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The differences between software engineers and principal software engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a software engineer and a principal software engineer. Additionally, a principal software engineer has an average salary of $134,230, which is higher than the $100,260 average annual salary of a software engineer.
The top three skills for a software engineer include java, python and software development. The most important skills for a principal software engineer are java, python, and software development.
| Software Engineer | Principal Software Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $100,260 | $134,230 |
| Hourly rate | $48.20 | $64.53 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 339,938 | 345,893 |
| Job satisfaction | 3.5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A software engineer is a computer science professional who is responsible for the development of information systems, designing and building computer systems software and applications software. They often prefer to call themselves as a software developer or computer programmer. They have substantial knowledge of programming languages, software development, and computer operating systems, and other technologies. They use these to turn a plan into a final output. They can create a design, test, and develop software based on the needs of their clients.
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.
Software engineers and principal software engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Software Engineer | Principal Software Engineer | |
| Average salary | $100,260 | $134,230 |
| Salary range | Between $73,000 And $136,000 | Between $98,000 And $182,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Bruno, CA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | California | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | |
| Best paying industry | Start-up | Retail |
There are a few differences between a software engineer and a principal software engineer in terms of educational background:
| Software Engineer | Principal Software Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Harvard University | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between software engineers' and principal software engineers' demographics:
| Software Engineer | Principal Software Engineer | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 78.0% Female, 22.0% | Male, 87.5% Female, 12.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% Asian, 34.0% White, 48.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | 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 | 8% | 8% |