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The differences between desktop systems engineers and principal systems engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a desktop systems engineer and a principal systems engineer. Additionally, a principal systems engineer has an average salary of $133,208, which is higher than the $78,131 average annual salary of a desktop systems engineer.
The top three skills for a desktop systems engineer include infrastructure, powershell and mobile device management. The most important skills for a principal systems engineer are systems engineering, DOD, and C++.
| Desktop Systems Engineer | Principal Systems Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $78,131 | $133,208 |
| Hourly rate | $37.56 | $64.04 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 114,257 | 146,444 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Desktop systems engineers and principal systems engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Desktop Systems Engineer | Principal Systems Engineer | |
| Average salary | $78,131 | $133,208 |
| Salary range | Between $60,000 And $100,000 | Between $97,000 And $181,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | California |
| Best paying company | - | eBay |
| Best paying industry | - | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a desktop systems engineer and a principal systems engineer in terms of educational background:
| Desktop Systems Engineer | Principal Systems Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Northeastern University |
Here are the differences between desktop systems engineers' and principal systems engineers' demographics:
| Desktop Systems Engineer | Principal Systems Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.7% Female, 9.3% | Male, 89.7% Female, 10.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 8.7% White, 64.1% 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 | 9% | 9% |