in-depth knowledge of multiple programming languages and SQL database design. Among the other skills data engineers should develop include data warehousing and architecture, data mining and modeling, and statistical regression analysis.
A Principal Software Engineer is responsible for the technical aspects of an organization's projects. They diagnose, document, and troubleshoot systems to resolve problems identified through testing, as well as implement strategies to improve integration and efficiency.
Data engineers and principal software engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Data Engineer | Principal Software Engineer | |
| Average salary | $109,675 | $134,230 |
| Salary range | Between $80,000 And $149,000 | Between $98,000 And $182,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | California | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Retail |
There are a few differences between a data engineer and a principal software engineer in terms of educational background:
| Data Engineer | Principal Software Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between data engineers' and principal software engineers' demographics:
| Data Engineer | Principal Software Engineer | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 81.5% Female, 18.5% | Male, 87.5% Female, 12.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.0% Asian, 30.1% White, 52.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 29.9% White, 52.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |