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The differences between lead engineers and principal software engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a lead engineer, becoming a principal software engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a principal software engineer has an average salary of $134,230, which is higher than the $84,927 average annual salary of a lead engineer.
The top three skills for a lead engineer include java, python and architecture. The most important skills for a principal software engineer are java, python, and software development.
| Lead Engineer | Principal Software Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $84,927 | $134,230 |
| Hourly rate | $40.83 | $64.53 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 301,777 | 345,893 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 41 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
A lead engineer's duties vary on their line of work or industry of employment. Typically, their responsibilities will revolve around overseeing the progress of operations and performance of the workforce, ensuring that everything is running smoothly. They are also responsible for addressing issues and concerns, assessing risks, monitoring the budget, coordinating with clients and architects, and even training workers. Furthermore, as a lead engineer, it is crucial to conduct regular inspections to ensure the quality of work and maintain a safe environment for all workers.
A Principal Software Engineer is responsible for the technical aspects of an organization's projects. They diagnose, document, and troubleshoot systems to resolve problems identified through testing, as well as implement strategies to improve integration and efficiency.
Lead engineers and principal software engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lead Engineer | Principal Software Engineer | |
| Average salary | $84,927 | $134,230 |
| Salary range | Between $60,000 And $120,000 | Between $98,000 And $182,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Meta | |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Retail |
There are a few differences between a lead engineer and a principal software engineer in terms of educational background:
| Lead Engineer | Principal Software Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between lead engineers' and principal software engineers' demographics:
| Lead Engineer | Principal Software Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.8% Female, 9.2% | Male, 87.5% Female, 12.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.8% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 4.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 29.9% White, 52.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 8% |