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The differences between hydrologic engineers and principal engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a hydrologic engineer, becoming a principal engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a principal engineer has an average salary of $130,213, which is higher than the $89,811 average annual salary of a hydrologic engineer.
The top three skills for a hydrologic engineer include HEC-RAS, GIS and . The most important skills for a principal engineer are java, architecture, and python.
| Hydrologic Engineer | Principal Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $89,811 | $130,213 |
| Hourly rate | $43.18 | $62.60 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 25,427 | 312,683 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 6 |
Hydrologic engineers and principal engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Hydrologic Engineer | Principal Engineer | |
| Average salary | $89,811 | $130,213 |
| Salary range | Between $67,000 And $119,000 | Between $95,000 And $177,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | California |
| Best paying company | - | Grubhub |
| Best paying industry | - | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a hydrologic engineer and a principal engineer in terms of educational background:
| Hydrologic Engineer | Principal Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Civil Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Cornell University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between hydrologic engineers' and principal engineers' demographics:
| Hydrologic Engineer | Principal Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 77.3% Female, 22.7% | Male, 92.6% Female, 7.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 1.9% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 10.6% White, 75.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | 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 | 13% | 5% |