Principal Engineer Jobs

Discover Principal Engineer opportunities at companies seeking experienced technical leaders. Principal Engineers shape architecture, guide complex engineering work, and help teams deliver reliable, scalable products and systems. Browse vetted roles on Ladders, where listed jobs pay $100,000 or more.

What Does a Principal Engineer Do?

A Principal Engineer is a senior individual contributor who influences technical direction across teams or an organization. Depending on the employer and discipline, the role may involve setting architecture standards, evaluating technologies, solving high-impact engineering problems, mentoring engineers, and partnering with product and business leaders. Principal Engineers often lead through expertise and influence rather than direct people management.

Skills and Qualifications

Employers commonly seek deep experience in a relevant engineering specialty, a record of delivering complex projects, and strong system-design and problem-solving skills. Communication, technical judgment, collaboration, and the ability to align stakeholders around a sound approach are also important. Requirements vary by industry and role; some positions emphasize software architecture, while others focus on infrastructure, hardware, data, security, or other engineering domains.

Principal Engineer Salary and Career Outlook

Compensation depends on factors such as location, industry, scope, and experience. Ladders focuses on vetted professional opportunities paying $100,000 or more, helping experienced candidates explore senior engineering roles. Review each listing for details about compensation, responsibilities, and qualifications.

Find Principal Engineer Jobs on Ladders

Search Principal Engineer jobs to compare opportunities and identify roles that match your expertise and career goals. Explore openings across companies and engineering disciplines, and use each job description to assess technical scope, team influence, and the experience required.

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$272K - $431K *

Lead the charge in architecting and scaling data acquisition infrastructure for foundation models. Collaborate across teams to enhance web crawling, ingestion, and data quality, ensuring reliable, hig...

RemoteRemote

1 week ago

  •   11 - 15 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$242K - $275K *

Lead the charge in developing and deploying robust containerized software, manage CI/CD workflows, and grow a cohesive engineering team to enhance customer security operations and software delivery ac...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 4 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$120K - $185K *

Transform the future of engineering design by leading diverse teams to deliver high-quality electrical engineering solutions. Drive project success through strategic oversight, mentoring, and adherenc...

United StatesRemote

6 days ago

  •   11 - 15 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$287K - $320K *

Join a team that's redefining financial insights through AI. As a senior technical leader, you'll shape the multi-year strategy for Reporting & Insights, guiding engineering teams to innovate and scal...

RemoteRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$209K - $273K *

Advance your career by leading a high-performing engineering team, driving strategic execution and operational excellence while ensuring a reliable data platform aligns with enterprise goals and custo...

RemoteRemote

Reposted 3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$150K - $180K *

Elevate your career by providing technical leadership on high-impact cloud projects. Collaborate with a distributed team to enhance our cloud platform's efficiency and drive strategic initiatives acro...

Plano, TXRemote

5 days ago

  •   11 - 15 years exp.  •   Staffing

$100K - $120K *

Support commercial engineering efforts by generating proposals, process designs, and managing project tasks. Collaborate with sales teams and vendors to enhance project success across various water tr...

Salt Lake City, UTRemote

6 days ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Energy & Utilities

$125K - $140K *

Pioneer innovative electrical design solutions while leading projects from concept to completion. Collaborate with clients and stakeholders to ensure compliance and efficiency, mentoring junior engine...

Ottawa, ONRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   11 - 15 years exp.  •   Technical Services

$135K - $180K *

Drive innovative electrical design solutions for high-density compute environments. Collaborate across teams to ensure compliance with industry standards while mentoring junior engineers. Make a signi...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$145K - $175K *

Shape the future of AI engineering by leading technical solutions, mentoring teams, and driving production outcomes in a collaborative environment focused on innovation and operational excellence...

Florida, USRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$100K - $120K *

Drive innovative structural design solutions for utility projects, ensuring quality and compliance. Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams while mentoring junior engineers in a fast-paced environmen...

RemoteRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Energy & Utilities

$130K - $160K *

Drive the future of structural engineering by leading complex capital projects, mentoring junior staff, and ensuring technical excellence across diverse markets, particularly in healthcare. Collaborat...

United StatesRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Technical Services

$100K - $140K *

Lead the charge in designing and executing rail projects, ensuring compliance and quality. Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams and strengthen client relationships while managing project delivery...

United StatesRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$160K - $200K *

Contribute to the design and analysis of vital water infrastructure projects, ensuring compliance and quality. Lead multidisciplinary teams, mentor junior engineers, and engage with clients to deliver...

Rancho Cordova, CARemote

2 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$160K - $200K *

Lead the design and analysis of water infrastructure projects, ensuring compliance and innovation. Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to deliver sustainable solutions that enhance community serv...

Oakland, CARemote

2 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$160K - $200K *

Engage in the design and analysis of vital water infrastructure projects. Lead multidisciplinary teams to deliver innovative solutions, ensuring compliance and quality while mentoring junior engineers...

Riverside, CARemote

2 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$160K - $200K *

Empower communities by leading innovative water infrastructure projects. As a Senior Structural Engineer, you'll design and analyze critical facilities, mentor junior engineers, and ensure compliance...

San Diego, CARemote

3 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$195K - $325K *

Join a team that's shaping the future of AI in healthcare by leading multi-year strategies, resolving complex technical challenges, and influencing executive decisions across the organization to ensur...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   11 - 15 years exp.  •   Pharmaceuticals & Biotech

$157K - $174K *

Elevate technical execution in GMP manufacturing by leading complex workstreams for comparability strategies, tech transfers, and process improvements. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensur...

United StatesRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Pharmaceuticals & Biotech

$165K - $220K *

Join a team that's redefining avionics systems engineering by translating customer needs into innovative architectures and requirements. Collaborate across domains to deliver high-quality solutions in...

United StatesRemote

5 days ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Aerospace & Defense

$160K - $200K *

Elevate the technical architecture vision and execution across a product portfolio, driving the transition to a scalable, cloud-native SaaS environment while integrating AI, data, and security. Collab...

United StatesRemote

4 weeks ago

  •   11 - 15 years exp.  •   Business Services

$238K - $280K *

Shape the future of AI/LLM security by leading innovative offensive strategies, defining technical vision, and driving cross-company initiatives to enhance NodeZero's capabilities in identifying and e...

United StatesRemote

4 days ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$125K - $225K *

Lead the charge in multidisciplinary engineering and design management for a large-scale industrial infrastructure project, ensuring compliance with technical standards and client expectations through...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Real Estate & Construction

$120K - $145K *

Lead the development of critical firmware for safety-critical systems, collaborating across teams to optimize embedded platforms. Drive best practices and mentor engineers while ensuring reliability a...

United StatesRemote

5 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Transportation

$120K - $130K *

Elevate your career by leading the design and implementation of complex software solutions. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to drive technical decisions and mentor engineers, ensuring scalable...

United StatesRemote

Reposted today

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Education, Government & Non-Profit

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

  • What is a Principal Engineer?question toggle

    A Principal Engineer is a senior technical individual contributor who helps set engineering direction, addresses complex problems, and influences architecture and practices across teams or an organization.

  • What does a Principal Engineer do?question toggle

    Responsibilities vary, but may include designing systems, establishing technical standards, guiding high-impact projects, mentoring engineers, and collaborating with product and business stakeholders.

  • How is a Principal Engineer different from an Engineering Manager?question toggle

    A Principal Engineer typically leads through technical expertise and influence, while an Engineering Manager generally focuses on people management, team operations, and delivery. Some organizations combine or vary these responsibilities.

  • What qualifications are commonly required for Principal Engineer jobs?question toggle

    Employers often look for extensive experience in a relevant engineering discipline, a history of delivering complex projects, strong system-design skills, and effective communication and collaboration.

  • How much do Principal Engineers earn?question toggle

    Pay varies by location, industry, specialization, and role scope. Ladders features vetted professional job listings paying $100,000 or more; check individual listings for compensation details.