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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
$145K - $170K *
Lead the charge in enhancing our data platform by guiding a skilled team of engineers. Drive architectural evolution, ensure data reliability, and foster a culture of ownership while delivering except...
4 days ago
$150K - $180K *
Unlock your potential as a Senior Applied AI Engineer, leading teams to design and deliver impactful AI solutions. Drive technical excellence and mentor engineers while shaping the future of AI system...
5 days ago
Staff Software Engineer - Backend
$125K - $150K *
Champion the development of scalable, cloud-native applications, enhancing data pipelines and integrations. Collaborate with teams to transform raw data into actionable insights, driving improvements...
3 weeks ago
Staff Software Engineer - Onboarding and Migrations
$156K - $196K *
Develop and maintain scalable backend applications and data pipelines, leveraging cloud infrastructure and modern programming languages to enhance system performance and support data analytics, while...
2 weeks ago
Staff Product Security Engineer
$205K - $231K *
Drive your career with impactful security initiatives that enhance product safety and foster responsible AI development. Collaborate across teams to elevate security practices and implement robust gua...
1 week ago
Project Manager (Capital Project)
$178K - $195K *
Lead critical recovery and rebuild projects from inception to completion, ensuring alignment with scope, budget, and stakeholder needs while coordinating with various agencies and contractors in a fas...
2 weeks ago
Staff Software Engineer, Growth & Experimentation
$100K - $300K *
Lead the charge in optimizing the customer journey from landing page to long-term conversion. Drive growth through experimentation, retention strategies, and revenue expansion while collaborating with...
1 month ago
Senior Software Engineer II, Mobile - Revenue Experiences (AI Native)
$118K - $216K *
Transform premium user experiences by owning the development and maintenance of features that drive revenue growth. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver high-quality, AI-enhanced solutio...
2 weeks ago
$135K - $160K *
Champion modernization initiatives by designing and overseeing transformation solutions, integrating cutting-edge GenAI technology, and ensuring alignment with business objectives to drive impactful m...
Reposted 3 weeks ago
Senior AI Product Engineer, Fullstack
$125K - $225K *
Unlock innovation by building scalable, user-centric applications in TypeScript and React. Collaborate with engineering teams to enhance AI-driven solutions, ensuring top performance in ML observabili...
Reposted 4 days ago
Senior or Senior II Engineer - Market Services (Remote Eligible)
$108K - $137K *
Empower operations by ensuring data integrity for market systems. Partner to verify service reservations and regulatory compliance while providing analytical insights to enhance stakeholder engagement...
Reposted 3 weeks ago
Principal Architect, Healthcare
$165K - $243K *
Deliver innovative disaster recovery solutions for healthcare systems, ensuring compliance and resilience for clinical workloads. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to address complex challenges...
2 weeks ago
$110K - $130K *
Lead the charge in VDC delivery across a regional portfolio of commercial construction projects. Set execution standards, manage a team of VDC professionals, and ensure field-relevant results while fo...
1 week ago
$110K - $130K *
Transform your career by driving customer success and technical solutions. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance client relationships, identify growth opportunities, and ensure maximum va...
1 week ago
Senior Structural Designer 1 - Nuclear
$77K - $118K *
Join our structural design team to lead innovative projects, utilizing 3D modeling software to create structural layouts and solve complex design challenges. Collaborate with multi-disciplinary teams...
2 weeks ago
$120K - $145K *
Lead a dynamic engineering team to innovate and enhance product solutions, ensuring alignment with customer needs and operational excellence while managing resources, budgets, and cross-functional col...
4 days ago
$90K - $110K *
Transform project delivery by leading software implementations, ensuring timely and budget-friendly outcomes while fostering strong stakeholder relationships and navigating complex environments with c...
Yesterday
Senior Software Engineer, Backend (Marketing & Privacy)
$153K - $213K *
Elevate your career by building robust data systems that enhance marketing effectiveness. Collaborate across teams to create reliable measurement architectures that drive consumer growth and ensure da...
Reposted today
Software Engineer - Team Lead (Forward Deployed)
$125K - $150K *
Drive engineering excellence as a Software Engineer Team Lead, guiding a team while collaborating with enterprise clients to create innovative, scalable solutions. Balance hands-on coding and mentorin...
Reposted 2 weeks ago
$110K - $130K *
Lead the charge in restoring critical technology services post-cyber incidents. Drive recovery efforts for ransomware and malware, ensuring forensic integrity while collaborating with diverse teams to...
5 days ago
$101K - $150K *
Champion client success by leading complex enterprise implementations, managing risks, and ensuring high-quality outcomes. Drive stakeholder engagement and project delivery while fostering strong rela...
2 weeks ago
Senior Transmission Line Engineer 2 - Grid
$100K - $152K *
Unlock your potential by designing high-voltage transmission lines, leading project teams, and collaborating with clients. Utilize your engineering expertise to drive innovative solutions and mentor j...
1 week ago
Senior Software Engineer II, Ads Data Solutions Engineering
$192K - $202K *
Lead the technical roadmap and modernize data solutions infrastructure, enhancing off-platform integrations and measurement capabilities while driving AI-first engineering initiatives and cross-team c...
Reposted 4 days ago
$110K - $130K *
Elevate your career by designing and developing scalable cloud-native applications. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance Workforce Management and Customer Experience solutions using mode...
6 days ago
Senior Power Systems Engineer, IBR Modeling, PSS/E and PSCAD
$130K - $157K *
Engineer innovative power system models and analyses to optimize utility-scale solar and storage solutions, working collaboratively with global teams to ensure compliance and advance SMA's technical c...
Reposted 5 days ago
What is a Principal Engineer?
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?
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?
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?
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?
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.