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The differences between principal test engineers and staff 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 staff engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a principal test engineer has an average salary of $116,493, which is higher than the $107,530 average annual salary of a staff engineer.
The top three skills for a principal test engineer include python, C++ and java. The most important skills for a staff engineer are java, python, and architecture.
| Principal Test Engineer | Staff Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $116,493 | $107,530 |
| Hourly rate | $56.01 | $51.70 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 96,539 | 277,011 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| 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.
Staff engineers are responsible for designing, developing, and inspecting various products, equipment, or structures. These professionals may perform varied duties depending on their specialization that includes overseeing the design and construction of buildings, bridges, sewer systems, and other infrastructure, estimating the financial costs of construction projects, and ensuring compliance with health and safety laws and regulations. Other duties include designing and developing machinery, tools, and engines, solving design problems, and building the manufacturing equipment needed to create their products.
Principal test engineers and staff engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal Test Engineer | Staff Engineer | |
| Average salary | $116,493 | $107,530 |
| Salary range | Between $84,000 And $159,000 | Between $69,000 And $167,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | Flexport |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a principal test engineer and a staff engineer in terms of educational background:
| Principal Test Engineer | Staff Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between principal test engineers' and staff engineers' demographics:
| Principal Test Engineer | Staff Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.8% Female, 10.2% | Male, 87.9% Female, 12.1% |
| 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, 7.8% Asian, 16.8% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 5% |