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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$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...

RemoteRemote

4 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$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...

United StatesRemote

5 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$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...

RemoteRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Healthcare

$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...

RemoteRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$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...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$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...

Los Angeles, CARemote

2 weeks ago

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

$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...

San Francisco, CARemote

1 month ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$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...

RemoteRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$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...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 3 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$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...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 4 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$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...

Little Rock, ARRemote

Reposted 3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Energy & Utilities

$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...

United StatesRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   11 - 15 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$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...

Henderson, NVRemote

1 week ago

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

$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...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$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...

United StatesRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Technical Services

$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...

RemoteRemote

4 days ago

  •   15+ years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$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...

United StatesRemote

Yesterday

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$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...

CanadaRemote

Reposted today

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$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...

Mississauga, ONRemote

Reposted 2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$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...

Texas, USRemote

5 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$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...

Austin, TXRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$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...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Technical Services

$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...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 4 days ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Consumer Technology

$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...

New York, NYRemote

6 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$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...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 5 days ago

  •   5 - 7 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.