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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$130K - $160K *

Lead the development of robust blockchain data systems, enhancing performance and reliability. Collaborate with teams to deliver impactful solutions that improve data quality and user experience while...

San Francisco, CARemote

2 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$100K - $120K *

Transform airport infrastructure by leading design projects, preparing engineering reports, and collaborating on innovative solutions in a dynamic aviation environment. Drive your career forward with...

Dallas, TXRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Technical Services

$155K - $175K *

Empower engineering teams by leading the evolution of cloud, security, and AI operations. Drive platform reliability and DevSecOps practices while mentoring others to foster a collaborative, innovativ...

United StatesRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Business Services

$120K - $145K *

Drive the advancement of enterprise Identity, Credential, and Access Management (ICAM) capabilities in contested environments, leading technical studies and architectural development to enhance operat...

Washington, DCRemote

1 week ago

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

$110K - $130K *

Lead the charge in optimizing proposal development processes, ensuring capacity aligns with pipeline demands. Oversee budgeting, hiring, and standards to enhance efficiency and drive successful projec...

Louisville, KYRemote

Today

  •   11 - 15 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$110K - $130K *

Lead and develop a multidisciplinary engineering team, driving innovation and product development while ensuring quality and efficiency in facility design and technical support for sales initiatives...

Texas, USRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Energy & Utilities

$75K - $136K *

Elevate your career by designing and developing high-performance systems that ensure security and reliability at scale. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to innovate and optimize solutions that...

Cambridge, MARemote

1 week ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$95K - $115K *

Lead the charge in managing client projects, ensuring high-quality delivery on time and within budget while fostering excellent customer service and collaboration across teams...

RemoteRemote

1 week ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Pharmaceuticals & Biotech

$184K - $356K *

Join a team that's shaping the future of autonomous driving by developing advanced 3D world models. Collaborate with experts to integrate perception data and enhance navigation solutions for complex e...

Santa Clara, CARemote

Reposted 1 week ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$75K - $110K *

Engage in the successful delivery of automation projects, supporting execution through commissioning. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure quality, budget, and schedule adherence while de...

Muskogee, OKRemote

1 week ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$150K - $200K *

Manage advanced product development programs for data center infrastructure, collaborating with cross-functional teams to drive comprehensive manufacturing strategies, optimize operations, and ensure...

RemoteRemote

Reposted 4 days ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$149K - $235K *

Lead complex backend projects from design to launch, tackling architecture challenges and mentoring junior developers. Collaborate across teams to drive initiatives and ensure high-quality code throug...

San Francisco, CARemote

3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$140K - $175K *

Join a team that's shaping security and compliance across the company. You'll lead HITRUST and SOC 2 programs, ensuring data protection while collaborating with engineering and legal teams in a hands...

United StatesRemote

Yesterday

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Healthcare

$95K - $115K *

Champion security excellence by leading initiatives to enhance IT solutions, ensuring the confidentiality, availability, and integrity of information assets while driving secure business growth throug...

Pennsylvania, USRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$166K - $281K *

Lead the architectural vision for authorization products, driving adoption across teams. Collaborate with engineering and product management to create a unified customer experience while shaping emerg...

California, USRemote

5 days ago

  •   11 - 15 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$80K - $95K *

Join a team that's shaping the future of AI solutions by deploying and integrating cutting-edge technologies. Collaborate with customers and engineers to enhance system performance and drive innovatio...

United StatesRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$95K - $115K *

Lead and transform large-scale retrofit and modernization projects, ensuring timely delivery, budget adherence, and high customer satisfaction while coordinating cross-functional teams and managing st...

Louisville, KYRemote

1 week ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$238K - $341K *

Pioneer secure identity solutions by architecting a robust Identity & Trust platform. Lead multi-year strategies, drive high-impact initiatives, and mentor engineers to enhance customer onboarding and...

United StatesRemote

5 days ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$173K - $211K *

Champion the execution of API strategies, leading teams to deliver secure enterprise APIs and innovative solutions while aligning technology with business goals and fostering a high-performing enginee...

RemoteRemote

5 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$116K - $207K *

Lead and manage mid to large Workday deployments, resolving complex issues while enhancing methodologies. Guide teams, ensure project success, and support executive expectations through effective comm...

RemoteRemote

4 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Consumer Technology

$100K - $160K *

Pioneer innovative solutions as a Senior Business Analyst, bridging user needs and technical execution. Lead agile projects, enhance business processes, and drive stakeholder engagement to ensure succ...

Mclean, VARemote

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$168K - $322K *

Build and operate core infrastructure services for global AI platforms, developing secure cloud-native solutions and orchestrating automation to enhance reliability and scalability in a collaborative...

RemoteRemote

Reposted 1 week ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$204K - $290K *

Manage the Resilience Engineering team to enhance system reliability through production load testing and chaos engineering while fostering a proactive safety culture across engineering practices...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 6 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$181K - $241K *

Join our team to lead innovative resilience engineering practices, focusing on proactive validation, load testing, and chaos engineering, enhancing the safety and reliability of production systems whi...

CanadaRemote

Reposted 6 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$164K - $226K *

Lead the charge in designing and evolving a robust entity data platform, ensuring accurate and timely data delivery while enhancing system reliability and reducing manual validation through innovative...

CanadaRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Consumer Technology

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.