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The differences between senior electrical engineers and senior principal engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a senior electrical engineer, becoming a senior principal engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a senior principal engineer has an average salary of $130,642, which is higher than the $109,315 average annual salary of a senior electrical engineer.
The top three skills for a senior electrical engineer include control systems, electrical equipment and electrical systems. The most important skills for a senior principal engineer are python, architecture, and java.
| Senior Electrical Engineer | Senior Principal Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $109,315 | $130,642 |
| Hourly rate | $52.56 | $62.81 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 82,639 | 272,459 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
A senior electrical engineer is an individual who leads other engineers to review electrical design plans and analyze existing electrical systems. Senior electrical engineers must establish relationships with clients, vendors, and suppliers to ensure that projects are completed according to specifications. They create project budgets and produce working schedules and company regulations to make sure that a safe and positive working environment is achieved. Senior electrical engineers must be passionate about engineering development by attending electrical conferences and events.
A senior principal engineer is responsible for leading engineering tasks within an organization and reports project updates to senior management. Senior principal engineers develop strategic methods and principles to improve the technical stability and efficiency of the company's systems, creating business proposals according to clients' specifications, and negotiating contracts with suppliers and other service providers. They also train new staff and identify innovations and business opportunities that would generate more revenue resources for the company.
Senior electrical engineers and senior principal engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Electrical Engineer | Senior Principal Engineer | |
| Average salary | $109,315 | $130,642 |
| Salary range | Between $82,000 And $144,000 | Between $93,000 And $182,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | Airbnb |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Professional |
There are a few differences between a senior electrical engineer and a senior principal engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Electrical Engineer | Senior Principal Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between senior electrical engineers' and senior principal engineers' demographics:
| Senior Electrical Engineer | Senior Principal Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 93.7% Female, 6.3% | Male, 88.2% Female, 11.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.3% Asian, 15.5% White, 63.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 17.2% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 5% |