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The differences between switch 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 switch engineer and a principal systems engineer. Additionally, a principal systems engineer has an average salary of $133,208, which is higher than the $103,588 average annual salary of a switch engineer.
The top three skills for a switch engineer include switches, MSC and software upgrades. The most important skills for a principal systems engineer are systems engineering, DOD, and C++.
| Switch Engineer | Principal Systems Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $103,588 | $133,208 |
| Hourly rate | $49.80 | $64.04 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 33,099 | 146,444 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Switch engineers and principal systems engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Switch Engineer | Principal Systems Engineer | |
| Average salary | $103,588 | $133,208 |
| Salary range | Between $76,000 And $139,000 | Between $97,000 And $181,000 |
| Highest paying City | Concord, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | NetApp | eBay |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a switch engineer and a principal systems engineer in terms of educational background:
| Switch Engineer | Principal Systems Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northeastern University | Northeastern University |
Here are the differences between switch engineers' and principal systems engineers' demographics:
| Switch Engineer | Principal Systems Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.0% Female, 11.0% | Male, 89.7% Female, 10.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.0% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 11.0% White, 61.9% 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% |