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The differences between principal hardware engineers and lead hardware engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a principal hardware engineer and a lead hardware engineer. Additionally, a principal hardware engineer has an average salary of $131,734, which is higher than the $121,252 average annual salary of a lead hardware engineer.
The top three skills for a principal hardware engineer include RF, architecture and C++. The most important skills for a lead hardware engineer are RF, system design, and FPGA.
| Principal Hardware Engineer | Lead Hardware Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $131,734 | $121,252 |
| Hourly rate | $63.33 | $58.29 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 88,049 | 39,713 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Principal hardware engineers and lead hardware engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal Hardware Engineer | Lead Hardware Engineer | |
| Average salary | $131,734 | $121,252 |
| Salary range | Between $98,000 And $176,000 | Between $89,000 And $163,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a principal hardware engineer and a lead hardware engineer in terms of educational background:
| Principal Hardware Engineer | Lead Hardware Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northeastern University | Northeastern University |
Here are the differences between principal hardware engineers' and lead hardware engineers' demographics:
| Principal Hardware Engineer | Lead Hardware Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 95.0% Female, 5.0% | Male, 92.8% Female, 7.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.0% Unknown, 2.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.2% Asian, 29.9% White, 51.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 7.6% Unknown, 2.9% Hispanic or Latino, 9.7% Asian, 29.5% White, 49.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |