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The differences between principal engineers and fellows can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a principal engineer, becoming a fellow takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a principal engineer has an average salary of $130,213, which is higher than the $66,364 average annual salary of a fellow.
The top three skills for a principal engineer include java, architecture and python. The most important skills for a fellow are patients, professional development, and veterans.
| Principal Engineer | Fellow | |
| Yearly salary | $130,213 | $66,364 |
| Hourly rate | $62.60 | $31.91 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 312,683 | 7,459 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
A principal engineer is responsible for monitoring the overall design phase of the construction process, including coordinating with the client for progress and updates, as well as performing adjustments as needed based on clients' specifications and requirements. Principal engineers also inspect the materials and resources used to ensure that the project stays within the budget goals and set timeframe. They should have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in preparing reports and training new staff.
A fellow's responsibility will depend on the organization or industry where one belongs. However, most of the time, a fellow's duty will revolve around conducting research and analysis, presiding discussions and attending dialogues, handle lectures while complying with the guidelines or tasks set by supervisors, and assist in various projects and activities. Furthermore, a fellow must adhere to the institution or organization's policies and regulations at all times, meet all the requirements and outputs involved, and coordinate with every person in the workforce.
Principal engineers and fellows have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal Engineer | Fellow | |
| Average salary | $130,213 | $66,364 |
| Salary range | Between $95,000 And $177,000 | Between $46,000 And $93,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Mateo, CA | Oak Ridge, TN |
| Highest paying state | California | Tennessee |
| Best paying company | Grubhub | Peterson Institute for International Economics |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | Professional |
There are a few differences between a principal engineer and a fellow in terms of educational background:
| Principal Engineer | Fellow | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Political Science |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between principal engineers' and fellows' demographics:
| Principal Engineer | Fellow | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 92.6% Female, 7.4% | Male, 46.2% Female, 53.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.6% White, 67.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 26.4% White, 53.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 8% |