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The differences between systems engineers staff 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 systems engineer staff and a principal systems engineer. Additionally, a principal systems engineer has an average salary of $133,208, which is higher than the $129,611 average annual salary of a systems engineer staff.
The top three skills for a systems engineer staff include architecture, DOD and MATLAB. The most important skills for a principal systems engineer are systems engineering, DOD, and C++.
| Systems Engineer Staff | Principal Systems Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $129,611 | $133,208 |
| Hourly rate | $62.31 | $64.04 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 304,494 | 146,444 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A systems engineer staff is responsible for designing and developing systems and software that optimize business operations, ensuring smooth workflow and client satisfaction. They primarily conduct research and analysis to identify the needs of the company and its clients, examine existing systems to identify areas needing improvements, install applications, and perform regular maintenance checks, providing corrective measures as required. Furthermore, as a systems engineer staff, it is essential to provide technical support within the company, all while implementing its policies and regulations.
A Principal Systems Engineer supervises a group of other engineers in technical projects. They develop and lead systems engineering projects and efforts.
Systems engineers staff and principal systems engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Systems Engineer Staff | Principal Systems Engineer | |
| Average salary | $129,611 | $133,208 |
| Salary range | Between $95,000 And $175,000 | Between $97,000 And $181,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Cheniere Energy | eBay |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a systems engineer staff and a principal systems engineer in terms of educational background:
| Systems Engineer Staff | Principal Systems Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northeastern University | Northeastern University |
Here are the differences between systems engineers staff' and principal systems engineers' demographics:
| Systems Engineer Staff | Principal Systems Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 84.1% Female, 15.9% | Male, 89.7% Female, 10.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.6% Asian, 13.8% White, 61.4% 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% |