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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$63K - $111K *

Drive impactful construction solutions by coordinating design services, ensuring compliance with specifications, and collaborating with experts to enhance project quality and efficiency in a dynamic e...

RemoteRemote

3 weeks ago

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

$135K - $160K *

Transform the future of autonomous ground support equipment by leading product strategy and roadmap development. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure safety, performance, and reliability...

RemoteRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Transportation

$85K - $130K *

Drive the design and modification of power plant electrical systems, collaborating with multi-disciplined teams to create detailed diagrams and wiring drawings. Engage in field data gathering and ensu...

United StatesRemote

6 days ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Technical Services

$205K - $250K *

Lead the charge in resource geology by developing geological models and ensuring compliance with international standards. Oversee technical reports and mentor teams while driving business development...

CanadaRemote

4 weeks ago

  •   11 - 15 years exp.  •   Energy & Utilities

$115K - $164K *

Elevate your software engineering career as you lead projects, enhance CI/CD workflows, and mentor team members, ensuring high quality and reliability in our autonomous driving technology initiatives...

RemoteRemote

Reposted 3 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$229K - $260K *

Transform the integration landscape by architecting robust connections between NodeZero and key security platforms, ensuring reliability and observability while mentoring engineers and driving technic...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$87K - $115K *

Transform critical facilities by providing technical leadership in commissioning projects. Collaborate with diverse teams to ensure compliance, manage schedules, and execute testing for complex electr...

United StatesRemote

4 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Technical Services

$125K - $150K *

Transform complex customer implementations into seamless successes by owning the delivery lifecycle, driving technical discussions, and ensuring stakeholder satisfaction from kickoff to go-live. Your...

United StatesRemote

5 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Healthcare

$95K - $115K *

Drive strategic growth by developing key customer relationships and expanding market presence through effective technical sales strategies and solutions in the automation industry...

Dallas, TXRemote

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$83K - $124K *

Unlock potential by leading the design and implementation of CI/CD pipelines, enhancing software delivery and operational stability for enterprise applications while collaborating with cross-functiona...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$105K - $158K *

Manage the successful delivery of healthcare IT projects, coordinating stakeholders and ensuring compliance with standards while driving customer engagement and adoption across acute care environments...

Minneapolis, MNRemote

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Healthcare

$110K - $130K *

Join a dynamic team to oversee the delivery of cutting-edge telecommunications and network infrastructure for data center operations, ensuring seamless connectivity and project execution across multip...

Texas, USRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$130K - $180K *

Optimize geomechanical solutions for mining projects by integrating data, developing models, and providing technical recommendations. Collaborate with a diverse team to enhance project outcomes and me...

Ontario, CARemote

4 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Technical Services

$75K - $90K *

Elevate your career by leading a team of Onboarding Engineers, driving project efficiency, and enhancing processes. Foster collaboration and accountability while ensuring high-quality service delivery...

RemoteRemote

5 days ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$110K - $130K *

Lead the charge in harmonizing product transfers, ensuring compliance and quality across global assignments while collaborating with cross-functional teams to enhance efficiency and product integrity...

RemoteRemote

Reposted 2 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Healthcare

$120K - $150K *

Elevate your career by designing and delivering innovative video solutions across diverse sectors. Collaborate with teams to create scalable architectures that enhance broadcast, streaming, and cloud...

United StatesRemote

4 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$86K - $126K *

Join our dynamic Engineering team to lead civil design projects, focusing on stormwater management and erosion control. Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to deliver high-quality solutions while...

RemoteRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Energy & Utilities

$224K - $326K *

Serve as a technical leader for large customers, guiding AI cloud strategies. Connect business priorities with scalable architecture while managing executive engagements and navigating complex decisio...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$95K - $115K *

Shape the future of supplier quality in mechanical engineering by overseeing the quality assurance of critical components and systems. Collaborate with suppliers to ensure compliance, execute testing...

United StatesRemote

Today

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Energy & Utilities

$93K - $156K *

Explore new horizons as you design and implement advanced control systems, ensuring optimal performance and customer satisfaction while collaborating with diverse teams to deliver innovative solutions...

Montana, USRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$172K - $229K *

Accelerate progress at the forefront of autonomous vehicle software by diagnosing and deploying solutions. Join a dynamic team to enhance capabilities and resolve complex challenges in a high-stakes e...

Las Vegas, NVRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Transportation

$100K - $130K *

Drive the design and analysis of transportation structures, ensuring compliance with AASHTO standards while collaborating with multidisciplinary teams on projects across Colorado and Arizona...

United StatesRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Technical Services

$116K - $145K *

Innovate and enhance user experiences by designing and developing robust software solutions. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver impactful projects while mentoring junior engineers and...

RemoteRemote

4 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$134K - $205K *

Drive civil and structural construction excellence by managing on-site activities, ensuring compliance with safety and quality standards, and collaborating with diverse teams to meet project milestone...

United StatesRemote

5 days ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Technical Services

$200K - $225K *

Drive the design and delivery of innovative AI-driven applications. Oversee the full development lifecycle, ensuring scalability and reliability in multi-tenant enterprise solutions while collaboratin...

RemoteRemote

Reposted 2 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Business Services

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.