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The differences between senior solutions engineers and principal 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 solutions engineer, becoming a principal software engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a principal software engineer has an average salary of $134,230, which is higher than the $110,210 average annual salary of a senior solutions engineer.
The top three skills for a senior solutions engineer include cloud, healthcare and database. The most important skills for a principal software engineer are java, python, and software development.
| Senior Solutions Engineer | Principal Software Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $110,210 | $134,230 |
| Hourly rate | $52.99 | $64.53 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 177,826 | 345,893 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 44 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
Senior Solutions Engineers are information technology (IT) professionals employed by a company that sells software solutions. They would often lead a group of solutions engineers. They usually partner with salespeople in going on fieldwork to clients. They get to know the clients and understand their needs based on the problem areas. Senior Solutions Engineers would then create programs, software, or network infrastructure that would address the clients' specific needs. They should be able to showcase these programs to clients to make them want to get one. As such, Senior Software Engineers should be good communicators and negotiators.
A Principal Software Engineer is responsible for the technical aspects of an organization's projects. They diagnose, document, and troubleshoot systems to resolve problems identified through testing, as well as implement strategies to improve integration and efficiency.
Senior solutions engineers and principal software engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Solutions Engineer | Principal Software Engineer | |
| Average salary | $110,210 | $134,230 |
| Salary range | Between $79,000 And $152,000 | Between $98,000 And $182,000 |
| Highest paying City | Mountain View, CA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | California | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Roku | |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Retail |
There are a few differences between a senior solutions engineer and a principal software engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Solutions Engineer | Principal Software Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between senior solutions engineers' and principal software engineers' demographics:
| Senior Solutions Engineer | Principal Software Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.3% Female, 11.7% | Male, 87.5% Female, 12.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 1.4% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 6.5% Asian, 10.9% White, 74.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 4.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 29.9% White, 52.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 8% |