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The differences between principal quality 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 quality engineer and a packaging engineer. Additionally, a principal quality engineer has an average salary of $103,677, which is higher than the $88,452 average annual salary of a packaging engineer.
The top three skills for a principal quality engineer include sigma, corrective action and ISO. The most important skills for a packaging engineer are CAD, project management, and solidworks.
| Principal Quality Engineer | Packaging Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $103,677 | $88,452 |
| Hourly rate | $49.84 | $42.52 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 120,965 | 54,028 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Principal quality engineers are engineering professionals who are responsible for providing quality engineering support and technical guidance to help the quality activities of a project. They are required to supervise the quality management system to monitor the progress of projects and ensure their timely deliveries. They must provide quality assurance (QA) solutions while evaluating the efficiency of their existing QA processes. Principal quality engineers must also identify technical risks and challenges by suggesting corrective actions and QA process improvements.
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 quality engineers and packaging engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal Quality Engineer | Packaging Engineer | |
| Average salary | $103,677 | $88,452 |
| Salary range | Between $80,000 And $133,000 | Between $65,000 And $118,000 |
| Highest paying City | Redwood City, CA | Santa Rosa, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | California |
| Best paying company | Palo Alto Networks | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a principal quality engineer and a packaging engineer in terms of educational background:
| Principal Quality Engineer | Packaging Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Engineering And Industrial Management |
| Most common college | New York University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between principal quality engineers' and packaging engineers' demographics:
| Principal Quality Engineer | Packaging Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 81.0% Female, 19.0% | Male, 77.1% Female, 22.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.5% Asian, 15.4% White, 65.8% 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% |