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The differences between principal test engineers and senior 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 test engineer, becoming a senior engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a principal test engineer has an average salary of $116,493, which is higher than the $108,743 average annual salary of a senior engineer.
The top three skills for a principal test engineer include python, C++ and java. The most important skills for a senior engineer are java, python, and architecture.
| Principal Test Engineer | Senior Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $116,493 | $108,743 |
| Hourly rate | $56.01 | $52.28 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 96,539 | 343,200 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 44 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
Principal Test Engineers test automation tools and frameworks like Selenium, Appium, and Ranorex. They make sure that the software their companies offer is safe and reliable for consumer use. Being a principal test engineer requires testing to influence better software design, promoting good engineering practice, security, testability, scalability, drafting bug prevention strategies, and reliability. They are responsible for defining test goals, preparing and executing system-level functional tests, providing new project forecasts based on the provided information, and improving the current test solutions by reducing the test time, repeat tests, and yield analysis.
A senior engineer is responsible for overseeing all operations within a designated area. With years of experience and expertise, a senior engineer may take charge of establishing goals, deadlines, and budgets for a particular project. They must devise and implement strategies that would improve the quality of workflow and deliver significant results. Furthermore, a senior manager must also supervise a team of skilled engineers, leading them in the joint effort to reach the company's vision and mission, all while adhering to the safety standards and regulations.
Principal test engineers and senior engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal Test Engineer | Senior Engineer | |
| Average salary | $116,493 | $108,743 |
| Salary range | Between $84,000 And $159,000 | Between $82,000 And $144,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | Roku |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a principal test engineer and a senior engineer in terms of educational background:
| Principal Test Engineer | Senior Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between principal test engineers' and senior engineers' demographics:
| Principal Test Engineer | Senior Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.8% Female, 10.2% | Male, 89.1% Female, 10.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 12.0% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 17.1% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 5% |