Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between senior control systems 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 control systems engineer and a principal engineer. Additionally, a principal engineer has an average salary of $130,213, which is higher than the $109,721 average annual salary of a senior control systems engineer.
The top three skills for a senior control systems engineer include MATLAB, C++ and project management. The most important skills for a principal engineer are java, architecture, and python.
| Senior Control Systems Engineer | Principal Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $109,721 | $130,213 |
| Hourly rate | $52.75 | $62.60 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 154,439 | 312,683 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
As senior control systems engineer's main task is to provide automatic solutions to their company through technologies such as DCS, PLC, and custom-built panels. They are responsible for designing and analyzing control systems for their company and identifying any potential issues. They troubleshoot the malfunctions within the control systems of the company. In addition to that, they provide the company with system designs and engineering tasks.
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 control systems engineers and principal engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Control Systems Engineer | Principal Engineer | |
| Average salary | $109,721 | $130,213 |
| Salary range | Between $84,000 And $142,000 | Between $95,000 And $177,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | Grubhub |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a senior control systems engineer and a principal engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Control Systems Engineer | Principal Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northeastern University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between senior control systems engineers' and principal engineers' demographics:
| Senior Control Systems Engineer | Principal Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 93.1% Female, 6.9% | Male, 92.6% Female, 7.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% Asian, 14.9% White, 64.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | 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 | 6% | 5% |