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.

Remote
caret down
Compensation
caret down
Position Level
caret down
Time Posted
caret down
Industries
caret down
More
1
caret down

Sort By: Relevance

$140K - $165K *

Create innovative solutions as a Software Engineer, shaping a greenfield platform. Collaborate with teams to automate processes, build data infrastructure, and deliver impactful tools while enjoying a...

United StatesRemote

Yesterday

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Healthcare

$120K - $145K *

Drive the design and development of innovative software solutions while mentoring junior engineers. Leverage extensive technical expertise to enhance system architecture and ensure high-quality delive...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Healthcare

$134K - $199K *

Drive innovation by leading the design and delivery of AI agents and workflows that enhance operational efficiency. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to transform complex challenges into scalabl...

CanadaRemote

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$130K - $195K *

Join a dynamic AI Automation team to design and deliver production-grade AI agents and workflows, enhancing operational efficiency across the organization while solving complex business challenges wit...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$148K - $254K *

Transform connected systems by designing and deploying advanced anomaly detection models. Lead a team to build robust pipelines, ensuring real-time analysis and integration across AI and engineering t...

RemoteRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$171K - $190K *

Unlock potential by leading the design and implementation of scalable data platforms. Drive innovation in cloud data architecture and pipeline automation, collaborating across teams to deliver impactf...

United StatesRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$101K - $174K *

Elevate your career by joining a dynamic team to design, deploy, and optimize a secure cloud-native platform. Collaborate across functions to enhance delivery pipelines and ensure reliability in a fas...

United StatesRemote

6 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Business Services

$92K - $158K *

Join a team that's dedicated to enhancing a secure PaaS for federal applications. You'll troubleshoot complex issues, support tenant operations, and collaborate on platform improvements, ensuring reli...

United StatesRemote

6 days ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Business Services

$175K - $200K *

Build innovative interfaces that enhance AI development and observability. You'll design and prototype user experiences that empower AI teams to understand and improve their applications through effec...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 4 days ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$155K - $207K *

Lead the design and development of innovative software solutions, collaborating with cross-functional teams to deliver high-quality applications. Drive technical excellence and mentor engineers while...

RemoteRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Real Estate & Construction

$103K - $138K *

Unlock potential by designing and automating secure, scalable AWS cloud platforms. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance infrastructure reliability and streamline software delivery throug...

United StatesRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Staffing

$179K - $248K *

Lead the charge in operationalizing strategy and driving cross-division initiatives. Collaborate with senior stakeholders to enhance efficiency and client satisfaction in a fast-paced corporate travel...

United StatesRemote

4 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$170K - $205K *

Join a dynamic team to lead AI agent deployments in healthcare. Leverage your software engineering expertise and client-facing skills to drive technical delivery, influence product development, and en...

United StatesRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Healthcare

$115K - $150K *

Join a team that's dedicated to advancing clean energy by developing and owning plant process simulation models. Collaborate across disciplines to enhance design, operations, and plant dynamics for in...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Energy & Utilities

$120K - $140K *

Innovate cloud solutions by designing and automating infrastructure in Cloud.gov and Azure. Collaborate with teams to enhance performance and security, driving impactful results for clients while shap...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 6 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$110K - $130K *

Champion preconstruction initiatives for large-scale commercial projects, ensuring accurate estimates, client satisfaction, and alignment with company goals through effective communication and relatio...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$195K - $208K *

Reimagine user experiences by leading design for core product features, ensuring seamless integration and customer delight. Collaborate across teams to enhance engagement and trust, shaping the future...

United StatesRemote

3 weeks ago

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

$84K - $129K *

Drive innovative structural engineering solutions for nuclear facilities, collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to enhance safety and efficiency. Guide junior engineers while leveraging advanced...

United StatesRemote

6 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Technical Services

$150K - $180K *

Join a team that's leading the modernization of a legacy system. Drive architectural decisions, enhance engineering practices, and foster a culture of innovation while ensuring reliable delivery and c...

Pennsylvania, USRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   11 - 15 years exp.  •   Healthcare

$110K - $130K *

Lead the growth of national Power Generation and Transmission accounts. Develop strategic relationships, identify opportunities, and drive revenue through collaboration with internal teams and clients...

Olathe, KSRemote

4 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Technical Services

$90K - $108K *

Drive successful project execution by managing customer projects from quotation to completion. Collaborate with teams and stakeholders to ensure timely delivery, quality standards, and customer satisf...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Energy & Utilities

$226K - $271K *

Transform the future of autonomous driving by leading the TorcOS engineering team. Drive the development of foundational embedded software platforms, ensuring high-quality, scalable solutions through...

Ann Arbor, MIRemote

Today

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$135K - $160K *

Unlock your potential as a Lead Data Software Engineer, driving innovative data solutions and leading cross-functional teams to enhance our data infrastructure and ensure scalability and performance a...

RemoteRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$100K - $120K *

Lead the charge in managing complex projects that drive strategic goals. Oversee project lifecycles, ensuring timely delivery, compliance, and stakeholder engagement while fostering collaboration acro...

St. Louis, MORemote

3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$171K - $300K *

Take ownership of architecting and developing AI-driven backend solutions for Access Security, enhancing identity intelligence and risk detection while collaborating with cross-functional teams to del...

Minneapolis, MNRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Information Technology

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.