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The differences between senior civil engineers and principal engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a senior civil engineer and a principal engineer. Additionally, a principal engineer has an average salary of $130,213, which is higher than the $83,749 average annual salary of a senior civil engineer.
The top three skills for a senior civil engineer include civil 3d, project management and CAD. The most important skills for a principal engineer are java, architecture, and python.
| Senior Civil Engineer | Principal Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $83,749 | $130,213 |
| Hourly rate | $40.26 | $62.60 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 38,162 | 312,683 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A senior civil engineer is primarily in charge of overseeing the development of public structures such as buildings, bridges, pipelines, and roads. They are responsible for spearheading the design and planning stages, setting goals and objectives, managing budgets and timelines, performing due diligence, inspecting construction sites, and documenting the procedures. Above all, as a senior civil engineer, it is essential to lead and serve as a role model to fellow engineers and contractors, all while implementing the construction site's safety policies and regulations.
A principal engineer is responsible for monitoring the overall design phase of the construction process, including coordinating with the client for progress and updates, as well as performing adjustments as needed based on clients' specifications and requirements. Principal engineers also inspect the materials and resources used to ensure that the project stays within the budget goals and set timeframe. They should have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in preparing reports and training new staff.
Senior civil engineers and principal engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Civil Engineer | Principal Engineer | |
| Average salary | $83,749 | $130,213 |
| Salary range | Between $60,000 And $115,000 | Between $95,000 And $177,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Rafael, CA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | Grubhub |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a senior civil engineer and a principal engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Civil Engineer | Principal Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Civil Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between senior civil engineers' and principal engineers' demographics:
| Senior Civil Engineer | Principal Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.9% Female, 11.1% | Male, 92.6% Female, 7.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.7% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 11.0% Asian, 16.6% White, 63.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.6% White, 67.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |