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The differences between principal test engineers and test 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 test engineer and a test engineer. Additionally, a principal test engineer has an average salary of $116,493, which is higher than the $79,832 average annual salary of a test engineer.
The top three skills for a principal test engineer include python, C++ and java. The most important skills for a test engineer are python, C++, and C #.
| Principal Test Engineer | Test Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $116,493 | $79,832 |
| Hourly rate | $56.01 | $38.38 |
| Growth rate | 3% | - |
| Number of jobs | 96,539 | 228,974 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
Test engineers are professionals who observe and record the quality of products, which includes functionality, durability, speed, and safety. They are responsible for checking the materials and procedures thoroughly throughout the production cycle. It is their duty to run tests on different criteria to identify and fix technical issues. They analyze reactions to determine the causes of malfunctions and recommend potential improvements. Moreover, they test products before they are launched to ensure customers get high-quality and functional products.
Principal test engineers and test engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal Test Engineer | Test Engineer | |
| Average salary | $116,493 | $79,832 |
| Salary range | Between $84,000 And $159,000 | Between $60,000 And $104,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a principal test engineer and a test engineer in terms of educational background:
| Principal Test Engineer | Test Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between principal test engineers' and test engineers' demographics:
| Principal Test Engineer | Test Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.8% Female, 10.2% | Male, 81.7% Female, 18.3% |
| 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, 6.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 12.0% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |