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The differences between staff programmers and principal software engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-8 years to become a staff programmer, 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 $112,979 average annual salary of a staff programmer.
The top three skills for a staff programmer include database, COBOL and DB2. The most important skills for a principal software engineer are java, python, and software development.
| Staff Programmer | Principal Software Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $112,979 | $134,230 |
| Hourly rate | $54.32 | $64.53 |
| Growth rate | -7% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 77,790 | 345,893 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 47 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 4 |
Staff programmers and principal software engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Staff Programmer | Principal Software Engineer | |
| Average salary | $112,979 | $134,230 |
| Salary range | Between $85,000 And $149,000 | Between $98,000 And $182,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | The Walt Disney Company | |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | Retail |
There are a few differences between a staff programmer and a principal software engineer in terms of educational background:
| Staff Programmer | Principal Software Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | 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 staff programmers' and principal software engineers' demographics:
| Staff Programmer | Principal Software Engineer | |
| Average age | 47 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 76.3% Female, 23.7% | Male, 87.5% Female, 12.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 16.4% White, 64.9% 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 | 11% | 8% |