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The differences between principal consulting engineers and chief engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a principal consulting engineer and a chief engineer. Additionally, a principal consulting engineer has an average salary of $118,866, which is higher than the $108,050 average annual salary of a chief engineer.
The top three skills for a principal consulting engineer include java, project management and infrastructure. The most important skills for a chief engineer are HVAC, plumbing, and customer service.
| Principal Consulting Engineer | Chief Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $118,866 | $108,050 |
| Hourly rate | $57.15 | $51.95 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 104,810 | 88,473 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Principal consulting engineers and chief engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal Consulting Engineer | Chief Engineer | |
| Average salary | $118,866 | $108,050 |
| Salary range | Between $91,000 And $154,000 | Between $65,000 And $177,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Palo Alto, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Palo Alto Networks | BGC Partners |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Transportation |
There are a few differences between a principal consulting engineer and a chief engineer in terms of educational background:
| Principal Consulting Engineer | Chief Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between principal consulting engineers' and chief engineers' demographics:
| Principal Consulting Engineer | Chief Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.7% Female, 9.3% | Male, 96.2% Female, 3.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 17.1% White, 67.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 3.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.9% Asian, 10.2% White, 71.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |