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The differences between principal mechanical engineers and lead 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 mechanical engineer and a lead engineer. Additionally, a principal mechanical engineer has an average salary of $102,451, which is higher than the $84,927 average annual salary of a lead engineer.
The top three skills for a principal mechanical engineer include mechanical engineering, CAD and mechanical design. The most important skills for a lead engineer are java, python, and architecture.
| Principal Mechanical Engineer | Lead Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $102,451 | $84,927 |
| Hourly rate | $49.26 | $40.83 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 127,517 | 301,777 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A principal mechanical engineer is responsible for managing and maintaining the company's machinery, designing equipment that would support the business functions and operations efficiently, and inspecting tools for production processes. Principal mechanical engineers assist the work of junior engineers in manufacturing operations and resolving issues and tickets. They also conduct quality check procedures for the outputs, identify areas of improvement, and identify opportunities that would help the business grow more revenues and increase the company's profitability.
A lead engineer's duties vary on their line of work or industry of employment. Typically, their responsibilities will revolve around overseeing the progress of operations and performance of the workforce, ensuring that everything is running smoothly. They are also responsible for addressing issues and concerns, assessing risks, monitoring the budget, coordinating with clients and architects, and even training workers. Furthermore, as a lead engineer, it is crucial to conduct regular inspections to ensure the quality of work and maintain a safe environment for all workers.
Principal mechanical engineers and lead engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal Mechanical Engineer | Lead Engineer | |
| Average salary | $102,451 | $84,927 |
| Salary range | Between $78,000 And $133,000 | Between $60,000 And $120,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Mexico | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a principal mechanical engineer and a lead engineer in terms of educational background:
| Principal Mechanical Engineer | Lead Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between principal mechanical engineers' and lead engineers' demographics:
| Principal Mechanical Engineer | Lead Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 94.4% Female, 5.6% | Male, 90.8% Female, 9.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.3% Asian, 15.7% White, 68.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.8% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |