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The differences between senior systems engineers and principal systems engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a senior systems engineer and a principal systems engineer. Additionally, a principal systems engineer has an average salary of $133,208, which is higher than the $108,121 average annual salary of a senior systems engineer.
The top three skills for a senior systems engineer include architecture, linux and java. The most important skills for a principal systems engineer are systems engineering, DOD, and C++.
| Senior Systems Engineer | Principal Systems Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $108,121 | $133,208 |
| Hourly rate | $51.98 | $64.04 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 166,742 | 146,444 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 39 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A senior systems engineer specializes in overseeing network systems, management tools, software, and hardware within a company or an organization. Their primary responsibility is to install, maintain, and resolve complex system issues using their years of extensive knowledge and expertise. They can also provide insights, troubleshooting, and technical support should it be needed. Furthermore, as a senior systems engineer, it is also their responsibility to lead, supervise, and coordinate with a team of skilled system engineers while in adherence to company policies and regulations.
A Principal Systems Engineer supervises a group of other engineers in technical projects. They develop and lead systems engineering projects and efforts.
Senior systems engineers and principal systems engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Systems Engineer | Principal Systems Engineer | |
| Average salary | $108,121 | $133,208 |
| Salary range | Between $82,000 And $141,000 | Between $97,000 And $181,000 |
| Highest paying City | Redwood City, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Roku | eBay |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a senior systems engineer and a principal systems engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Systems Engineer | Principal Systems Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | Northeastern University |
Here are the differences between senior systems engineers' and principal systems engineers' demographics:
| Senior Systems Engineer | Principal Systems Engineer | |
| Average age | 39 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.6% Female, 11.4% | Male, 89.7% Female, 10.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% Asian, 30.0% White, 52.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 8.3% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 12.1% Asian, 12.8% White, 61.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 9% |