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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$134K - $209K *

Elevate your career by designing and optimizing a cutting-edge Research Platform. Collaborate with a dynamic team to tackle complex financial datasets and build resilient systems that drive insights f...

United StatesRemote

Today

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$80K - $95K *

Join a team that's dedicated to delivering exceptional project management support, ensuring timely implementation of technical programs while collaborating with diverse stakeholders to drive success a...

Texas, USRemote

4 days ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Transportation

$120K - $160K *

Engineer the future of critical facility commissioning by leading project teams, managing schedules, and ensuring compliance with design and safety standards. Drive successful project execution throug...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Technical Services

$125K - $150K *

Join a dynamic team to design and build a robust data platform that enhances product performance and supports AI initiatives, ensuring data integrity and accessibility for internal and customer-facing...

United StatesRemote

4 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$185K - $297K *

Elevate your engineering career by leading test automation and quality architecture for cloud and mobile systems. Shape technical vision, mentor engineers, and drive AI-first automation strategies whi...

RemoteRemote

Reposted 3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$181K - $213K *

Transform product-led growth by crafting data-driven strategies, enhancing customer experiences with AI, and driving account expansion through collaboration and experimentation across teams...

United StatesRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$125K - $150K *

Lead high-impact, cross-functional technical programs, translating business vision into structured execution. Drive Agile practices, enhance team efficiency, and ensure alignment with company objectiv...

United StatesRemote

4 days ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Healthcare

$169K - $220K *

Join a team that's dedicated to transforming healthcare through innovative software solutions. Collaborate with engineers and healthcare professionals to build systems that enhance patient care and st...

United StatesRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Healthcare

$105K - $189K *

Engineer innovative electrical designs, ensuring compliance and safety for mission-critical power and cooling products. Collaborate cross-functionally to integrate systems, manage changes, and execute...

RemoteRemote

Reposted 2 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Consumer Technology

$248K - $391K *

Shape the future of cloud-hosted compute environments by leading the architecture and development of AI agent platforms. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver high-performance solutions a...

California, USRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   11 - 15 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$197K - $240K *

Join us to define and own the product strategy for Wallets, shaping the future of stablecoin and payment solutions. Collaborate across teams to drive customer adoption and business impact through inno...

San Francisco, CARemote

3 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$135K - $160K *

Optimize secure cloud infrastructure and automate compliance controls while enhancing operational efficiency. Collaborate with stakeholders to ensure reliability and security in a dynamic environment...

United StatesRemote

Yesterday

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$125K - $150K *

Transform your career by leading complex, multi-billion-dollar power generation projects. Oversee all phases from development to execution, ensuring quality, budget, and schedule adherence while foste...

Phoenix, AZRemote

1 week ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Energy & Utilities

$138K - $165K *

Champion the development of LLM-powered applications and agentic systems. Drive complex use cases from ambiguous problems to production, ensuring high-quality and scalable AI solutions that address us...

RemoteRemote

Reposted 4 days ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$96K - $130K *

Join a dynamic team to shape innovative fundraising tools that empower progressive campaigns and nonprofits. Leverage modern technologies to enhance election readiness and compliance, while mentoring...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$118K - $131K *

Optimize your career by joining a dynamic team that develops cutting-edge AI-native solutions. Engage in full software development lifecycle, collaborating with users to create impactful technologies...

United StatesRemote

2 days ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Aerospace & Defense

$125K - $150K *

Lead the charge in managing and optimizing cloud infrastructure across multiple platforms. Collaborate with teams to enhance product reliability and streamline operations while ensuring security and c...

United StatesRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$140K - $170K *

Lead the charge in transforming Cloud operations to an AI-first model, guiding a team of engineers to design and deploy AI agents that optimize infrastructure in Azure, while collaborating with client...

RemoteRemote

Yesterday

  •   11 - 15 years exp.  •   Aerospace & Defense

$110K - $130K *

Drive innovative electrical engineering solutions for complex industrial projects. Lead multidisciplinary teams from concept to construction, ensuring quality and client satisfaction while fostering b...

United StatesRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Technical Services

$95K - $115K *

Drive innovation by deploying and troubleshooting advanced IP networks in diverse environments. Collaborate with teams to integrate cutting-edge security technologies while ensuring seamless connectiv...

RemoteRemote

Reposted today

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Business Services

$110K - $165K *

Join a team that's shaping the future of energy distribution tools. Leverage your software engineering expertise to develop, enhance, and integrate solutions while mentoring junior developers and coll...

Spokane, WARemote

2 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Energy & Utilities

$120K - $145K *

Lead product development initiatives by driving innovative solutions in power connectors and cable assemblies. Collaborate cross-functionally to ensure high-quality, cost-effective designs that meet c...

United StatesRemote

Today

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$124K - $195K *

Transform systems integration by designing and maintaining APIs, automating workflows, and optimizing SaaS tools. Collaborate across teams to streamline processes and provide technical support for com...

RemoteRemote

Reposted 3 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$130K - $171K *

Lead the charge in building and executing a comprehensive commissioning program for Modular Data Centers, ensuring optimal performance from factory testing to operational handover while collaborating...

United StatesRemote

4 days ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$100K - $120K *

Join a team that's dedicated to enhancing healthcare technology by developing and maintaining our Electronic Health Record platform using Ruby. Collaborate in an agile environment to deliver impactful...

United StatesRemote

2 weeks 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.