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The differences between principal process engineers and reliability engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a principal process engineer and a reliability engineer. Additionally, a principal process engineer has an average salary of $126,348, which is higher than the $105,551 average annual salary of a reliability engineer.
The top three skills for a principal process engineer include process engineering, continuous improvement and engineering design. The most important skills for a reliability engineer are java, troubleshoot, and ruby.
| Principal Process Engineer | Reliability Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $126,348 | $105,551 |
| Hourly rate | $60.74 | $50.75 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 82,358 | 44,471 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A Principal Process Engineer is responsible for analyzing process technologies and proposal support for the engineering activities of the organization. They may work in various industries, such as chemical, petrochemical, agriculture, software development, and biotechnological.
A reliability engineer is in charge of determining and managing the asset reliability risks of businesses. Reliability engineers are professionals who solve problems related to engineering. They are equipped with a better understanding of the principles of performance evaluation and prediction for product safety. The job requires knowledge of the field of engineering, strong communication, interpersonal skills, management skills, attention to detail, and reliability. They are also expected to become experts in engineering systems.
Principal process engineers and reliability engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal Process Engineer | Reliability Engineer | |
| Average salary | $126,348 | $105,551 |
| Salary range | Between $93,000 And $171,000 | Between $76,000 And $144,000 |
| Highest paying City | Tucson, AZ | Richmond, CA |
| Highest paying state | Arizona | Washington |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a principal process engineer and a reliability engineer in terms of educational background:
| Principal Process Engineer | Reliability Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Most common major | Chemical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between principal process engineers' and reliability engineers' demographics:
| Principal Process Engineer | Reliability Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 84.4% Female, 15.6% | Male, 87.5% Female, 12.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 15.7% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.4% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 14.3% White, 66.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |