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The differences between energy systems 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 an energy systems engineer and a principal engineer. Additionally, a principal engineer has an average salary of $130,213, which is higher than the $90,432 average annual salary of an energy systems engineer.
The top three skills for an energy systems engineer include control systems, management system and system performance. The most important skills for a principal engineer are java, architecture, and python.
| Energy Systems Engineer | Principal Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $90,432 | $130,213 |
| Hourly rate | $43.48 | $62.60 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 130,448 | 312,683 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Energy systems engineers and principal engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Energy Systems Engineer | Principal Engineer | |
| Average salary | $90,432 | $130,213 |
| Salary range | Between $66,000 And $123,000 | Between $95,000 And $177,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | California |
| Best paying company | Joby Aviation | Grubhub |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between an energy systems engineer and a principal engineer in terms of educational background:
| Energy Systems Engineer | Principal Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between energy systems engineers' and principal engineers' demographics:
| Energy Systems Engineer | Principal Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 86.4% Female, 13.6% | Male, 92.6% Female, 7.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 16.9% White, 67.6% 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% |