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The differences between senior architects and principal architects can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a principal architect has an average salary of $133,276, which is higher than the $91,624 average annual salary of a senior architect.
The top three skills for a senior architect include cloud, java and infrastructure. The most important skills for a principal architect are cloud, infrastructure, and emerging technologies.
| Senior Architect | Principal Architect | |
| Yearly salary | $91,624 | $133,276 |
| Hourly rate | $44.05 | $64.08 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 103,428 | 118,908 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 45 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | - |
A Senior Architect performs design drafting and evaluates architectural or engineering plans regarding building construction or improvement projects. They review building plans and site design for aesthetics, environmental acceptability, and compliance with quality standards.
Principal Architects manage all design work at an architecture firm. They ensure that all work is of high professional quality and manage the activity of other design professionals.
Senior architects and principal architects have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Architect | Principal Architect | |
| Average salary | $91,624 | $133,276 |
| Salary range | Between $58,000 And $143,000 | Between $97,000 And $181,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | California |
| Best paying company | Ropes & Gray | |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a senior architect and a principal architect in terms of educational background:
| Senior Architect | Principal Architect | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Architecture |
| Most common college | Cornell University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between senior architects' and principal architects' demographics:
| Senior Architect | Principal Architect | |
| Average age | 45 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.0% Female, 11.0% | Male, 89.3% Female, 10.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 2.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.9% Asian, 16.1% White, 65.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | 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 | 15% | 11% |