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The differences between principal project engineers and production 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 production engineer. Additionally, a principal project engineer has an average salary of $122,090, which is higher than the $89,727 average annual salary of a production engineer.
The top three skills for a principal project engineer include project management, program management and DOD. The most important skills for a production engineer are java, continuous improvement, and lean manufacturing.
| Principal Project Engineer | Production Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $122,090 | $89,727 |
| Hourly rate | $58.70 | $43.14 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 95,718 | 94,789 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| 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 production engineer is responsible for monitoring the production operations, ensuring everyone's adherence to safety protocols, and evaluating the staff's performance, strategizing on maximizing productivity to deliver efficient results that would drive revenues and increase profitability. Production engineers inspect the reliability of production equipment and machinery, conducting preventive maintenance, and repair inconsistencies to prevent production delays. They also identify areas of improvement with the manufacturing processes and escalate best practices for improvement. A production engineer must be knowledgeable about technological advancements and incorporate ideas to minimize costs without sacrificing the quality of services.
Principal project engineers and production engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal Project Engineer | Production Engineer | |
| Average salary | $122,090 | $89,727 |
| Salary range | Between $74,000 And $200,000 | Between $64,000 And $125,000 |
| Highest paying City | Houston, TX | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Texas | California |
| Best paying company | Alphanumeric | Cheniere Energy |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between a principal project engineer and a production engineer in terms of educational background:
| Principal Project Engineer | Production Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between principal project engineers' and production engineers' demographics:
| Principal Project Engineer | Production Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.7% Female, 11.3% | Male, 86.7% Female, 13.3% |
| 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, 4.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.5% Asian, 15.4% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |