Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between senior principal engineers and senior software engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a senior principal engineer, becoming a senior software engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a senior principal engineer has an average salary of $130,642, which is higher than the $114,494 average annual salary of a senior software engineer.
The top three skills for a senior principal engineer include python, architecture and java. The most important skills for a senior software engineer are java, python, and javascript.
| Senior Principal Engineer | Senior Software Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $130,642 | $114,494 |
| Hourly rate | $62.81 | $55.05 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 272,459 | 338,989 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 41 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
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 software engineers are experienced employees who would usually take the lead in projects related to software development. They are in charge of determining the needs of the organization, checking whether there are feasible solutions to challenges, and creating plans for the development of a software solution. They provide a sound analysis of data collected during the testing phase of the software and address any problems during the software development phase. Once the software has been developed, they then ensure that it works well and that it addresses the needs and expectations of the users.
Senior principal engineers and senior software engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Principal Engineer | Senior Software Engineer | |
| Average salary | $130,642 | $114,494 |
| Salary range | Between $93,000 And $182,000 | Between $86,000 And $151,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Airbnb | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Retail |
There are a few differences between a senior principal engineer and a senior software engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Principal Engineer | Senior Software Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between senior principal engineers' and senior software engineers' demographics:
| Senior Principal Engineer | Senior Software Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.2% Female, 11.8% | Male, 81.4% Female, 18.6% |
| 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, 4.6% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 31.8% White, 50.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 8% |