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The differences between senior field service 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 field service engineer and a principal engineer. Additionally, a principal engineer has an average salary of $130,213, which is higher than the $87,414 average annual salary of a senior field service engineer.
The top three skills for a senior field service engineer include customer service, customer satisfaction and preventive maintenance. The most important skills for a principal engineer are java, architecture, and python.
| Senior Field Service Engineer | Principal Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $87,414 | $130,213 |
| Hourly rate | $42.03 | $62.60 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 111,380 | 312,683 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Senior Field Service Engineers are responsible for the installation, repair, and maintenance of equipment. Their duties include installing equipment that complies with technical specifications, coordinating preventative maintenance, calibrating tools, test equipment, manage the contract tendering process, and conduct field modifications. They also assist in the ordering of repair parts as well as organizing service records and customer logs. Senior Filed Service Engineers works to ensure that work deliverable adheres to all regulatory requirements and health and safety protocols.
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 field service engineers and principal engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Field Service Engineer | Principal Engineer | |
| Average salary | $87,414 | $130,213 |
| Salary range | Between $66,000 And $115,000 | Between $95,000 And $177,000 |
| Highest paying City | South San Francisco, CA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Canon | Grubhub |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a senior field service engineer and a principal engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Field Service Engineer | Principal Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between senior field service engineers' and principal engineers' demographics:
| Senior Field Service Engineer | Principal Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 96.8% Female, 3.2% | Male, 92.6% Female, 7.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.3% Asian, 10.3% White, 72.3% 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% |