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The differences between principal architects and senior systems architects can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a principal architect has an average salary of $133,276, which is higher than the $113,858 average annual salary of a senior systems architect.
The top three skills for a principal architect include cloud, infrastructure and emerging technologies. The most important skills for a senior systems architect are java, scrum, and cloud.
| Principal Architect | Senior Systems Architect | |
| Yearly salary | $133,276 | $113,858 |
| Hourly rate | $64.08 | $54.74 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 118,908 | 143,269 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
Principal Architects manage all design work at an architecture firm. They ensure that all work is of high professional quality and manage the activity of other design professionals.
It is the job of a senior systems architect to develop, enforce, and maintain servers under the goals of an organization. Senior systems architects assess the requirements of businesses and customers, design documents, and develop architectural approaches. The architects establish and interpret structural designs and serve as managers, advisors, and mentors. They take responsibility for providing technical advice for software development. Typically, they work onsite and in offices to ensure team cohesion and successful projects.
Principal architects and senior systems architects have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal Architect | Senior Systems Architect | |
| Average salary | $133,276 | $113,858 |
| Salary range | Between $97,000 And $181,000 | Between $83,000 And $155,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | ||
| Best paying industry | Technology | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a principal architect and a senior systems architect in terms of educational background:
| Principal Architect | Senior Systems Architect | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Architecture | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between principal architects' and senior systems architects' demographics:
| Principal Architect | Senior Systems Architect | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.3% Female, 10.7% | Male, 91.3% Female, 8.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 12.0% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 12.0% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |