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The differences between senior principle engineers and principal mechanical engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a senior principle engineer, becoming a principal mechanical engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a senior principle engineer has an average salary of $121,825, which is higher than the $102,451 average annual salary of a principal mechanical engineer.
The top three skills for a senior principle engineer include DOD, systems engineering and system design. The most important skills for a principal mechanical engineer are mechanical engineering, CAD, and mechanical design.
| Senior Principle Engineer | Principal Mechanical Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $121,825 | $102,451 |
| Hourly rate | $58.57 | $49.26 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 31,443 | 127,517 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
Senior principle engineers and principal mechanical engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Principle Engineer | Principal Mechanical Engineer | |
| Average salary | $121,825 | $102,451 |
| Salary range | Between $92,000 And $160,000 | Between $78,000 And $133,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | New Mexico |
| Best paying company | Citi | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Professional |
There are a few differences between a senior principle engineer and a principal mechanical engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Principle Engineer | Principal Mechanical Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between senior principle engineers' and principal mechanical engineers' demographics:
| Senior Principle Engineer | Principal Mechanical Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 86.4% Female, 13.6% | Male, 94.4% Female, 5.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.5% Asian, 15.4% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.3% Asian, 15.7% White, 68.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 5% |