Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between lead systems engineers and principal engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a lead systems 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 $119,705 average annual salary of a lead systems engineer.
The top three skills for a lead systems engineer include systems engineering, architecture and infrastructure. The most important skills for a principal engineer are java, architecture, and python.
| Lead Systems Engineer | Principal Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $119,705 | $130,213 |
| Hourly rate | $57.55 | $62.60 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 186,392 | 312,683 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
A lead systems engineer is responsible for maintaining the safety and security of the systems infrastructure and improving the stability of the operating systems to support business operations. Lead systems engineers install and upgrade software applications and ensure that the technical strategies meet the quality standards and business requirements. They also enhance the performance of the existing systems, configuring features for optimization. A lead systems engineer must have excellent communication and technical skills, especially in supporting the end-users with technical failures and identifying accurate resolutions.
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 systems engineers and principal engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lead Systems Engineer | Principal Engineer | |
| Average salary | $119,705 | $130,213 |
| Salary range | Between $90,000 And $158,000 | Between $95,000 And $177,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Grubhub |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a lead systems engineer and a principal engineer in terms of educational background:
| Lead Systems Engineer | Principal Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between lead systems engineers' and principal engineers' demographics:
| Lead Systems Engineer | Principal Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.1% Female, 11.9% | Male, 92.6% Female, 7.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.7% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.4% Asian, 12.5% White, 61.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | 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 | 9% | 5% |