Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between principal design engineers and senior staff 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 design engineer and a senior staff engineer. Additionally, a senior staff engineer has an average salary of $136,031, which is higher than the $134,300 average annual salary of a principal design engineer.
The top three skills for a principal design engineer include RF, principal design and CAD. The most important skills for a senior staff engineer are python, java, and architecture.
| Principal Design Engineer | Senior Staff Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $134,300 | $136,031 |
| Hourly rate | $64.57 | $65.40 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 120,887 | 239,752 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A principal design engineer is responsible for designing and managing manufacturing automation, renewable and solar systems integration engineering projects, and energy reduction projects. You will oversee the project's design, estimate and secure materials, and manage schedules. Additionally, you will be responsible for drafting and executing construction contracts, monitor project status and progress, and conducting engineering research and investigations. You will also train new design engineers, guide other departments on engineering matters, and keeping up-to-date with the latest industry trends.
A senior staff engineer is responsible for supervising a team of engineers, chemists, software developers, or molecular biologists. His/Her or her responsibilities include generating Structured Query Language (SQL) performance audit checklist template, creating SQL data query routines and functions for data extraction, and working directly with stakeholders. The job requires strong mechanical, listening, and mathematical skills and proficiency in Python programming language and computer architecture and hardware. The education requirements for the job include a bachelor's or master's degree in electrical engineering, business, mechanical engineering, or a related field.
Principal design engineers and senior staff engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal Design Engineer | Senior Staff Engineer | |
| Average salary | $134,300 | $136,031 |
| Salary range | Between $99,000 And $180,000 | Between $95,000 And $194,000 |
| Highest paying City | Mountain View, CA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | Airbnb |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a principal design engineer and a senior staff engineer in terms of educational background:
| Principal Design Engineer | Senior Staff Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Georgia Institute of Technology | California State Polytechnic University, Pomona |
Here are the differences between principal design engineers' and senior staff engineers' demographics:
| Principal Design Engineer | Senior Staff Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 92.4% Female, 7.6% | Male, 78.4% Female, 21.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.6% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 19.7% White, 60.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.8% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 5% |