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The differences between senior telecom 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 telecom engineer and a principal systems engineer. Additionally, a principal systems engineer has an average salary of $133,208, which is higher than the $82,846 average annual salary of a senior telecom engineer.
The top three skills for a senior telecom engineer include infrastructure, avaya and IP. The most important skills for a principal systems engineer are systems engineering, DOD, and C++.
| Senior Telecom Engineer | Principal Systems Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $82,846 | $133,208 |
| Hourly rate | $39.83 | $64.04 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 29,082 | 146,444 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A senior telecom manager takes care of electronic devices such as computers, laptops, or mobile phones. They ensure these technologies work by conducting maintenance, checking configuration, and upgrading LAN and WAN systems. They are also responsible for troubleshooting issues and replacing broken equipment.
A Principal Systems Engineer supervises a group of other engineers in technical projects. They develop and lead systems engineering projects and efforts.
Senior telecom engineers and principal systems engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Telecom Engineer | Principal Systems Engineer | |
| Average salary | $82,846 | $133,208 |
| Salary range | Between $65,000 And $104,000 | Between $97,000 And $181,000 |
| Highest paying City | Oakland, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Idaho | California |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | eBay |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a senior telecom engineer and a principal systems engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Telecom Engineer | Principal Systems Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northeastern University | Northeastern University |
Here are the differences between senior telecom engineers' and principal systems engineers' demographics:
| Senior Telecom Engineer | Principal Systems Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 86.2% Female, 13.8% | Male, 89.7% Female, 10.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 10.4% White, 63.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | 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 | 9% | 9% |