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The differences between principal mechanical engineers and staff 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 staff engineer. Additionally, a staff engineer has an average salary of $107,530, 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 staff engineer are java, python, and architecture.
| Principal Mechanical Engineer | Staff Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $102,451 | $107,530 |
| Hourly rate | $49.26 | $51.70 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 127,517 | 277,011 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| 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.
Staff engineers are responsible for designing, developing, and inspecting various products, equipment, or structures. These professionals may perform varied duties depending on their specialization that includes overseeing the design and construction of buildings, bridges, sewer systems, and other infrastructure, estimating the financial costs of construction projects, and ensuring compliance with health and safety laws and regulations. Other duties include designing and developing machinery, tools, and engines, solving design problems, and building the manufacturing equipment needed to create their products.
Principal mechanical engineers and staff engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal Mechanical Engineer | Staff Engineer | |
| Average salary | $102,451 | $107,530 |
| Salary range | Between $78,000 And $133,000 | Between $69,000 And $167,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Mexico | California |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | Flexport |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a principal mechanical engineer and a staff engineer in terms of educational background:
| Principal Mechanical Engineer | Staff Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between principal mechanical engineers' and staff engineers' demographics:
| Principal Mechanical Engineer | Staff Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 94.4% Female, 5.6% | Male, 87.9% Female, 12.1% |
| 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, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |