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The differences between principal project engineers and senior project 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 senior project engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a principal project engineer has an average salary of $122,090, which is higher than the $97,803 average annual salary of a senior project engineer.
The top three skills for a principal project engineer include project management, program management and DOD. The most important skills for a senior project engineer are project management, construction management, and CAD.
| Principal Project Engineer | Senior Project Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $122,090 | $97,803 |
| Hourly rate | $58.70 | $47.02 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 95,718 | 146,838 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| 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 senior project engineer is responsible for monitoring the project team's overall process and operations from conceptualization until completion, ensuring the adherence to the clients' specifications, within the budget's goals, and the required deadline. Senior project engineers regularly communicate with the client regarding updates or necessary adjustments. They develop strategic procedures to finish the project efficiently by running diagnostic tests and troubleshooting discrepancies. A senior project engineer must have excellent communication and leadership skills to handle the team's performance and provide assistance when necessary.
Principal project engineers and senior project engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal Project Engineer | Senior Project Engineer | |
| Average salary | $122,090 | $97,803 |
| Salary range | Between $74,000 And $200,000 | Between $77,000 And $124,000 |
| Highest paying City | Houston, TX | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Texas | Maryland |
| Best paying company | Alphanumeric | Amazon |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a principal project engineer and a senior project engineer in terms of educational background:
| Principal Project Engineer | Senior Project Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between principal project engineers' and senior project engineers' demographics:
| Principal Project Engineer | Senior Project Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.7% Female, 11.3% | Male, 84.4% Female, 15.6% |
| 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, 3.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 14.8% White, 69.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 5% |