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The differences between principle engineers and principal software engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a principle engineer, becoming a principal software engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a principal software engineer has an average salary of $134,230, which is higher than the $126,143 average annual salary of a principle engineer.
The top three skills for a principle engineer include architecture, java and R. The most important skills for a principal software engineer are java, python, and software development.
| Principle Engineer | Principal Software Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $126,143 | $134,230 |
| Hourly rate | $60.65 | $64.53 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 158,235 | 345,893 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 41 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
Principle engineers and principal software engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principle Engineer | Principal Software Engineer | |
| Average salary | $126,143 | $134,230 |
| Salary range | Between $92,000 And $171,000 | Between $98,000 And $182,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | California | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | The Walt Disney Company | |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Retail |
There are a few differences between a principle engineer and a principal software engineer in terms of educational background:
| Principle Engineer | Principal Software Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between principle engineers' and principal software engineers' demographics:
| Principle Engineer | Principal Software Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 94.5% Female, 5.5% | Male, 87.5% Female, 12.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 17.0% White, 67.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 4.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 29.9% White, 52.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 8% |