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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$153K - $213K *

Champion the development of a key platform, driving strategy, success metrics, and technical depth while collaborating across teams to deliver impactful solutions that meet customer needs and enhance...

United StatesRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$207K - $250K *

Unlock your potential as you lead engineering teams in building innovative platforms and AI experiences. Collaborate across departments to drive technical direction and elevate team performance while...

United StatesRemote

5 days ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Business Services

$186K - $285K *

Elevate your impact by defining the technical vision and architecture for critical platforms. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to solve complex challenges while leading modernization and engine...

RemoteRemote

Reposted 6 days ago

  •   11 - 15 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$90K - $125K *

Lead the charge in diverse control system projects, overseeing tasks and teams while ensuring successful project completion. Collaborate with stakeholders and provide engineering support, driving qual...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$110K - $145K *

Join a team that's shaping the future of cloud infrastructure by leading engineering efforts for a cutting-edge Operational Decisioning Platform. Drive innovation, enhance developer experience, and en...

RemoteRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$110K - $130K *

Unlock your potential as a Senior Engineer in Field Services, providing expert technical support and solutions for semiconductor equipment across multiple locations. Engage with cross-functional teams...

Arizona, USRemote

Yesterday

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$135K - $160K *

Join a dynamic team to architect and implement a next-gen Design System, ensuring consistent, accessible experiences across products. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to drive technical alignme...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Food & Beverages

$95K - $115K *

Join a team that's redefining construction through innovative Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) practices. Collaborate on diverse projects, enhancing design processes and ensuring successful proje...

Haskell, TXRemote

1 week ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Real Estate & Construction

$110K - $120K *

Lead the charge in quality engineering for critical assessment platforms, driving testing excellence and automation maturity. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure reliability and scalabil...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 3 days ago

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

$230K - $368K *

Shape the future of high-scale SaaS solutions by leading architectural design, guiding teams, and driving impactful software strategies in a collaborative environment that values innovation and mentor...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 4 days ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$129K - $210K *

Transform issue management by leading a team to develop AI-assisted solutions, ensuring quality and accountability in remediation processes across GRC. Drive engineering excellence while fostering ind...

United StatesRemote

4 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Consumer Technology

$124K - $170K *

Lead the charge in innovative software solutions for healthcare, collaborating with diverse teams to enhance patient care and meet customer needs through cutting-edge technology and creative problem-s...

RemoteRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Healthcare

$150K - $180K *

Lead the charge in transforming software delivery by designing innovative cloud agents and tools that enhance collaboration between AI and teams, streamline workflows, and drive efficiency across prod...

RemoteRemote

Today

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Hospitality & Recreation

$90K - $120K *

Shape innovative engineering solutions as you lead complex projects, focusing on low to medium voltage power systems in industrial settings. Collaborate with cross-functional teams and mentor junior e...

Warrenville, ILRemote

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$168K - $240K *

Join us to define and deploy autonomous AI agents at scale, transforming cutting-edge LLM capabilities into reliable, high-availability products while mentoring a team of engineers and setting industr...

Seattle, WARemote

3 weeks ago

  •   11 - 15 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$200K - $275K *

Lead and optimize cloud infrastructure for simulation frameworks, driving team performance and technical strategy. Collaborate cross-functionally to enhance validation processes and ensure robust soft...

RemoteRemote

Reposted 2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Transportation

$200K - $225K *

Elevate your career by leading technical strategy for client systems, shaping architecture across platforms, and driving multi-team initiatives in a hands-on role that influences security and reliabil...

Massachusetts, USRemote

6 days ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$201K - $263K *

Lead a globally distributed engineering team to architect and scale enterprise-level Go-To-Market systems, ensuring seamless integration across Salesforce and other platforms while fostering a culture...

Austin, TXRemote

1 week ago

  •   11 - 15 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$146K - $192K *

Drive project success by providing engineering support and technical evaluations for electric power generation projects. Collaborate with clients on design reviews, economic analysis, and risk assessm...

CanadaRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   11 - 15 years exp.  •   Technical Services

$101K - $140K *

Drive the evolution of Business Systems by integrating automation and AI into our go-to-market processes. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to build scalable systems that enhance efficiency and...

United StatesRemote

4 days ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$90K - $110K *

Transform the future of mobile broadcasting by leading technical operations, ensuring show readiness, and delivering exceptional live production experiences while mentoring teams and managing client r...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Media

$150K - $180K *

Shape the future of AI engineering by leading technical outcomes, architecting production systems, and mentoring teams. Collaborate with stakeholders to drive innovation and ensure operational excelle...

Florida, USRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$95K - $115K *

Unlock your potential as a Senior VDC Engineer, driving innovative design solutions and enhancing project delivery through advanced BIM technologies and collaboration with diverse teams in a dynamic e...

St. Louis, MORemote

2 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Real Estate & Construction

$88K - $105K *

Transform the future of automation solutions by engineering real-time controls and information systems across manufacturing environments. Collaborate with a dynamic team to enhance operational efficie...

Philadelphia, PARemote

4 days ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$95K - $115K *

Join a team that's innovating real-time automation solutions across industries. As a Systems Engineer, you'll develop and implement cutting-edge controls, mentor peers, and enhance operational efficie...

Raleigh, NCRemote

4 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

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.