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The differences between weapons engineers and principal engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a weapons engineer and a principal engineer. Additionally, a principal engineer has an average salary of $130,213, which is higher than the $99,077 average annual salary of a weapons engineer.
The top three skills for a weapons engineer include engineering support, electrical systems and ammunition. The most important skills for a principal engineer are java, architecture, and python.
| Weapons Engineer | Principal Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $99,077 | $130,213 |
| Hourly rate | $47.63 | $62.60 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 85,352 | 312,683 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A weapons engineer is responsible for developing, testing, and managing weapons systems on behalf of a government organization. They may work as an electrical engineer, mechanical engineer, nuclear engineer, chemical engineer, or aerospace engineer. They specialize in developing weapon technologies and national security technologies. A university degree is required to work as a weapons engineer in any defense organization.
A principal engineer is responsible for monitoring the overall design phase of the construction process, including coordinating with the client for progress and updates, as well as performing adjustments as needed based on clients' specifications and requirements. Principal engineers also inspect the materials and resources used to ensure that the project stays within the budget goals and set timeframe. They should have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in preparing reports and training new staff.
Weapons engineers and principal engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Weapons Engineer | Principal Engineer | |
| Average salary | $99,077 | $130,213 |
| Salary range | Between $65,000 And $150,000 | Between $95,000 And $177,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | California |
| Best paying company | - | Grubhub |
| Best paying industry | - | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a weapons engineer and a principal engineer in terms of educational background:
| Weapons Engineer | Principal Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Georgia Institute of Technology | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between weapons engineers' and principal engineers' demographics:
| Weapons Engineer | Principal Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 84.6% Female, 15.4% | Male, 92.6% Female, 7.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 2.8% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 6.5% Asian, 11.1% White, 75.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.6% White, 67.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |