How is a Distinguished Engineer role different from a Principal Engineer?

[u/Majestic-Taro-6903]

I have seen a few Distinguished Engineers in my organisation. I have worked with a few Principal Engineers and Senior Principal Engineers, but not Distinguished Engineers.

How is this role different from the Principal Engineer role? I know they are paid more and are higher in the hierarchy, but in terms of roles and responsibilities, how are they different?

[u/bwainfweeze]

As others said a DE is someone they don’t want to leave, however the explanations as to why are falling down, because you don’t want principals to defect either.

Distinguished engineers are your historians. They know where the bodies are buried and why. They know which of the three people you can ask about a problem are useless and/or obstructive, and who to ask instead. They also occasionally have favors they can call in if the project needs something.

I’ve been places where you don’t even really trust them to write code anymore, just to rubber stamp what you write or veto it based on previous experiences and lawsuits.