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The differences between staff software engineers and principals can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a staff software engineer and a principal. Additionally, a staff software engineer has an average salary of $136,653, which is higher than the $111,719 average annual salary of a principal.
The top three skills for a staff software engineer include java, python and software development. The most important skills for a principal are CRM, project management, and financial services.
| Staff Software Engineer | Principal | |
| Yearly salary | $136,653 | $111,719 |
| Hourly rate | $65.70 | $53.71 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 371,213 | 84,015 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Average age | 39 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A Staff Software Engineer is responsible for developing, maintaining, and repairing company software for maximum efficiency and usability. They instruct and mentor their team members in software development techniques and cloud development.
A principal is responsible for maintaining the orderliness of the school premises and supervising school operations, enforcing strict safety standards, and reiterating regulatory procedures. Principals' duties also include managing and monitoring school budget and expenses, improving security plans, conducting regular meetings and sharing updates with teachers and other school personnel, creating reports for school funding, and setting academic goals for everyone's compliance. A principal must administer excellent leadership, communication, and decision-making skills to handle major administrative tasks in maintaining the school's growth.
Staff software engineers and principals have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Staff Software Engineer | Principal | |
| Average salary | $136,653 | $111,719 |
| Salary range | Between $100,000 And $186,000 | Between $69,000 And $179,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | New York |
| Best paying company | Airbnb | KKR & Co. L.P. |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Professional |
There are a few differences between a staff software engineer and a principal in terms of educational background:
| Staff Software Engineer | Principal | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | Harvard University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between staff software engineers' and principals' demographics:
| Staff Software Engineer | Principal | |
| Average age | 39 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.0% Female, 17.0% | Male, 65.6% Female, 34.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.6% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 33.5% White, 48.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.0% Asian, 4.3% White, 66.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 16% |