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The differences between managers, systems engineering and principal systems engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-8 years to become a manager, systems engineering, becoming a principal systems engineer takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a principal systems engineer has an average salary of $133,208, which is higher than the $130,127 average annual salary of a manager, systems engineering.
The top three skills for a manager, systems engineering include systems engineering, architecture and DOD. The most important skills for a principal systems engineer are systems engineering, DOD, and C++.
| Manager, Systems Engineering | Principal Systems Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $130,127 | $133,208 |
| Hourly rate | $62.56 | $64.04 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 174,962 | 146,444 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 47 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 2 |
A systems engineering manager is responsible for monitoring the efficiency of the company's technology systems and network infrastructure. System engineering managers inspect the output deliverables of computer systems, identifying process improvement techniques to improve optimal performance and maintain high-quality results. They handle the department's budget and allocate adequate resources to support project management operations and requirements. A systems engineering manager must have excellent knowledge of the technology industry, handling technical complexities, and configuring system management tools.
A Principal Systems Engineer supervises a group of other engineers in technical projects. They develop and lead systems engineering projects and efforts.
Managers, systems engineering and principal systems engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Manager, Systems Engineering | Principal Systems Engineer | |
| Average salary | $130,127 | $133,208 |
| Salary range | Between $96,000 And $176,000 | Between $97,000 And $181,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Pure Storage | eBay |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a manager, systems engineering and a principal systems engineer in terms of educational background:
| Manager, Systems Engineering | Principal Systems Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | Northeastern University |
Here are the differences between managers, systems engineering' and principal systems engineers' demographics:
| Manager, Systems Engineering | Principal Systems Engineer | |
| Average age | 47 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.8% Female, 12.2% | Male, 89.7% Female, 10.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.5% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 12.7% White, 65.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | 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 | 11% | 9% |