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The differences between principal quality engineers and quality 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 quality engineer. Additionally, a principal quality engineer has an average salary of $103,677, which is higher than the $79,672 average annual salary of a quality engineer.
The top three skills for a principal quality engineer include sigma, corrective action and ISO. The most important skills for a quality engineer are corrective action, continuous improvement, and ISO.
| Principal Quality Engineer | Quality Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $103,677 | $79,672 |
| Hourly rate | $49.84 | $38.30 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 120,965 | 96,838 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| 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 quality engineer's responsibilities include ensuring that the manufacturing processes are efficient and accurate, documenting findings that would raise concerns, conducting quality tests while observing parameters, and implementing changes as necessary to meet the highest quality standards. Quality engineers need to have excellent problem-solving and observation skills to detect any irregularities and possible malfunctions. They also must be able to communicate effectively with the clients for feedbacks and corrective adjustments, address complaints, and immediately resolve any inconsistencies made.
Principal quality engineers and quality engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal Quality Engineer | Quality Engineer | |
| Average salary | $103,677 | $79,672 |
| Salary range | Between $80,000 And $133,000 | Between $61,000 And $103,000 |
| Highest paying City | Redwood City, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Washington |
| Best paying company | Palo Alto Networks | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a principal quality engineer and a quality engineer in terms of educational background:
| Principal Quality Engineer | Quality Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | New York University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between principal quality engineers' and quality engineers' demographics:
| Principal Quality Engineer | Quality Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 81.0% Female, 19.0% | Male, 78.2% Female, 21.8% |
| 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, 4.7% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.5% Asian, 13.9% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |