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The differences between principals and senior engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a principal, becoming a senior engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a principal has an average salary of $111,719, which is higher than the $108,743 average annual salary of a senior engineer.
The top three skills for a principal include CRM, project management and financial services. The most important skills for a senior engineer are java, python, and architecture.
| Principal | Senior Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $111,719 | $108,743 |
| Hourly rate | $53.71 | $52.28 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 84,015 | 343,200 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 47 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
A principal is responsible for maintaining the orderliness of the school premises and supervising school operations, enforcing strict safety standards, and reiterating regulatory procedures. Principals' duties also include managing and monitoring school budget and expenses, improving security plans, conducting regular meetings and sharing updates with teachers and other school personnel, creating reports for school funding, and setting academic goals for everyone's compliance. A principal must administer excellent leadership, communication, and decision-making skills to handle major administrative tasks in maintaining the school's growth.
A senior engineer is responsible for overseeing all operations within a designated area. With years of experience and expertise, a senior engineer may take charge of establishing goals, deadlines, and budgets for a particular project. They must devise and implement strategies that would improve the quality of workflow and deliver significant results. Furthermore, a senior manager must also supervise a team of skilled engineers, leading them in the joint effort to reach the company's vision and mission, all while adhering to the safety standards and regulations.
Principals and senior engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal | Senior Engineer | |
| Average salary | $111,719 | $108,743 |
| Salary range | Between $69,000 And $179,000 | Between $82,000 And $144,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | California |
| Best paying company | KKR & Co. L.P. | Roku |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a principal and a senior engineer in terms of educational background:
| Principal | Senior Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Business | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between principals' and senior engineers' demographics:
| Principal | Senior Engineer | |
| Average age | 47 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 65.6% Female, 34.4% | Male, 89.1% Female, 10.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.0% Asian, 4.3% White, 66.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 17.1% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 5% |