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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$96K - $145K *

Accelerate your career by supporting critical mainframe applications, collaborating with cross-functional teams to enhance system performance and resolve complex issues, while driving continuous impro...

RemoteRemote

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$90K - $189K *

Contribute to critical government missions as a Release Train Engineer, facilitating Agile Release Train events, coaching teams, and driving continuous improvement to deliver value using cutting-edge...

United StatesRemote

5 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$140K - $190K *

Architect and drive the development of a cloud-native data enrichment service, ensuring performance and scalability. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to implement best practices while mentoring...

CanadaRemote

6 days ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$140K - $190K *

Join a team that's shaping the future of SaaS architecture. As a Staff Software Engineer, you'll design scalable solutions, mentor peers, and enhance developer experience, driving impactful modernizat...

CanadaRemote

1 week ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$110K - $130K *

Unlock potential by designing intuitive AI experiences for diverse construction teams, blending interaction and visual design. You'll create mobile-first solutions for Superintendents and DCOs, ensuri...

United StatesRemote

Reposted yesterday

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

$110K - $130K *

Tackle the challenges of building scalable backend services in a cloud environment. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance the Temporal Cloud experience, focusing on reliability, performan...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$80K - $130K *

Transform healthcare by providing expert imaging support in a dynamic hospital environment. Collaborate with clinical teams to ensure optimal performance of diagnostic systems, enhancing patient care...

Indiana, USRemote

4 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Healthcare

$140K - $160K *

Lead our initiatives in designing and constructing innovative water and carbon capture facilities globally. Collaborate across teams to ensure project success within budget and timeline while promotin...

California, USRemote

Reposted 3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Energy & Utilities

$110K - $130K *

Engineer robust backend systems for financial applications, tackling payments, fraud detection, and compliance. Collaborate with a skilled team to design, build, and optimize features, ensuring reliab...

United StatesRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Aerospace & Defense

$150K - $200K *

Lead the charge in transforming business challenges into innovative solutions by leveraging your expertise in automation and integration. Collaborate across teams to enhance operational efficiency and...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$110K - $130K *

Champion innovative EBOS design solutions for utility-scale solar projects, ensuring compliance, manufacturability, and cost-efficiency while mentoring junior engineers and collaborating cross-functio...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Energy & Utilities

$100K - $185K *

Empower clients by leveraging deep ONESOURCE Direct Tax expertise to design innovative solutions using AI and automation tools. Engage directly with customers, manage projects, and drive efficiency wh...

RemoteRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Media

$78K - $98K *

Shape the future of AEC workflows by leading product ownership and Agile delivery for an Engineering Tools team. Collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders to prioritize needs, validate outcomes...

United StatesRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$170K - $205K *

Unlock the potential of our Pro offering by leading product strategy and roadmap. Collaborate across teams to enhance customer experiences for short-term rental operators and HOAs, ensuring scalable s...

United StatesRemote

6 days ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Hospitality & Recreation

$125K - $188K *

Lead the charge in developing innovative facility management solutions for P3 projects, ensuring optimal efficiency and cost-effectiveness while managing complex project lifecycles from inception to f...

Arlington Heights, ILRemote

Yesterday

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

$166K - $230K *

Champion seamless loan management and customer relations as you lead initiatives that optimize collections and enhance user experience. Contribute to automation and process improvements to empower our...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$135K - $160K *

Oversee quality engineering initiatives by enhancing validation practices, establishing scalable strategies, and improving release evidence in collaboration with cross-functional teams to ensure robus...

San Francisco, CARemote

4 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$113K - $198K *

Transform your career by leading innovative fire engineering projects, mentoring teams, and driving business development. Collaborate across disciplines to deliver complex design solutions while ensur...

Lenexa, KSRemote

5 days ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Technical Services

$193K - $252K *

Join a team that's passionate about solving complex business challenges. As a Principal Solutions Engineer, you'll engage with enterprise clients, drive strategic relationships, and showcase the value...

RemoteRemote

5 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$140K - $150K *

Join a team that's driving strategic project execution and mentoring talent. Leverage advanced data analytics to build impactful dashboards and navigate stakeholder relationships, ensuring alignment w...

RemoteRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Telecommunications & Hardware

$195K - $235K *

Drive innovation in autonomous systems by building robust platforms for AI agents, ensuring seamless execution and user-friendly interfaces while tackling complex distributed systems challenges across...

United StatesRemote

Today

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$135K - $251K *

Engineer innovative software solutions by leading development activities, applying advanced programming techniques, and ensuring adherence to standards throughout the software lifecycle to address com...

Virginia, USRemote

6 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Aerospace & Defense

$130K - $155K *

Empower the future of aerospace by leading polymer matrix composite process development. Drive innovation from concept to production, ensuring quality and manufacturability while collaborating across...

United StatesRemote

4 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Aerospace & Defense

$121K - $142K *

Elevate automation in software engineering by building AI-driven tools and systems. Collaborate with a focused team to enhance reliability and speed in package and image management, shaping the future...

RemoteRemote

1 week ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$164K - $295K *

Optimize the delivery of advanced server rack solutions by leading cross-functional teams, managing complex hardware programs, and ensuring alignment with hyperscale data center requirements for next...

Austin, TXRemote

Reposted yesterday

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Consumer 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.