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The differences between information 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 an information systems engineer and a principal systems engineer. Additionally, a principal systems engineer has an average salary of $133,208, which is higher than the $104,903 average annual salary of an information systems engineer.
The top three skills for an information systems engineer include system security, NIST and RMF. The most important skills for a principal systems engineer are systems engineering, DOD, and C++.
| Information Systems Engineer | Principal Systems Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $104,903 | $133,208 |
| Hourly rate | $50.43 | $64.04 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 248,183 | 146,444 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
An information systems engineer is responsible for designing and creating network systems and databases to process information that would support business functions and operations. Information systems engineers maintain the stability and navigation of networks to ensure their security and prevent unauthorized access and illegal data dissemination. They may also modify the features and improve the infrastructure of the existing database for optimization. An information systems engineer must have excellent technical skills, as well as a strong command of programming languages to write codes and test controls.
A Principal Systems Engineer supervises a group of other engineers in technical projects. They develop and lead systems engineering projects and efforts.
Information systems engineers and principal systems engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Information Systems Engineer | Principal Systems Engineer | |
| Average salary | $104,903 | $133,208 |
| Salary range | Between $78,000 And $139,000 | Between $97,000 And $181,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Safeway | eBay |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between an information systems engineer and a principal systems engineer in terms of educational background:
| Information Systems Engineer | Principal Systems Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Northeastern University |
Here are the differences between information systems engineers' and principal systems engineers' demographics:
| Information Systems Engineer | Principal Systems Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 81.5% Female, 18.5% | Male, 89.7% Female, 10.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 12.4% White, 61.2% 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% |