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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$100K - $120K *

Help us drive growth by identifying and closing automation opportunities. Collaborate with technical teams to deliver tailored solutions, build lasting customer relationships, and exceed sales targets...

United StatesRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$140K - $160K *

Join a dynamic team to execute complex physical electrical designs for medium- and high-voltage substations and utility-scale projects, ensuring quality and compliance from concept through constructio...

United StatesRemote

Reposted today

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Technical Services

$110K - $183K *

Innovate the future of healthcare technology by developing scalable applications that streamline specialty prescriptions. Collaborate with a skilled team to enhance user experience and drive efficienc...

United StatesRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Pharmaceuticals & Biotech

$80K - $100K *

Unlock potential by leading a dynamic team of developers to deliver high-quality software solutions, collaborating with stakeholders, and driving strategic project initiatives while fostering a cultur...

RemoteRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Business Services

$125K - $150K *

Join a team that's shaping the future of cloud infrastructure by managing a vast AWS estate. Drive automation, maintain platform health, and deliver new features while ensuring compliance in a regulat...

United StatesRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$130K - $160K *

Join a dynamic team to build and enhance security practices, ensuring robust protection of sensitive data. Collaborate across engineering to create secure frameworks, manage identities, and fortify cl...

San Francisco, CARemote

2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$120K - $145K *

Contribute to innovative cloud solutions by leveraging your expertise in Azure, C#/.NET, and DevOps practices. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance security, scalability, and performance...

RemoteRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$110K - $130K *

Transform customer IT service requirements into innovative solutions that enhance loyalty and profitability. Lead technical resources in delivering high-quality financial industry solutions while ensu...

RemoteRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$180K - $220K *

Drive the development of innovative security systems using AI/ML, managing risk across identity and access management. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance security while maintaining ope...

RemoteRemote

1 week ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$80K - $120K *

Elevate software quality by leading comprehensive testing strategies, ensuring all systems meet rigorous standards and user needs. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to drive improvements and del...

Texas, USRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$110K - $130K *

Join a dynamic team as a Software Testing Principal, where you'll develop and execute comprehensive test plans, ensuring high-quality software solutions. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to dri...

Texas, USRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$100K - $152K *

Engineer innovative solutions in nuclear power plant systems design. Collaborate on modification packages, technical specifications, and vendor evaluations while leading project teams to enhance opera...

United StatesRemote

Today

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Technical Services

$84K - $130K *

Lead a dynamic team of Optical Design Engineers to innovate and implement cutting-edge DWDM network solutions, ensuring project success and exceeding performance targets while collaborating across dep...

United StatesRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$185K - $230K *

Advance your career by ensuring seamless performance of AI systems in diverse environments. Collaborate with customers and teams, automating and maintaining infrastructure for reliability across uncla...

RemoteRemote

Reposted 4 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$229K - $260K *

Drive the technical direction for building and delivering containerized applications, ensuring reliability and security across deployments. Collaborate with teams to enhance automation and mentor engi...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$125K - $188K *

Transform BIM services by leading a skilled team, ensuring technical excellence and operational efficiency while fostering a culture of innovation and continuous learning to enhance project delivery a...

Lenexa, KSRemote

Today

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Technical Services

$138K - $165K *

Take ownership of full-chip physical verification, leading efforts to ensure quality and readiness for tapeout. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to drive accountability and deliver clean design...

San Jose, CARemote

5 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$100K - $150K *

Join our dynamic team as a Senior Engine Programmer, where you'll design and optimize core game engine systems, collaborating with external developers to enhance performance across multiple games. You...

United StatesRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Consumer Technology

$134K - $241K *

Deliver transformative transportation solutions by leading project teams, enhancing community infrastructure, and ensuring excellence in project execution through strategic planning and collaboration...

RemoteRemote

Reposted today

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

$120K - $195K *

Drive the development and maintenance of low-level CPU firmware and BIOS software, collaborating with hardware engineers and vendors to ensure reliable system initialization and booting across all pro...

Vancouver, BCRemote

4 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Telecommunications & Hardware

$125K - $200K *

Join a team that's dedicated to enhancing user engagement through innovative front-end solutions. You'll leverage modern web technologies to build secure, high-performance financial applications that...

United StatesRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Retail & Consumer Goods

$105K - $139K *

Unlock your creative potential as a Senior Designer, leading impactful projects across branding, presentations, and campaigns. Collaborate with a dynamic team to craft compelling visual narratives tha...

Washington, DCRemote

Yesterday

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Business Services

$164K - $262K *

Elevate your career by designing and building self-service cloud APIs and services. Collaborate with teams to transform complex cloud operations into reliable, user-friendly products that enhance deve...

United StatesRemote

Today

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

$170K - $200K *

Accelerate progress at the forefront of Azure solutions, leading medium-scale client engagements and complex projects. Drive technical leadership, solution architecture, and mentoring while collaborat...

Austin, TXRemote

4 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$120K - $145K *

Innovate solutions in power systems engineering by leading consulting initiatives, enhancing client relationships, and driving strategic growth in protection and control services while ensuring high-q...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   8 - 10 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.