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The differences between principal architects and 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 $103,764 average annual salary of a systems architect.
The top three skills for a principal architect include cloud, infrastructure and emerging technologies. The most important skills for a systems architect are cloud, java, and python.
| Principal Architect | Systems Architect | |
| Yearly salary | $133,276 | $103,764 |
| Hourly rate | $64.08 | $49.89 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 118,908 | 232,582 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| 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.
A systems architect specializes in designing and developing computer networks and systems for company operations. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around conducting research and analysis to identify a company's needs, devising strategies to reach particular goals, improving existing systems, and implementing solutions for optimal processes. A systems architect must also monitor the progress of all implementations, prepare progress reports and presentations, provide technical support as needed, and train new workforce members, all while adhering to the company's policies and regulations, including vision and mission.
Principal architects and systems architects have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal Architect | Systems Architect | |
| Average salary | $133,276 | $103,764 |
| Salary range | Between $97,000 And $181,000 | Between $76,000 And $141,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Cupertino, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Airbnb | |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a principal architect and a systems architect in terms of educational background:
| Principal Architect | Systems Architect | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| 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 systems architects' demographics:
| Principal Architect | Systems Architect | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.3% Female, 10.7% | Male, 90.2% Female, 9.8% |
| 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% |