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The differences between principal hardware engineers and principal 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 hardware engineer, becoming a principal engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a principal hardware engineer has an average salary of $131,734, which is higher than the $130,213 average annual salary of a principal engineer.
The top three skills for a principal hardware engineer include RF, architecture and C++. The most important skills for a principal engineer are java, architecture, and python.
| Principal Hardware Engineer | Principal Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $131,734 | $130,213 |
| Hourly rate | $63.33 | $62.60 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 88,049 | 312,683 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 44 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
Principal hardware engineers and principal engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal Hardware Engineer | Principal Engineer | |
| Average salary | $131,734 | $130,213 |
| Salary range | Between $98,000 And $176,000 | Between $95,000 And $177,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | Grubhub |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a principal hardware engineer and a principal engineer in terms of educational background:
| Principal Hardware Engineer | Principal Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northeastern University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between principal hardware engineers' and principal engineers' demographics:
| Principal Hardware Engineer | Principal Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 95.0% Female, 5.0% | Male, 92.6% Female, 7.4% |
| 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, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.6% White, 67.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 5% |