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The differences between principal engineers and project managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a principal engineer has an average salary of $130,213, which is higher than the $91,578 average annual salary of a project manager.
The top three skills for a principal engineer include java, architecture and python. The most important skills for a project manager are project management, project scope, and customer service.
| Principal Engineer | Project Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $130,213 | $91,578 |
| Hourly rate | $62.60 | $44.03 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 312,683 | 167,116 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.17 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 41 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 6 | - |
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.
Project managers oversee a specific project related to the organization's business. They manage the whole project from inception to evaluation. They initiate planning with involved departments, follow-through on the plans, ensure smooth execution of the plans, and evaluate the project for further improvements should these be needed. In line with this, project managers also ensure that the project is cost-efficient and well within the budget. They also manage the different work teams involved in the project and ensure that things are running smoothly on this aspect as well.
Principal engineers and project managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal Engineer | Project Manager | |
| Average salary | $130,213 | $91,578 |
| Salary range | Between $95,000 And $177,000 | Between $64,000 And $129,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Mateo, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Grubhub | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | Technology |
There are a few differences between a principal engineer and a project manager in terms of educational background:
| Principal Engineer | Project Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Business |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between principal engineers' and project managers' demographics:
| Principal Engineer | Project Manager | |
| Average age | 41 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 92.6% Female, 7.4% | Male, 68.9% Female, 31.1% |
| 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, 7.7% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 9.0% White, 65.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 10% |