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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$138K - $186K *

Unlock your potential as a principal technical leader for enterprise Unix and Linux platforms, driving architecture, automation, and lifecycle management to deliver resilient infrastructure for critic...

United StatesRemote

4 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Pharmaceuticals & Biotech

$150K - $180K *

Transform cloud infrastructure by leading strategy, team development, and automation. Drive security, reliability, and cost management while collaborating across functions to enhance operational excel...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Healthcare

$104K - $166K *

Unlock your potential as you build and enhance a cutting-edge data platform, driving innovation in federal background investigations. Collaborate in a high-trust, remote environment while ensuring dat...

United StatesRemote

Yesterday

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Aerospace & Defense

$125K - $135K *

Lead the technology strategy for a dynamic software development team, overseeing modernization efforts and AI integration across multiple product lines. Foster innovation, accountability, and continuo...

Georgia, USRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Aerospace & Defense

$165K - $185K *

Grow your career with us by leading complex electrical power solutions projects. Collaborate with diverse teams to deliver innovative solutions for mission-critical facilities, ensuring projects meet...

United StatesRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Technical Services

$110K - $130K *

Lead the charge in innovative mechanical design for large-scale power plants, driving projects from concept to completion. Collaborate with a dynamic team to enhance energy solutions and ensure projec...

RemoteRemote

4 days ago

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

$105K - $202K *

Create innovative AI-powered healthcare products by transforming complex workflows into intuitive applications. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver impactful user experiences and own fe...

United StatesRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Healthcare

$212K - $339K *

Shape the future of AI infrastructure by architecting secure, scalable platforms for LLM training and production. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to solve complex challenges and drive innovati...

RemoteRemote

Reposted 1 week ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$135K - $160K *

Lead the charge in transforming data accessibility for product teams and AI agents. Oversee a team of data engineers to build a robust platform that ensures secure, reliable data usage across the orga...

United StatesRemote

6 days ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Energy & Utilities

$168K - $285K *

Elevate the future of software planning by leading a team that integrates human and AI collaboration. Shape product direction, connect work to business priorities, and drive strategic decisions in a d...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$92K - $130K *

Empower communities by leading diverse municipal projects, managing budgets, and fostering client relationships. Collaborate with teams to innovate solutions that enhance infrastructure across Maine a...

South Portland, MERemote

Today

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Business Services

$150K - $180K *

Transform AI infrastructure by designing and maintaining production-grade systems across multiple cloud providers. Engage in hands-on architecture decisions, ensuring reliability, security, and automa...

United StatesRemote

5 days ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$95K - $115K *

Shape the future of financial operations by owning and modernizing financial systems, automating processes, and collaborating with engineering to streamline integrations for enhanced efficiency and re...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 6 days ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$90K - $110K *

Drive seamless client implementations by managing complex, multi-service projects. Collaborate with internal teams and stakeholders to ensure successful delivery and exceptional client experiences thr...

CanadaRemote

4 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Staffing

$105K - $150K *

Elevate the future of high-voltage systems by leading design and delivery of protection and control solutions for substations, mentoring junior engineers, and ensuring compliance with industry standar...

North Olmsted, OHRemote

1 week ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$179K - $254K *

Join a team that's driving the future of mobility and IoT! Oversee product lifecycles, collaborate with executives, and navigate complex networks to align cutting-edge solutions with customer needs an...

RemoteRemote

Reposted 1 week ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Telecommunications & Hardware

$110K - $130K *

Design implementation-ready technical solutions by engaging clients, analyzing requirements, and ensuring alignment with architecture standards. Collaborate with teams to drive projects from discovery...

United StatesRemote

Yesterday

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$280K - $300K *

Pioneer innovative AI solutions in workforce management, leading product development from concept to deployment. Collaborate with engineers and executives to create impactful agentic products that enh...

United StatesRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$199K - $210K *

Unlock potential by joining a dynamic team to design and develop scalable AI solutions. Collaborate across disciplines to transform complex challenges into impactful products, driving innovation and e...

United StatesRemote

4 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Consumer Technology

$168K - $177K *

Join us to build scalable AI-powered solutions that transform grocery technology. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver impactful products while navigating complex challenges in a dynamic...

CanadaRemote

4 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Consumer Technology

$214K - $309K *

Optimize our Kubernetes platform as you lead initiatives that enhance reliability and scalability across cloud and on-premises settings. Collaborate with teams to achieve critical goals while mentorin...

San Francisco, CARemote

Reposted 3 weeks ago

  •   11 - 15 years exp.  •   Telecommunications & Hardware

$225K - $265K *

Unlock your potential as a technical leader, driving innovative solutions in Web Application Firewall integration. Collaborate across teams to enhance security and deliver impactful customer outcomes...

United StatesRemote

4 days ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$130K - $160K *

Join a team that's driving innovative launch campaigns, managing complex schedules, and enhancing internal processes. This role requires a proactive leader to oversee launch operations and foster rela...

Seattle, WARemote

4 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Aerospace & Defense

$170K - $220K *

Champion transportation optimization by leading strategic initiatives that enhance service, cost efficiency, and network performance across global operations. Drive innovation in operating models and...

RemoteRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   11 - 15 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$103K - $181K *

Join us to lead high-impact programs and projects, driving strategic initiatives and enhancing performance through data analysis and cross-functional collaboration. Your expertise will guide teams and...

United StatesRemote

Today

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

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.