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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
$110K - $130K *
Champion customer solutions by rapidly prototyping and deploying AI-driven applications. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance product capabilities and drive adoption, ensuring impactful...
1 week ago
Senior Engineering Manager - Containers, Kubernetes, and Confidential Computing
$272K - $431K *
Join a team that's redefining cloud-native technologies by managing innovative engineering efforts in container orchestration and GPU acceleration, ensuring seamless integration across platforms while...
Reposted 1 week ago
Electrical and Controls Engineer
$120K - $170K *
Manage technical design leadership for industrial projects, coordinating PLC/DCS, HMI, and motion control systems. Collaborate with teams to deliver high-quality project outcomes while supporting clie...
4 weeks ago
$100K - $120K *
Transform your career by leading proposal strategies and managing a dynamic team. Drive compliance and quality in project proposals while collaborating with stakeholders to ensure timely and effective...
2 weeks ago
$130K - $180K *
Engage in a hands-on role to enhance security across products and infrastructure, collaborating with leadership to prioritize and execute critical security initiatives while ensuring compliance and ri...
1 week ago
$110K - $143K *
Join a dynamic team as a Data Engineer, where you'll design and maintain data pipelines using SparkSQL and Pyspark. Your work will enhance data analysis efficiency, impacting industries and driving cu...
4 weeks ago
$99K - $167K *
Develop and maintain robust data pipelines using SparkSQL and Pyspark, ensuring high-quality data for analytics. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance data analysis efficiency and support...
4 weeks ago
Engineering Manager, Online Serving and Inference, AI Platform
$500K+*
Lead the charge in developing a next-gen AI/ML serving and inference platform. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to architect scalable solutions that empower ML practitioners across diverse doma...
Today
Principal Systems Studies Engineer
$130K - $161K *
Shape the future of power systems engineering by leading advanced studies, consulting, and technology initiatives. Collaborate with utilities and industry organizations to tackle complex challenges an...
Today
$85K - $117K *
Champion software quality by analyzing healthcare data, developing test cases, and executing both manual and automated tests. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure compliance with clinical...
4 weeks ago
$130K - $145K *
Engineer innovative Android solutions that redefine the home renovation industry. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance user experience and mentor junior developers while driving technica...
Today
Senior Mechanical Project Manager
$100K - $120K *
Unlock potential by leading a dynamic design team in managing mechanical systems for diverse construction projects, ensuring quality and compliance throughout the contract administration phase...
Yesterday
$110K - $130K *
Transform PCB design processes in a dynamic environment, collaborating with engineers and contractors to ensure high-quality, high-speed digital and mixed signal PCB layouts that meet stringent requir...
3 weeks ago
$95K - $115K *
Join a team that's redefining network solutions by designing, implementing, and supporting advanced LAN, WAN, and wireless systems. Collaborate with cross-functional leaders to enhance network strateg...
2 weeks ago
$85K - $130K *
Champion innovative control systems for industrial solutions, leading design and development projects. Collaborate with teams to ensure products meet market demands while transitioning designs to manu...
1 week ago
Sr Architect, Professional Services
$160K - $200K *
Empower clients by leading the implementation of innovative solutions, ensuring successful adoption and integration of Omnissa Workspace ONE. Collaborate with diverse teams to drive business outcomes...
2 weeks ago
Senior Geotechnical Engineer - Hydropower
$130K - $180K *
Lead innovative geotechnical engineering projects, collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to deliver solutions for transportation, hydroelectric, and civil infrastructure. Drive design, analysis...
1 week ago
$150K - $210K *
Engage with customers to design tailored solutions utilizing Zoo's APIs, driving adoption and ensuring successful integration, while supporting sales with technical expertise and customer demonstratio...
Reposted today
Staff Software Engineer, Tech Lead - NetBox Delivery
$135K - $160K *
Unlock the potential of NetBox Delivery by leading software design, enhancing production reliability, and mentoring engineers. Shape the technical direction and ensure seamless deployment on Cloud and...
3 weeks ago
Senior Backend Engineer, Onboarding and Provisioning
$199K - $235K *
Lead the charge in building robust backend services that streamline customer onboarding and provisioning workflows, ensuring seamless activation and reliable integrations across teams for optimal user...
4 days ago
$95K - $115K *
Champion the development of robust monitoring systems to enhance cloud platform availability. Collaborate with Operations and Engineering teams to identify impactful features, ensuring seamless infras...
Reposted yesterday
$150K - $160K *
Champion cloud and application security by enhancing AWS practices, collaborating with cross-functional teams, and driving continuous improvement to ensure secure and compliant environments...
Reposted 4 days ago
$83K - $118K *
Unlock your potential by leading complex IT/SaaS projects, driving execution, and enhancing business processes. Collaborate with diverse teams to ensure project success while utilizing Agile methodolo...
4 weeks ago
Senior Structural Engineer 1 - Nuclear
$84K - $129K *
Empower your career by joining a dynamic team in structural engineering, tackling innovative projects in nuclear facilities. Collaborate, guide, and utilize advanced tools to design and analyze struct...
2 weeks ago
$88K - $163K *
Develop and maintain integrated system solutions by collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to translate customer requirements into mission-critical capabilities, ensuring quality and efficiency th...
Today
What is a Principal Engineer?
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?
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?
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?
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?
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.