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The differences between principal developers and project developers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a principal developer and a project developer. Additionally, a principal developer has an average salary of $126,772, which is higher than the $89,766 average annual salary of a project developer.
The top three skills for a principal developer include java, apis and architecture. The most important skills for a project developer are project development, renewable energy, and project management.
| Principal Developer | Project Developer | |
| Yearly salary | $126,772 | $89,766 |
| Hourly rate | $60.95 | $43.16 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 303,930 | 303,850 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
In the information technology industry, a principal developer is in charge of spearheading software and application development projects. It is their duty to perform extensive research and analysis, set objectives and guidelines, establish budgets and timelines, lead the planning and implementation stages, and develop strategies to optimize operations. They must also maintain an active communication line with staff to resolve issues should any arise. Moreover, as a principal developer, they must monitor the projects' workflow to ensure that everything runs smoothly and efficiently.
Project developers research aspects of each project to check that it follows all regulations and to complete the project on time and under the budget. They are responsible for overseeing various projects for their companies. They staff the project and make necessary purchases. Staffing could include hiring contractors and hiring new employees for the company. Their tasks are to report and resolve issues blocking work on project elements, develop project timeline and milestones with mitigation planning, and establish critical requirements of a project through stakeholder assessment.
Principal developers and project developers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal Developer | Project Developer | |
| Average salary | $126,772 | $89,766 |
| Salary range | Between $96,000 And $166,000 | Between $67,000 And $119,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Amazon | |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Hospitality |
There are a few differences between a principal developer and a project developer in terms of educational background:
| Principal Developer | Project Developer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between principal developers' and project developers' demographics:
| Principal Developer | Project Developer | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 80.3% Female, 19.7% | Male, 68.5% Female, 31.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.6% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 29.8% White, 52.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.5% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 29.9% White, 52.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |