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The differences between principal project engineers and packaging 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 project engineer and a packaging engineer. Additionally, a principal project engineer has an average salary of $122,090, which is higher than the $88,452 average annual salary of a packaging engineer.
The top three skills for a principal project engineer include project management, program management and DOD. The most important skills for a packaging engineer are CAD, project management, and solidworks.
| Principal Project Engineer | Packaging Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $122,090 | $88,452 |
| Hourly rate | $58.70 | $42.52 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 95,718 | 54,028 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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 Packaging Engineer plans and implements packaging designs to ensure product integrity and appeal. Their primary duties include supervising and managing the complete packaging development process, analyzing engineering drawings, and conducting periodic vendor reviews.
Principal project engineers and packaging engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal Project Engineer | Packaging Engineer | |
| Average salary | $122,090 | $88,452 |
| Salary range | Between $74,000 And $200,000 | Between $65,000 And $118,000 |
| Highest paying City | Houston, TX | Santa Rosa, CA |
| Highest paying state | Texas | California |
| Best paying company | Alphanumeric | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between a principal project engineer and a packaging engineer in terms of educational background:
| Principal Project Engineer | Packaging Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Engineering And Industrial Management |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between principal project engineers' and packaging engineers' demographics:
| Principal Project Engineer | Packaging Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.7% Female, 11.3% | Male, 77.1% Female, 22.9% |
| 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, 4.6% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% Asian, 13.1% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |