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The differences between staff test engineers and senior principal engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a staff test engineer, becoming a senior principal engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a senior principal engineer has an average salary of $130,642, which is higher than the $115,935 average annual salary of a staff test engineer.
The top three skills for a staff test engineer include C++, data analysis and test results. The most important skills for a senior principal engineer are python, architecture, and java.
| Staff Test Engineer | Senior Principal Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $115,935 | $130,642 |
| Hourly rate | $55.74 | $62.81 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 123,176 | 272,459 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 44 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
A staff test engineer is responsible for setting guidelines for a test plan. They also monitor technicians and other expert engineers. They frequently collaborate with other engineering staff to develop comprehensive testability requirements. They review and suggests testability modules.
A senior principal engineer is responsible for leading engineering tasks within an organization and reports project updates to senior management. Senior principal engineers develop strategic methods and principles to improve the technical stability and efficiency of the company's systems, creating business proposals according to clients' specifications, and negotiating contracts with suppliers and other service providers. They also train new staff and identify innovations and business opportunities that would generate more revenue resources for the company.
Staff test engineers and senior principal engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Staff Test Engineer | Senior Principal Engineer | |
| Average salary | $115,935 | $130,642 |
| Salary range | Between $87,000 And $153,000 | Between $93,000 And $182,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | California |
| Best paying company | Airbnb | |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Professional |
There are a few differences between a staff test engineer and a senior principal engineer in terms of educational background:
| Staff Test Engineer | Senior Principal Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northeastern University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between staff test engineers' and senior principal engineers' demographics:
| Staff Test Engineer | Senior Principal Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.6% Female, 16.4% | Male, 88.2% Female, 11.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 12.0% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 17.2% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 5% |