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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$132K - $251K *

Elevate your career by tackling complex RF signal processing challenges. Join a dynamic team focused on developing innovative sensor technologies for defense and intelligence applications, leveraging...

Texas, USRemote

Today

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Aerospace & Defense

$116K - $165K *

Lead the design and integration of marine electrical systems for commercial and governmental vessels. Ensure compliance with regulatory standards while managing technical responsibilities for shipboar...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$104K - $173K *

Elevate your career by leading Vision Intelligence initiatives in computer vision, machine learning, and edge AI. Drive technical roadmaps and scalable architectures while translating advanced researc...

RemoteRemote

1 week ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$110K - $130K *

Accelerate progress at the forefront of dental technology by leading software development for specialized machines, shaping the future of custom prosthetics manufacturing in a dynamic, high-growth env...

RemoteRemote

Reposted 3 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Healthcare

$130K - $155K *

Join a dynamic team as the primary technical interface for launch vehicle integration. Oversee spacecraft processing and ensure mission success through effective collaboration with providers and inter...

Titusville, FLRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Transportation

$162K - $258K *

Drive the design and implementation of cutting-edge GenAI solutions, leading the development of LLM capabilities and ML pipelines to enhance insurance workflows and deliver impactful outcomes for cust...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$466K - $500K+*

Elevate your career by building a cutting-edge ML data platform that enhances productivity for ML practitioners. Collaborate with experts to create innovative solutions for feature computation and sha...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 5 days ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Hospitality & Recreation

$232K - $368K *

Partner with us to shape innovative production test solutions for complex networking systems. Collaborate across teams to align strategies, enhance capabilities, and drive efficiency in testing proces...

California, USRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   11 - 15 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$159K - $287K *

Lead the charge in driving technical success for public sector clients by designing and delivering innovative solutions. Collaborate with internal teams and engage with customers to meet mission-criti...

Cambridge, MARemote

3 weeks ago

  •   11 - 15 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$80K - $95K *

Join us to design and deploy enterprise wireless networks across diverse sectors. Collaborate with clients and teams to ensure project success while providing technical support and troubleshooting in...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$183K - $255K *

Lead the charge in defining enterprise architecture strategies that drive modernization and transformation across technology domains, engaging stakeholders and mentoring teams to achieve excellence in...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Energy & Utilities

$105K - $165K *

Drive the design and management of AWS EKS Kubernetes clusters, ensuring high availability and security. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to optimize cloud infrastructure and automate processes...

Des Moines, IARemote

1 week ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$135K - $160K *

Join a team of expert engineers to innovate a Kubernetes resource management platform, enhancing DevOps productivity and addressing complex engineering problems in a dynamic environment...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 1 month ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$125K - $225K *

Drive innovation and strategic leadership in wastewater treatment and reuse projects, guiding multidisciplinary teams to deliver sustainable, cutting-edge engineering solutions while fostering client...

United StatesRemote

Reposted today

  •   11 - 15 years exp.  •   Real Estate & Construction

$90K - $153K *

Lead the enhancement and administration of enterprise endpoint security technologies, collaborating with cross-functional teams to optimize security processes and improve detection capabilities in a g...

United StatesRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$181K - $242K *

Drive the design and scaling of data pipelines, ensuring seamless data flow from ingestion to analytics. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to set technical standards and elevate data infrastruct...

Carlsbad, CARemote

6 days ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Retail & Consumer Goods

$160K *

Drive enterprise-level implementations of phishing-resistant authentication solutions, leading technical deployments and integrations across various identity platforms while ensuring customer success...

United StatesRemote

6 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$131K - $200K *

Join a team that's shaping the future of data platforms by developing scalable solutions for analytics and AI workloads. Collaborate on impactful projects using cutting-edge tools to enhance data reli...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Healthcare

$110K - $130K *

Join a team that's dedicated to delivering exceptional project management across all phases, ensuring client satisfaction and operational excellence while mentoring fellow Project Managers for continu...

Atlanta, GARemote

2 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$175K - $200K *

Optimize our data infrastructure platform by enhancing automation, observability, and stability. Drive architectural changes to support long-term service requirements while ensuring high throughput an...

United StatesRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$193K - $309K *

Lead the charge in delivering impactful GTM solutions by managing a skilled engineering team, overseeing technical operations, and fostering collaboration with stakeholders to drive innovation and qua...

United StatesRemote

4 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$96K - $192K *

Join a dynamic team to drive cost reduction initiatives and enhance material productivity across global business units. Collaborate with stakeholders to influence design and manufacturing changes, ens...

Palm Beach Gardens, FLRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Real Estate & Construction

$87K - $157K *

Lead the charge in designing and reviewing structural components for substation and transmission projects, ensuring quality control and mentoring junior engineers while engaging with clients and suppo...

United StatesRemote

4 days ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Technical Services

$110K - $130K *

Engineer secure, scalable cloud platforms and automate workflows. Lead migrations, implement observability, and mentor junior engineers while driving cloud-native adoption in a collaborative environme...

RemoteRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$116K - $155K *

Transform enterprise applications through strategic architecture, integration, and governance. Collaborate with stakeholders to enhance business processes and ensure reliable operation of platforms wh...

United StatesRemote

Today

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Energy & Utilities

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.