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The differences between senior principal engineers and 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 principal engineer and an engineer. Additionally, a senior principal engineer has an average salary of $130,642, which is higher than the $92,077 average annual salary of an engineer.
The top three skills for a senior principal engineer include python, architecture and java. The most important skills for an engineer are python, cloud, and C++.
| Senior Principal Engineer | Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $130,642 | $92,077 |
| Hourly rate | $62.81 | $44.27 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 272,459 | 618,207 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.33 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
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.
Engineers are highly trained professionals who determine the feasibility of various projects, usually related to the construction industry. They are considered experts in mathematics and science, two disciplines that they need to use in designing and coming up with plans for projects. They should also be well-versed in different construction or industrial materials, and they ensure that appropriate materials are used for the project. They also ensure that the projects meet the requirements of the groups that hired them. They create spaces that would both address the needs of the end-users and the industry standards. They also ensure that the projects they make would stand the test of time.
Senior principal engineers and engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Principal Engineer | Engineer | |
| Average salary | $130,642 | $92,077 |
| Salary range | Between $93,000 And $182,000 | Between $65,000 And $130,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Huntsville, AL |
| Highest paying state | California | New Hampshire |
| Best paying company | Airbnb | Fort Bend County |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a senior principal engineer and an engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Principal Engineer | Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between senior principal engineers' and engineers' demographics:
| Senior Principal Engineer | Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.2% Female, 11.8% | Male, 86.3% Female, 13.7% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 3.3% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 15.0% White, 67.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |