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.
Staff Software Engineer, Program Structure & Trust
$150K - $180K *
Join us in shaping the future of enterprise compliance! As a key engineer, you'll design and deliver a robust org model that empowers complex security structures, ensuring seamless integration for our...
4 weeks ago
$110K - $130K *
Champion seamless technical integrations by leading end-to-end delivery, troubleshooting, and documentation. Collaborate with customer IT teams to ensure compliance and optimize data flows in a dynami...
4 weeks ago
Senior Civil Site Designer 1 -- Grid
$77K - $118K *
Lead the design and development of substation and transmission line projects, collaborating with engineers and project teams to deliver high-quality civil site designs and ensure compliance with regul...
5 days ago
Forward Deployed Solution Engineer - Applied AI FDE
$201K - $352K *
Join a team that's redefining enterprise AI by building scalable, LLM-enabled applications. Collaborate with customers to deliver impactful solutions, codify reusable assets, and shape the future of A...
3 weeks ago
Platform Engineer - FedD180/FedD181
$123K - $166K *
Join a team that's dedicated to enhancing cloud platform reliability and security. As a Platform Engineer, you'll leverage your expertise in Kubernetes and CI/CD to build and maintain robust infrastru...
3 weeks ago
Senior Compiler Engineer, Agentic Compiler Systems
$150K - $180K *
Transform the future of intelligent compiler technologies by designing and optimizing advanced systems that enhance developer productivity and system performance across software and hardware boundarie...
Yesterday
$135K - $160K *
Lead technical architecture and engineering standards for agentic systems, guiding scalable solutions and enhancing engineering quality across the portfolio while collaborating with cross-functional t...
Yesterday
$110K - $130K *
Champion technical solution design and deployment readiness, translating customer needs into secure, scalable architectures. Collaborate with engineering and cybersecurity teams to ensure successful t...
1 week ago
Senior Sales Solution Engineer
$125K - $138K *
Elevate customer experience by leading technical engagement during pre-sales. Utilize deep knowledge to craft solutions, mentor peers, and ensure seamless transitions, while remaining adaptable in a f...
Reposted 2 weeks ago
Senior Software Engineer - Backend / Cloud Services
$110K - $135K *
Shape the future of IoT solutions by leading backend cloud services development. Drive technical design, mentor engineers, and ensure scalable architecture for AWS-based applications while enhancing u...
6 days ago
Licensed Civil Engineer - Site Design
$80K - $95K *
Join a dynamic Site Design team to manage projects, prepare design documents, and collaborate with clients and staff. Leverage your engineering expertise to positively impact communities through innov...
4 weeks ago
Licensed Civil Engineer - Site Design
$80K - $95K *
Join a dynamic Site Design team to manage and execute civil engineering projects, ensuring quality design and effective communication with clients and teams. Contribute to impactful land development i...
4 weeks ago
Forward Deployed Full Stack Engineer (Active Secret Clearance)
$120K - $145K *
Drive impactful software solutions by embedding with clients, transforming ambiguous needs into deployable features across secure environments. Collaborate closely with users and stakeholders to deliv...
Reposted 4 days ago
$164K - $284K *
Lead and inspire a high-performing software engineering team, driving product innovation and technical excellence while fostering a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement in a fully remot...
4 days ago
Senior Security Engineering Manager
$150K - $180K *
Shape the future of security engineering by leading a high-performing team, enhancing operational excellence, and translating security risks into actionable priorities in a dynamic, growth-focused env...
Today
$80K - $180K *
Join a team that's shaping the future of finance technology by designing and implementing scalable SAP S/4HANA solutions. Leverage your expertise in procurement and logistics to drive operational exce...
1 week ago
$200K - $240K *
Join a team that's driving innovation in mechanical engineering and program management. Leverage your expertise to lead projects from concept to production, ensuring quality and efficiency while colla...
4 weeks ago
$94K - $157K *
Unlock your potential as a Senior Software Developer, designing and integrating critical applications for national security. Collaborate cross-functionally while leveraging your expertise in software...
4 days ago
$130K - $155K *
Lead the modernization of HPC infrastructure, enhancing simulation-driven product development and optimizing engineering productivity across diverse environments and accounts...
2 weeks ago
$122K - $183K *
Transform the aerospace certification landscape by leading process development, ensuring compliance with DO-178C standards, and collaborating with cross-functional teams to deliver high-quality softwa...
1 week ago
Senior Manager Software Engineering
$128K - $252K *
Lead the charge in building and managing high-performing software engineering teams. Drive innovation, optimize processes, and deliver high-quality applications while fostering a culture of excellence...
4 weeks ago
$110K - $130K *
Innovate and implement robust disaster recovery solutions for enterprise DevOps, ensuring critical infrastructure recoverability. Oversee Jenkins, Bitbucket, and JFrog Artifactory environments while e...
2 weeks ago
Principal Cloud Operations Manager
$165K - $248K *
Lead enterprise-scale operations for cloud services, ensuring performance and customer satisfaction. Drive a multidisciplinary team, manage service transitions, and leverage data-driven metrics to enh...
Reposted 3 weeks ago
Senior Software Engineer, Platform & Developer Experience
$135K - $160K *
Shape the future of engineering productivity by architecting tools and patterns that eliminate friction in development workflows, enhance performance, and mentor teams to elevate their technical skill...
4 weeks ago
Lead Data Platform Engineer (Manager / Architect)
$140K - $190K *
Drive the unification of diverse analytics applications by providing technical leadership and hands-on engineering expertise. Collaborate with teams to design scalable solutions, mentor engineers, and...
1 week 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.