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The differences between principal network engineers and network consultants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a principal network engineer and a network consultant. Additionally, a principal network engineer has an average salary of $112,094, which is higher than the $89,303 average annual salary of a network consultant.
The top three skills for a principal network engineer include linux, lan wan and network infrastructure. The most important skills for a network consultant are appeals, firewall, and windows server.
| Principal Network Engineer | Network Consultant | |
| Yearly salary | $112,094 | $89,303 |
| Hourly rate | $53.89 | $42.93 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 107,276 | 58,194 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
In the information technology industry, a principal network engineer specializes in designing and developing networks and systems in adherence to client or company needs. Their responsibilities include gathering and analyzing data, developing standard procedures and test structures, performing installations and upgrades, identifying the strengths and weaknesses of existing networks, and implementing solutions against its vulnerable areas. They may also conduct regular maintenance checks and repairs, provide technical support to staff, and train junior engineers. Moreover, they must lead and encourage information technology teams to reach goals while enforcing the company's security policies and regulations.
Network consultants are information technology (IT) professionals who are responsible for designing, setting up, and maintaining computer networks for an organization or at a client location. These consultants are required to meet with the manager of an organization and network engineers to discuss their networking requirements. By supervising a team of IT professionals, these consultants must administer technical issues and fix infrastructure issues onsite. Network consultants must also maintain documentation for IT infrastructure as well as coordinate network documentation with account managers.
Principal network engineers and network consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal Network Engineer | Network Consultant | |
| Average salary | $112,094 | $89,303 |
| Salary range | Between $86,000 And $145,000 | Between $60,000 And $132,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sunnyvale, CA | Mountain View, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Walmart | Dell |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a principal network engineer and a network consultant in terms of educational background:
| Principal Network Engineer | Network Consultant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Northeastern University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between principal network engineers' and network consultants' demographics:
| Principal Network Engineer | Network Consultant | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 93.5% Female, 6.5% | Male, 87.0% Female, 13.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.7% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.4% Asian, 11.1% White, 62.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 9.0% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 11.3% White, 61.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |