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The differences between senior principal engineers and tool 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 a tool engineer. Additionally, a senior principal engineer has an average salary of $130,642, which is higher than the $101,135 average annual salary of a tool engineer.
The top three skills for a senior principal engineer include python, architecture and java. The most important skills for a tool engineer are python, java, and CAD.
| Senior Principal Engineer | Tool Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $130,642 | $101,135 |
| Hourly rate | $62.81 | $48.62 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 272,459 | 98,936 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| 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.
A tooling engineer is responsible for creating and adjusting tools or parts for cars, heavy equipment, and other products that need customized or personalized components. Your duties and responsibilities will include creating design blueprints, using computer-aided (CAD) software to develop two- and three-dimensional prints, and validating and evaluating products. As a tooling engineer, it is your responsibility to ensure compliance with operational standards such as the ISO 9000. You also have to provide technical assistance to manufacturing personnel and quality assurance.
Senior principal engineers and tool engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Principal Engineer | Tool Engineer | |
| Average salary | $130,642 | $101,135 |
| Salary range | Between $93,000 And $182,000 | Between $75,000 And $135,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Novato, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Airbnb | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Technology |
There are a few differences between a senior principal engineer and a tool engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Principal Engineer | Tool Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| 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 tool engineers' demographics:
| Senior Principal Engineer | Tool Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.2% Female, 11.8% | Male, 95.3% Female, 4.7% |
| 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, 3.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 10.3% White, 72.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |