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The differences between senior design 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 design engineer and a principal engineer. Additionally, a principal engineer has an average salary of $130,213, which is higher than the $104,698 average annual salary of a senior design engineer.
The top three skills for a senior design engineer include CAD, project management and RF. The most important skills for a principal engineer are java, architecture, and python.
| Senior Design Engineer | Principal Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $104,698 | $130,213 |
| Hourly rate | $50.34 | $62.60 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 127,035 | 312,683 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A senior design engineer is responsible for creating mechanical and electrical designs for machines and systems, following clients' specifications and business guidelines. Senior design engineers also assist junior design engineers with their tasks, sharing best practices and techniques, and suggesting adjustments as needed. They also oversee the manufacturing process, inspect possible inconsistencies, and revise plans without exceeding the agreed budget or compromising the quality. A senior design engineer must be keen with details and highly organizational, especially on meeting deadlines with the highest client satisfaction.
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 design engineers and principal engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Design Engineer | Principal Engineer | |
| Average salary | $104,698 | $130,213 |
| Salary range | Between $80,000 And $136,000 | Between $95,000 And $177,000 |
| Highest paying City | Cupertino, CA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Grubhub | |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a senior design engineer and a principal engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Design Engineer | Principal Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between senior design engineers' and principal engineers' demographics:
| Senior Design Engineer | Principal Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.8% Female, 8.2% | Male, 92.6% Female, 7.4% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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% |