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The differences between principal engineers and requirements engineers 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 requirements engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a principal engineer has an average salary of $130,213, which is higher than the $87,170 average annual salary of a requirements engineer.
The top three skills for a principal engineer include java, architecture and python. The most important skills for a requirements engineer are java, software development, and powerpoint.
| Principal Engineer | Requirements Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $130,213 | $87,170 |
| Hourly rate | $62.60 | $41.91 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 312,683 | 166,444 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 41 | 39 |
| 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.
Requirements engineers are responsible for the analysis, documentation, coordination, and management of requirements regarding new software projects. They identify and understand the customer's project-specific demands and document them in a clear and binding way. Their duties and responsibilities also include preparing well-written and detailed documentation of the project and ensuring the project is designed and built within the legal parameters.
Principal engineers and requirements engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal Engineer | Requirements Engineer | |
| Average salary | $130,213 | $87,170 |
| Salary range | Between $95,000 And $177,000 | Between $62,000 And $120,000 |
| 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 requirements engineer in terms of educational background:
| Principal Engineer | Requirements Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between principal engineers' and requirements engineers' demographics:
| Principal Engineer | Requirements Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 92.6% Female, 7.4% | Male, 64.5% Female, 35.5% |
| 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, 4.6% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.3% Asian, 29.8% White, 52.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 8% |