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The differences between principal mechanical engineers and senior electrical engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a principal mechanical engineer, becoming a senior electrical engineer takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a senior electrical engineer has an average salary of $109,315, which is higher than the $102,451 average annual salary of a principal mechanical engineer.
The top three skills for a principal mechanical engineer include mechanical engineering, CAD and mechanical design. The most important skills for a senior electrical engineer are control systems, electrical equipment, and electrical systems.
| Principal Mechanical Engineer | Senior Electrical Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $102,451 | $109,315 |
| Hourly rate | $49.26 | $52.56 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 127,517 | 82,639 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 41 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
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 senior electrical engineer is an individual who leads other engineers to review electrical design plans and analyze existing electrical systems. Senior electrical engineers must establish relationships with clients, vendors, and suppliers to ensure that projects are completed according to specifications. They create project budgets and produce working schedules and company regulations to make sure that a safe and positive working environment is achieved. Senior electrical engineers must be passionate about engineering development by attending electrical conferences and events.
Principal mechanical engineers and senior electrical engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal Mechanical Engineer | Senior Electrical Engineer | |
| Average salary | $102,451 | $109,315 |
| Salary range | Between $78,000 And $133,000 | Between $82,000 And $144,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | New Mexico | Washington |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Technology |
There are a few differences between a principal mechanical engineer and a senior electrical engineer in terms of educational background:
| Principal Mechanical Engineer | Senior Electrical Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between principal mechanical engineers' and senior electrical engineers' demographics:
| Principal Mechanical Engineer | Senior Electrical Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 94.4% Female, 5.6% | Male, 93.7% Female, 6.3% |
| 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, 4.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.3% Asian, 15.5% White, 63.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 6% |