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The differences between junior 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 junior systems engineer and a principal systems engineer. Additionally, a principal systems engineer has an average salary of $133,208, which is higher than the $61,565 average annual salary of a junior systems engineer.
The top three skills for a junior systems engineer include python, linux and DOD. The most important skills for a principal systems engineer are systems engineering, DOD, and C++.
| Junior Systems Engineer | Principal Systems Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $61,565 | $133,208 |
| Hourly rate | $29.60 | $64.04 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 133,316 | 146,444 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A junior systems engineer is responsible for supporting the information technology department in maintaining the stability and efficiency of network servers and systems. Junior systems engineers assist in the configuration of the servers, as well as developing operational procedures to improve network infrastructure. They also resolve the end-users' technical issues through remote solutions, requiring them to have excellent knowledge of programming languages and navigation to identify the source of complexities. A junior systems engineer maintains resolution records for reference to avoid the reoccurrence of system failures and glitches.
A Principal Systems Engineer supervises a group of other engineers in technical projects. They develop and lead systems engineering projects and efforts.
Junior systems engineers and principal systems engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Junior Systems Engineer | Principal Systems Engineer | |
| Average salary | $61,565 | $133,208 |
| Salary range | Between $43,000 And $87,000 | Between $97,000 And $181,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Amd | eBay |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a junior systems engineer and a principal systems engineer in terms of educational background:
| Junior Systems Engineer | Principal Systems Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Northeastern University |
Here are the differences between junior systems engineers' and principal systems engineers' demographics:
| Junior Systems Engineer | Principal Systems Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 79.0% Female, 21.0% | Male, 89.7% Female, 10.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 12.1% Asian, 13.3% White, 60.9% 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% |