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The differences between principal electrical engineers and system design engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a principal electrical engineer and a system design engineer. Additionally, a principal electrical engineer has an average salary of $121,822, which is higher than the $107,704 average annual salary of a system design engineer.
The top three skills for a principal electrical engineer include electrical engineering, RF and analog. The most important skills for a system design engineer are system design, architecture, and MATLAB.
| Principal Electrical Engineer | System Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $121,822 | $107,704 |
| Hourly rate | $58.57 | $51.78 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 112,926 | 113,582 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A principal electrical engineer is responsible for overseeing the development of electrical systems and projects. Because of their expertise, they have the responsibility to spearhead electrical projects from planning to execution, set goals and budgets, establish guidelines, develop test structures, and create strategies to optimize operations. They must also respond to issues and concerns, resolving them promptly and efficiently. Furthermore, as a principal electrical engineer, it is essential to manage staff while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
A system design engineer is an individual who participates in system design engineering and resolves manufacturing and service problems. System design engineers are required to collaborate with the system design team to research emerging technologies and develop new capabilities. They create design layouts by utilizing the use of CAD software such as AutoCad as well as supervise a group of CAD technicians. System design engineers must also provide customer service in the field and deliver individualized problem solving and system design support
Principal electrical engineers and system design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal Electrical Engineer | System Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $121,822 | $107,704 |
| Salary range | Between $93,000 And $159,000 | Between $77,000 And $149,000 |
| Highest paying City | Redwood City, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a principal electrical engineer and a system design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Principal Electrical Engineer | System Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between principal electrical engineers' and system design engineers' demographics:
| Principal Electrical Engineer | System Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 93.4% Female, 6.6% | Male, 91.2% Female, 8.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.1% Asian, 15.6% White, 63.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.4% Asian, 15.4% White, 63.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |