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The differences between principal firmware engineers and staff engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a principal firmware engineer, becoming a staff engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a principal firmware engineer has an average salary of $134,114, which is higher than the $107,530 average annual salary of a staff engineer.
The top three skills for a principal firmware engineer include python, debugging and SSD. The most important skills for a staff engineer are java, python, and architecture.
| Principal Firmware Engineer | Staff Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $134,114 | $107,530 |
| Hourly rate | $64.48 | $51.70 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 61,118 | 277,011 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 39 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
Principal firmware engineers and staff engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal Firmware Engineer | Staff Engineer | |
| Average salary | $134,114 | $107,530 |
| Salary range | Between $103,000 And $174,000 | Between $69,000 And $167,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Micron Technology | Flexport |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a principal firmware engineer and a staff engineer in terms of educational background:
| Principal Firmware Engineer | Staff Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between principal firmware engineers' and staff engineers' demographics:
| Principal Firmware Engineer | Staff Engineer | |
| Average age | 39 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 93.8% Female, 6.3% | Male, 87.9% Female, 12.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% Asian, 30.0% White, 52.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.8% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 5% |