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The differences between systems engineers staff and senior principal engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a systems engineer staff, 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 $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 senior principal engineer are python, architecture, and java.
| Systems Engineer Staff | Senior Principal Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $129,611 | $130,642 |
| Hourly rate | $62.31 | $62.81 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 304,494 | 272,459 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
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 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.
Systems engineers staff and senior principal engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Systems Engineer Staff | Senior Principal Engineer | |
| Average salary | $129,611 | $130,642 |
| Salary range | Between $95,000 And $175,000 | Between $93,000 And $182,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Cheniere Energy | Airbnb |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | Professional |
There are a few differences between a systems engineer staff and a senior principal engineer in terms of educational background:
| Systems Engineer Staff | Senior Principal Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northeastern University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between systems engineers staff' and senior principal engineers' demographics:
| Systems Engineer Staff | Senior Principal Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 84.1% Female, 15.9% | Male, 88.2% Female, 11.8% |
| 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, 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 | 9% | 5% |