Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between principle software 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 principle software engineer, becoming a senior engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a principle software engineer has an average salary of $131,742, which is higher than the $108,743 average annual salary of a senior engineer.
The top three skills for a principle software engineer include java, python and software development. The most important skills for a senior engineer are java, python, and architecture.
| Principle Software Engineer | Senior Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $131,742 | $108,743 |
| Hourly rate | $63.34 | $52.28 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 285,407 | 343,200 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 39 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
Principle software engineers and senior engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principle Software Engineer | Senior Engineer | |
| Average salary | $131,742 | $108,743 |
| Salary range | Between $98,000 And $176,000 | Between $82,000 And $144,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Walmart | Roku |
| Best paying industry | Start-up | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a principle software engineer and a senior engineer in terms of educational background:
| Principle Software Engineer | Senior Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between principle software engineers' and senior engineers' demographics:
| Principle Software Engineer | Senior Engineer | |
| Average age | 39 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.3% Female, 11.7% | Male, 89.1% Female, 10.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.6% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.3% Asian, 29.8% White, 52.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | 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 | 8% | 5% |