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The differences between senior hardware engineers and 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 hardware engineer, becoming a principal engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a principal engineer has an average salary of $130,213, which is higher than the $116,383 average annual salary of a senior hardware engineer.
The top three skills for a senior hardware engineer include C++, RF and PCB. The most important skills for a principal engineer are java, architecture, and python.
| Senior Hardware Engineer | Principal Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $116,383 | $130,213 |
| Hourly rate | $55.95 | $62.60 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 55,261 | 312,683 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 44 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
A Senior Hardware Engineer is responsible for designing computer hardware. They define and coordinate corrective action changes, as well as provide technical support to team members.
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 hardware engineers and principal engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Hardware Engineer | Principal Engineer | |
| Average salary | $116,383 | $130,213 |
| Salary range | Between $89,000 And $151,000 | Between $95,000 And $177,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Netflix | Grubhub |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a senior hardware engineer and a principal engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Hardware Engineer | Principal Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | 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 hardware engineers' and principal engineers' demographics:
| Senior Hardware Engineer | Principal Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 93.5% Female, 6.5% | Male, 92.6% Female, 7.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 2.9% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 29.9% White, 50.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | 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 | 4% | 5% |