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The differences between principal engineers and senior principal engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a principal engineer and a senior principal engineer. Additionally, a senior principal engineer has an average salary of $130,642, which is higher than the $130,213 average annual salary of a principal engineer.
The top three skills for a principal engineer include java, architecture and python. The most important skills for a senior principal engineer are python, architecture, and java.
| Principal Engineer | Senior Principal Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $130,213 | $130,642 |
| Hourly rate | $62.60 | $62.81 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 312,683 | 272,459 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 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.
A senior principal engineer is responsible for leading engineering tasks within an organization and reports project updates to senior management. Senior principal engineers develop strategic methods and principles to improve the technical stability and efficiency of the company's systems, creating business proposals according to clients' specifications, and negotiating contracts with suppliers and other service providers. They also train new staff and identify innovations and business opportunities that would generate more revenue resources for the company.
Principal engineers and senior principal engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal Engineer | Senior Principal Engineer | |
| Average salary | $130,213 | $130,642 |
| Salary range | Between $95,000 And $177,000 | Between $93,000 And $182,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Mateo, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Grubhub | Airbnb |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | Professional |
There are a few differences between a principal engineer and a senior principal engineer in terms of educational background:
| Principal Engineer | Senior Principal Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between principal engineers' and senior principal engineers' demographics:
| Principal Engineer | Senior Principal Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 92.6% Female, 7.4% | Male, 88.2% Female, 11.8% |
| 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, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 17.2% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |