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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$125K - $145K *

Unlock potential by leading complex multi-disciplinary projects to achieve client goals, overseeing contracting, risk management, and deliverable production, while supporting program growth and commun...

RemoteRemote

Reposted today

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Technical Services

$120K - $145K *

Transform fragmented IT landscapes as you lead complex service integration projects, improving data flow and visibility across hybrid cloud and on-premise environments. Guide cross-functional teams an...

RemoteRemote

Reposted today

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$113K - $178K *

Drive your career with a senior role focused on software development for control room simulators, collaborating with engineers to enhance plant models and ensure high-quality deliverables in a dynamic...

United StatesRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Energy & Utilities

$110K - $130K *

Lead the charge in engineering recruiting by shaping hiring strategies, developing a high-performing team, and enhancing scalable processes to support growth while personally managing senior leadershi...

United StatesRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Healthcare

$180K - $220K *

Lead the infrastructure engineering team to drive strategic initiatives, enhance developer productivity, and ensure reliability as the organization scales towards ambitious growth targets, including A...

United StatesRemote

Today

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$110K - $130K *

Shape the future of data integration by designing and implementing scalable solutions across complex enterprise applications, ensuring seamless data movement and transformation while optimizing perfor...

Irving, TXRemote

Reposted today

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Technical Services

$150K - $170K *

Transform your career by leading mechanical design projects, collaborating with cross-functional teams, and mentoring junior staff while ensuring compliance with industry standards and delivering high...

Sacramento, CARemote

1 week ago

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

$130K - $179K *

Engineer utility planning and advisory projects, focusing on transmission system analysis, generator interconnection applications, and ISO feasibility studies to support diverse clients in the energy...

CanadaRemote

6 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Technical Services

$111K - $153K *

Unlock potential by leading utility planning and advisory projects, focusing on transmission system analysis, generator interconnection applications, and client guidance for ISO feasibility studies. J...

CanadaRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Technical Services

$136K - $160K *

Elevate operations through AI-driven automation to enhance incident management, streamline ticket resolution, and optimize service health with self-healing observability, all while collaborating acros...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 3 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Hospitality & Recreation

$130K - $155K *

Champion the safety design and validation of our autonomous trucking system, ensuring rigorous functional safety standards are met across all engineering and operational teams. Drive impactful safety...

RemoteRemote

Reposted 3 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Transportation

$147K - $190K *

Lead the charge in defining and guiding enterprise architecture across product systems and business applications. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to translate strategy into actionable designs...

United StatesRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$160K - $190K *

Unlock your potential as a key player in software development, leading projects from design to deployment. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance applications, optimize performance, and dr...

United StatesRemote

5 days ago

  •   11 - 15 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$140K - $197K *

Lead the charge in managing strategic client relationships and projects, leveraging your extensive cost management expertise in the data centre sector. Empower teams through mentorship while driving b...

Birmingham, ALRemote

3 weeks ago

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

$120K - $145K *

Elevate full-stack engineering excellence by delivering scalable, reliable solutions across initiatives, guiding teams, and enhancing processes to drive performance and innovation in a collaborative e...

Wisconsin, USRemote

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Pharmaceuticals & Biotech

$112K - $196K *

Lead subcontract administration efforts, ensuring compliance and effective negotiation while fostering relationships with suppliers and stakeholders. Drive strategic procurement initiatives within the...

United StatesRemote

2 weeks ago

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

$81K *

Manage and enhance public health technology platforms, ensuring secure, reliable operations for local, state, and federal agencies. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to optimize system performan...

United StatesRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$205K - $231K *

Unlock potential by driving the technical direction and excellence of our stack. In this Staff Engineer role, you'll develop, mentor, and innovate within our Containers team, ensuring product quality...

RemoteRemote

Reposted 2 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$120K - $160K *

Innovate technical architecture for retail planning solutions, leading design and implementation. Collaborate with teams to ensure scalable, secure integrations and optimize customer deployments while...

Campbell, CARemote

6 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$125K - $156K *

Engineer innovative software solutions for high-throughput labs, collaborating with cross-functional teams to enhance performance and reliability while mentoring junior engineers and optimizing cloud...

United StatesRemote

Today

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Pharmaceuticals & Biotech

$170K - $190K *

Develop and scale backend systems for a data infrastructure platform, focusing on PostgreSQL, Kafka event pipelines, and GraphQL APIs. Collaborate across teams to enhance data usability and support cl...

Boston, MARemote

3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Pharmaceuticals & Biotech

$180K - $197K *

Drive impactful landscape architecture projects by leading design teams, overseeing project execution, and ensuring compliance with standards. Collaborate with stakeholders to create sustainable, inno...

Los Angeles, CARemote

3 weeks ago

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

$150K - $163K *

Engage with us to drive architectural decisions and lead complex engineering initiatives. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance core systems, focusing on performance, reliability, and sca...

Seattle, WARemote

Yesterday

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$120K - $165K *

Join a team that leads complex technical infrastructure projects, driving AI initiatives and operational improvements through effective project delivery, stakeholder engagement, and disciplined planni...

British Columbia, CARemote

Reposted 1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$80K - $110K *

Transform your career by developing innovative software solutions in a collaborative Agile environment. Engage in all phases of the software development lifecycle while enhancing cybersecurity and ide...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 5 days ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Healthcare

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.