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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$96K - $148K *

Join a team that's enhancing mission-critical IT services by managing and supporting UNIX/Linux systems in a dynamic environment. Leverage your expertise to implement improvements and ensure robust cy...

Roanoke, VARemote

6 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$110K - $130K *

Join a team that's dedicated to enhancing operational efficiency and driving strategic initiatives. This role focuses on program coordination, process improvement, and project tracking within a global...

Los Angeles, CARemote

3 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Business Services

$120K - $145K *

Optimize site acquisition strategies for data center projects, leading evaluations and negotiations to secure land and power infrastructure. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure feasibili...

Houston, TXRemote

4 days ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Energy & Utilities

$116K - $170K *

Join a dynamic team to drive the planning and execution of PLC updates, ensuring seamless operations across automated warehouse sites while coordinating with cross-functional partners and enhancing de...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 4 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$115K - $194K *

Lead the technical strategy for strategic partnerships, transforming partner needs into integrations and influencing product design. Collaborate with R&D to evaluate AI models and enhance GitLab's off...

RemoteRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$110K - $130K *

Transform frontline manager development by leading strategic programs that enhance coaching, deal inspection, and pipeline management. Collaborate cross-functionally to drive consistent team performan...

United StatesRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$110K - $130K *

Drive project success by leading multiple initiatives from inception to completion, ensuring clear objectives and deliverables while collaborating with stakeholders to achieve performance goals and ma...

Salem, ORRemote

Reposted 2 days ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$120K - $145K *

Lead the charge in optimizing high-performance storage systems for GPU clusters. You'll design, deploy, and maintain robust storage infrastructure to ensure seamless AI workloads, while swiftly troubl...

Texas, USRemote

Reposted 5 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$107K - $204K *

Transform cost engineering by leading modeling and benchmarking efforts, driving transparency in supplier negotiations across diverse products. Collaborate with teams to develop innovative cost soluti...

RemoteRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Aerospace & Defense

$116K - $210K *

Manage a dynamic team to design and oversee high voltage transmission projects, ensuring compliance with standards. Collaborate across project teams while mentoring staff, managing client relations, a...

Chicago, ILRemote

Reposted yesterday

  •   11 - 15 years exp.  •   Technical Services

$127K - $143K *

Drive innovative mechanical designs for district energy and low-carbon thermal systems. Collaborate with a multidisciplinary team, manage projects independently, and build strong client relationships...

Burlington, ONRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Technical Services

$132K - $198K *

Elevate quality assurance practices by leading test strategy and execution for customer implementations. Collaborate with teams to enhance product quality, mitigate risks, and establish scalable testi...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Consumer Technology

$150K - $180K *

Shape the future of product management by leading complex engagements, defining vision, and ensuring seamless collaboration across teams to deliver exceptional results and drive product success...

United StatesRemote

4 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$100K - $170K *

Transform the future of correctional facility design by managing electrical engineering standards and ensuring compliance with federal guidelines. Lead technical reviews, oversee construction, and pro...

United StatesRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$95K - $115K *

Inspire growth by leading land development projects, managing teams, and collaborating with clients to ensure successful outcomes while navigating regulatory standards and enhancing operational effici...

Virginia, USRemote

6 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Real Estate & Construction

$160K - $175K *

Pioneer secure, scalable backend solutions as a Senior Developer, integrating AI capabilities within AWS GovCloud. Collaborate across teams to enhance enterprise applications and ensure robust securit...

Arlington, VARemote

2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$125K - $135K *

Lead the charge in developing and managing enterprise proposals and plans, ensuring compliance and quality across submissions. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance win strategies and dri...

United StatesRemote

4 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$135K - $238K *

Elevate customer experiences by designing and developing cutting-edge AI-driven bot applications. Collaborate with teams to deliver innovative solutions, manage strategic projects, and leverage advanc...

RemoteRemote

Today

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$135K - $178K *

Unlock your potential by leading innovative AI-driven bot solutions, enhancing customer experiences through advanced digital applications. Collaborate with teams to design, develop, and deliver cuttin...

Ontario, CARemote

3 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$150K - $180K *

Champion innovative design solutions as a Principal Product Designer, leading UX strategy and AI experiences for a complex platform. Drive workflow transformation and mentor talent while shaping the f...

United StatesRemote

5 days ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Consumer Technology

$120K - $150K *

Unlock potential by leading software engineering initiatives, mentoring junior engineers, and driving improvements in development processes. Collaborate with stakeholders to deliver impactful solution...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$74K - $130K *

Join a dynamic team to oversee project administration and correspondence management, ensuring effective communication and compliance. Support project policies and enhance documentation workflows to dr...

United StatesRemote

4 weeks ago

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

$95K - $115K *

Transform healthcare IT by providing expert support for endpoint and device systems. Engage in hands-on engineering, configuration, and troubleshooting to ensure operational readiness for the IHS EHR...

Washington, DCRemote

4 days ago

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

$124K - $241K *

Join a visionary team to architect cloud networking solutions, drive innovation in DPU and NIC technologies, and collaborate with global experts to redefine data center architecture from hardware to a...

RemoteRemote

Reposted 1 week ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$120K - $145K *

Transform aircraft certification processes by leveraging your expertise in FAA and military standards. Collaborate with stakeholders to ensure compliance and safety for military commercial derivative...

Dayton, OHRemote

3 days ago

  •   11 - 15 years exp.  •   Aerospace & Defense

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.