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The differences between principal project engineers and lead engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a principal project engineer, becoming a lead engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a principal project engineer has an average salary of $122,090, which is higher than the $84,927 average annual salary of a lead engineer.
The top three skills for a principal project engineer include project management, program management and DOD. The most important skills for a lead engineer are java, python, and architecture.
| Principal Project Engineer | Lead Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $122,090 | $84,927 |
| Hourly rate | $58.70 | $40.83 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 95,718 | 301,777 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
A principal project engineer spearheads and oversees engineering projects, ensuring efficiency and smooth workflow. It is their duty to set guidelines and objectives, provide technical and engineering support to various teams, gather and analyze data, identify the strengths and weaknesses of existing procedures, implement solutions against problem areas, and conducting inspections to ensure that all processes adhere to the company's quality standards and safety regulations, including the state and industry laws. Moreover, as a principal project engineer, it is essential to monitor the progress of all operations, training junior engineers when necessary.
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 project engineers and lead engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal Project Engineer | Lead Engineer | |
| Average salary | $122,090 | $84,927 |
| Salary range | Between $74,000 And $200,000 | Between $60,000 And $120,000 |
| Highest paying City | Houston, TX | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Texas | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Alphanumeric | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a principal project engineer and a lead engineer in terms of educational background:
| Principal Project Engineer | Lead Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between principal project engineers' and lead engineers' demographics:
| Principal Project Engineer | Lead Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.7% Female, 11.3% | Male, 90.8% Female, 9.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.5% Asian, 15.5% White, 65.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | 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 | 4% | 5% |