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The differences between lead application 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 a lead application engineer and a principal engineer. Additionally, a principal engineer has an average salary of $130,213, which is higher than the $111,059 average annual salary of a lead application engineer.
The top three skills for a lead application engineer include java, C++ and infrastructure. The most important skills for a principal engineer are java, architecture, and python.
| Lead Application Engineer | Principal Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $111,059 | $130,213 |
| Hourly rate | $53.39 | $62.60 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 186,619 | 312,683 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
An Application Engineers is responsible for monitoring and ensuring that all the application and software of a client is functioning well. They are the one who develops new engineering software and hardware that leads to innovation and technology. This person has practical communication skills since they need to interact with clients to determine the scope of the project and create a reasonable solution. An Application Engineer possesses skills in a wide range of technical concerns regarding software hardware. Typically, they can be seen different departments like manufacturing, marketing as well as customer services.
A principal engineer is responsible for monitoring the overall design phase of the construction process, including coordinating with the client for progress and updates, as well as performing adjustments as needed based on clients' specifications and requirements. Principal engineers also inspect the materials and resources used to ensure that the project stays within the budget goals and set timeframe. They should have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in preparing reports and training new staff.
Lead application engineers and principal engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lead Application Engineer | Principal Engineer | |
| Average salary | $111,059 | $130,213 |
| Salary range | Between $85,000 And $144,000 | Between $95,000 And $177,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | Virginia | California |
| Best paying company | Lyft | Grubhub |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a lead application engineer and a principal engineer in terms of educational background:
| Lead Application Engineer | Principal Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between lead application engineers' and principal engineers' demographics:
| Lead Application Engineer | Principal Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.8% Female, 12.2% | Male, 92.6% Female, 7.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.5% White, 68.1% 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% |