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.
$135K - $160K *
Inspire delivery excellence by leading a diverse portfolio of 20+ Scrum teams across regions. Align engineering outcomes with client priorities, enhance AI adoption, and drive measurable value through...
3 weeks ago
Senior Platform Engineer (FedD202)
$148K - $201K *
Empower application teams by integrating, securing, and deploying software in Kubernetes environments. Collaborate across platforms to enhance CI/CD processes and ensure reliable operations, driving i...
3 weeks ago
$140K - $220K *
Champion the evolution of scalable infrastructure in a multi-cloud environment, collaborating with engineering teams to enhance reliability and performance for AI-driven healthcare solutions...
4 days ago
Principal Product Manager, Product Development Platforms
$173K - $290K *
Champion innovation in product development platforms, driving strategy and execution for AI-first tools that enhance collaboration and efficiency across teams. Lead the evolution of platforms, ensurin...
2 weeks ago
$126K - $160K *
Drive impactful software solutions by collaborating with sales teams, leading demos, and managing technical inquiries. Leverage your expertise to enhance customer experiences and support enterprise tr...
1 week ago
$100K - $120K *
Grow your career with a dynamic role focused on coding, cloud resources, and database support. Lead automation projects, solve unique challenges daily, and collaborate with teams to deliver practical...
1 week ago
$91K - $114K *
Empower your career by joining a dynamic team as you manage project documentation, coordinate timelines, and drive innovative solutions while fostering a collaborative environment and mentoring others...
4 weeks ago
Principal Project Governance Leader
$122K - $196K *
Manage global PMO governance for a $150M Capex portfolio, ensuring strategic alignment and effective project delivery across regions. Drive consistency, accountability, and value realization while sup...
2 days ago
Community Engineer (SWE3), Brilliant Black Minds (United States)
$157K - $180K *
Join a team that's driving innovation by building AI-powered tools for a vibrant community of diverse software engineers. You'll blend hands-on engineering with community management to enhance technic...
2 weeks ago
Lead Technical Program Manager, ADM (Remote)
$118K - $180K *
Champion innovative product development by leading cross-functional teams to drive New Product Introductions in Advanced Deposition Materials, ensuring alignment with business goals and customer needs...
3 weeks ago
$122K - $136K *
Innovate cutting-edge optical systems by designing, developing, and testing advanced photonic technologies. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance system performance and ensure compliance...
5 days ago
$150K - $180K *
Engineer cutting-edge blockchain infrastructure for financial markets. Drive architecture, design proofs of concept, and ensure interoperability while collaborating with teams to meet institutional re...
3 weeks ago
$138K - $189K *
Champion audio innovation by developing and optimizing DSP software for embedded platforms, ensuring high-quality signal processing across diverse audio products while collaborating with cross-functio...
2 weeks ago
Senior Software Engineer II, Ads Data Solutions Engineering
$196K - $207K *
Design scalable data solutions, enhance off-platform integrations, and lead cross-team collaborations. Drive architecture modernization and AI-first initiatives while mentoring engineers and optimizin...
Reposted 3 weeks ago
Solutions Engineer - Cloud & DevOps
$90K - $145K *
Unlock your potential by designing CI/CD pipelines and automating processes. Collaborate with teams to enhance development efficiency while ensuring system compliance and security across AWS and Azure...
2 weeks ago
$140K - $165K *
Join a team that's redefining healthcare technology by owning the product roadmap, translating company goals into actionable tasks, and ensuring seamless delivery of AI-driven solutions that enhance p...
Today
$130K - $155K *
Elevate healthcare innovation by developing robust backend services and APIs for a cutting-edge robotic platform. Collaborate across teams to enhance user experiences and ensure compliance while drivi...
Yesterday
$230K - $285K *
Transform your career by leading engineering excellence for a cutting-edge CRM platform. Drive strategy, architecture, and team growth while ensuring quality and security in a collaborative environmen...
2 weeks ago
$120K - $145K *
Transform the insurance landscape by building LLM-powered features and workflows. Own the end-to-end development process, ensuring security and reliability while enhancing customer experiences through...
5 days ago
$120K - $160K *
Champion the design and implementation of scalable data pipelines, ensuring data integrity and availability. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to optimize data workflows and enhance infrastructu...
4 days ago
Lead Software Engineer (Mobile Native)
$120K - $170K *
Lead mobile development efforts, mentoring teams and driving architecture decisions. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver high-quality iOS and Android applications, ensuring alignment wi...
5 days ago
Program Manager, Master Electrician
$115K - $130K *
Transform the future of electrical systems by leading facility assessments, project management, and compliance initiatives. Leverage your expertise to enhance safety, reliability, and efficiency acros...
Today
Senior Software Engineer, Frontend
$145K - $195K *
Engage in developing high-performance frontend solutions for a pioneering CAD modeling app. Collaborate extensively with backend teams to create integral code-driven functionalities, ensuring a superi...
Reposted 2 weeks ago
VPP - Lead Field Project Engineer
$100K - $120K *
Take ownership of critical VPP projects; manage field operations, partner support, and technical training while leading a team of engineers to ensure top-tier service and product quality within the re...
Reposted 2 weeks ago
Principal Security Engineer - Information Security
$130K - $155K *
Join our team as a Principal Security Engineer, where you'll design and enhance security solutions, shape strategy, and lead initiatives to protect enterprise assets while mentoring junior engineers a...
2 weeks 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.