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The differences between lead 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 lead systems engineer and a principal systems engineer. Additionally, a principal systems engineer has an average salary of $133,208, 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 systems engineer are systems engineering, DOD, and C++.
| Lead Systems Engineer | Principal Systems Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $119,705 | $133,208 |
| Hourly rate | $57.55 | $64.04 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 186,392 | 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 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 Systems Engineer supervises a group of other engineers in technical projects. They develop and lead systems engineering projects and efforts.
Lead systems engineers and principal systems engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lead Systems Engineer | Principal Systems Engineer | |
| Average salary | $119,705 | $133,208 |
| Salary range | Between $90,000 And $158,000 | Between $97,000 And $181,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | eBay |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a lead systems engineer and a principal systems engineer in terms of educational background:
| Lead Systems Engineer | Principal Systems 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 | Northeastern University |
Here are the differences between lead systems engineers' and principal systems engineers' demographics:
| Lead Systems Engineer | Principal Systems Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.1% Female, 11.9% | Male, 89.7% Female, 10.3% |
| 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, 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% |