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The differences between principal quality engineers and project lead 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 project lead engineer. Additionally, a project lead engineer has an average salary of $106,946, which is higher than the $103,677 average annual salary of a principal quality engineer.
The top three skills for a principal quality engineer include sigma, corrective action and ISO. The most important skills for a project lead engineer are project management, renewable energy, and project execution.
| Principal Quality Engineer | Project Lead Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $103,677 | $106,946 |
| Hourly rate | $49.84 | $51.42 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 120,965 | 98,018 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| 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.
Project lead engineers are engineering professionals who are responsible for leading other professionals in completing a particular project. These engineers must develop a project management framework to be implemented throughout the organization based on the inputs from internal stakeholders and team members. They are required to train junior team members so that they can provide proper technical support functions. Project lead engineers must also prepare and review cost estimates for a variety of projects during bidding, construction, and post-construction phases.
Principal quality engineers and project lead engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal Quality Engineer | Project Lead Engineer | |
| Average salary | $103,677 | $106,946 |
| Salary range | Between $80,000 And $133,000 | Between $78,000 And $146,000 |
| Highest paying City | Redwood City, CA | Cupertino, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | California |
| Best paying company | Palo Alto Networks | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a principal quality engineer and a project lead engineer in terms of educational background:
| Principal Quality Engineer | Project Lead Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | New York University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between principal quality engineers' and project lead engineers' demographics:
| Principal Quality Engineer | Project Lead Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 81.0% Female, 19.0% | Male, 86.8% Female, 13.2% |
| 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, 4.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 15.2% White, 66.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |