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The differences between principal project engineers and staff 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 staff engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a principal project engineer has an average salary of $122,090, which is higher than the $107,530 average annual salary of a staff engineer.
The top three skills for a principal project engineer include project management, program management and DOD. The most important skills for a staff engineer are java, python, and architecture.
| Principal Project Engineer | Staff Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $122,090 | $107,530 |
| Hourly rate | $58.70 | $51.70 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 95,718 | 277,011 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| 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.
Staff engineers are responsible for designing, developing, and inspecting various products, equipment, or structures. These professionals may perform varied duties depending on their specialization that includes overseeing the design and construction of buildings, bridges, sewer systems, and other infrastructure, estimating the financial costs of construction projects, and ensuring compliance with health and safety laws and regulations. Other duties include designing and developing machinery, tools, and engines, solving design problems, and building the manufacturing equipment needed to create their products.
Principal project engineers and staff engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal Project Engineer | Staff Engineer | |
| Average salary | $122,090 | $107,530 |
| Salary range | Between $74,000 And $200,000 | Between $69,000 And $167,000 |
| Highest paying City | Houston, TX | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | Texas | California |
| Best paying company | Alphanumeric | Flexport |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a principal project engineer and a staff engineer in terms of educational background:
| Principal Project Engineer | Staff Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between principal project engineers' and staff engineers' demographics:
| Principal Project Engineer | Staff Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.7% Female, 11.3% | Male, 87.9% Female, 12.1% |
| 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, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 5% |