Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between principal quality engineers and senior product 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 quality engineer, becoming a senior product engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a principal quality engineer has an average salary of $103,677, which is higher than the $101,685 average annual salary of a senior product engineer.
The top three skills for a principal quality engineer include sigma, corrective action and ISO. The most important skills for a senior product engineer are java, product engineering, and continuous improvement.
| Principal Quality Engineer | Senior Product Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $103,677 | $101,685 |
| Hourly rate | $49.84 | $48.89 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 120,965 | 145,781 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
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 senior product engineer specializes in optimizing product designs and manufacturing procedures, ensuring efficiency and smooth workflow. They are typically in charge of performing market research and analysis, utilizing the results as a basis in designing new products and upgrading existing designs. Moreover, they coordinate with product development teams to cultivate ideas, develop prototypes and test structures, and oversee the material selection that will make the products possible. As a senior product engineer, it is essential to monitor the entire progress and lead the workforce to reach goals, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Principal quality engineers and senior product engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal Quality Engineer | Senior Product Engineer | |
| Average salary | $103,677 | $101,685 |
| Salary range | Between $80,000 And $133,000 | Between $78,000 And $131,000 |
| Highest paying City | Redwood City, CA | Mountain View, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | California |
| Best paying company | Palo Alto Networks | Cloudflare |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a principal quality engineer and a senior product engineer in terms of educational background:
| Principal Quality Engineer | Senior Product Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | New York University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between principal quality engineers' and senior product engineers' demographics:
| Principal Quality Engineer | Senior Product Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 81.0% Female, 19.0% | Male, 89.2% Female, 10.8% |
| 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, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 17.2% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 5% |