How to hire a principal consulting engineer

How to hire a principal consulting engineer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step principal consulting engineer hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a principal consulting engineer job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new principal consulting engineer
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the principal consulting engineer you need to hire. Certain principal consulting engineer roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a principal consulting engineer to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a principal consulting engineer that fits the bill.

   This list presents principal consulting engineer salaries for various positions.

   Type of Principal Consulting Engineer	Description	Hourly rate
   Principal Consulting Engineer	Mechanical engineering is one of the broadest engineering disciplines. Mechanical engineers design, develop, build, and test mechanical and thermal sensors and devices, including tools, engines, and machines.	$43-74
   Engineer	Engineers are highly trained professionals who determine the feasibility of various projects, usually related to the construction industry. They are considered experts in mathematics and science, two disciplines that they need to use in designing and coming up with plans for projects... Show more	$31-62
   Staff Engineer	Staff engineers are responsible for designing, developing, and inspecting various products, equipment, or structures. These professionals may perform varied duties depending on their specialization that includes overseeing the design and construction of buildings, bridges, sewer systems, and other infrastructure, estimating the financial costs of construction projects, and ensuring compliance with health and safety laws and regulations... Show more	$33-80

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Java
   • Project Management
   • Infrastructure
   • SQL
   • Architecture
   • Business Development
   • Database
   • JavaScript
   • Network Design
   • HVAC
   • VPN
   • Autocad
   • Linux
   • XML

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Support DOD agency needs in accomplishing engineer technical and non-technical goals associate with wireless LAN technology products.
   • Develop all various product features sets and prioritization including SONET, IP, TCP/IP, QoS/MPLS and OSPF.
   • Used javascript under node.js to process files.
   • Conceive and develop the web GUI in JavaScript and HTML to display dB information.
   • Design server program for Linux base embedded system to control audio and industrial I/O through TCPsocket communications.
   • Perform systems analysis and architecture design of ATM analyzers.

   More principal consulting engineer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your principal consulting engineer job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A principal consulting engineer can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, principal consulting engineers' average salary in arkansas is 41% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level principal consulting engineers 41% less than senior-level principal consulting engineers.
   • Certifications. A principal consulting engineer with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a principal consulting engineer's salary.

   Average principal consulting engineer salary

   $118,866yearly

   $57.15 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level principal consulting engineer salary

   $91,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 20, 2026

   Average principal consulting engineer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$138,017	$66
   2	Nevada	$128,636	$62
   3	Washington	$125,330	$60
   4	District of Columbia	$121,073	$58
   5	New York	$119,827	$58
   6	Florida	$115,754	$56
   7	Massachusetts	$113,299	$54
   8	Texas	$113,141	$54
   9	Maryland	$112,836	$54
   10	Georgia	$110,419	$53
   11	Illinois	$110,120	$53
   12	Louisiana	$109,917	$53
   13	Arizona	$105,831	$51
   14	West Virginia	$102,952	$50
   15	Virginia	$102,078	$49
   16	Colorado	$100,671	$48
   17	Tennessee	$100,382	$48
   18	New Hampshire	$96,403	$46
   19	Oklahoma	$94,648	$46
   20	Utah	$93,185	$45

   Average principal consulting engineer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Palo Alto Networks	$143,799	$69.13	225
   2	Slalom	$133,863	$64.36	162
   3	Waters	$129,249	$62.14	16
   4	Autodesk	$128,310	$61.69	107
   5	ICONMA	$127,479	$61.29
   6	Nokia	$125,845	$60.50	15
   7	Optiv	$125,272	$60.23	28
   8	Alcatel Networks Inc	$125,272	$60.23
   9	EMA	$123,978	$59.60
   10	AT&T	$121,718	$58.52	68
   11	Bellsouth Telecommunications Inc	$120,461	$57.91
   12	TA Instruments	$119,731	$57.56	1
   13	TEKsystems	$118,080	$56.77	14
   14	Boehringer Ingelheim	$118,038	$56.75	21
   15	Elastic	$116,139	$55.84	2
   16	General Electric	$113,234	$54.44	74
   17	ERM	$113,227	$54.44	70
   18	FICO	$111,692	$53.70	3
   19	Enterprise Integration	$110,615	$53.18
   20	VIVA USA	$106,564	$51.23

4. Writing a principal consulting engineer job description

   A good principal consulting engineer job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a principal consulting engineer job description:

   Principal consulting engineer job description example

   Waters Corporation is currently seeking a Principal Consulting Embedded Software Engineer to join our organization. In this role, the individual will join a dynamic and collaborative environment, encouraging cross team development between Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Data Application departments. Specifically, the individual will join our R&D organization which develops our Chromatography Separations based Technologies.
   
   The instrumentation being developed and maintained involves many electro-mechanical sub-systems which provide an exciting opportunity for learning system dynamics and integration of the different technologies.
   
   + Candidate will be responsible for architecture and designs, software implementations based on those designs, documentation and maintenance of complex, embedded and networked real-time analytical instrumentation systems.
   
   + This individual should have a C++ background, have strong fundamental skills with respect to object oriented programming, experience in working with instrumentation and control along with background in automation via scripting.
   
   + A strong familiarity with a structured software development environment is necessary, and the candidate must be highly motivated and self disciplined. Strong analytical and troubleshooting skills are required.
   
   + Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Physics or equivalent combination of education and relevant work experience.
   + 15+ years working within this technical field as a software engineer.
   
   + Applicant should have the skill to self-manage with good independence and results oriented.
   
   + Applicant should have the ability to take on software design, architecture and implementation responsibilities using the C/C++ language.
   
   + Good oral and written communication skills.
   
   + Additionally desirable: familiarity with good laboratory practice related to testing, test data collection, documentation and presentation, interpretation of wiring diagrams / schematics. Some additional desirable items are the use of electronic test equipment such as oscilloscopes, experience with MathWorks MatLab and Simulink.
   
   Waters Corporation (NYSE: WAT), the world's leading specialty measurement company, has pioneered chromatography, mass spectrometry and thermal analysis innovations serving the life, materials, and food sciences for more than 60 years. With more than 7,000 employees worldwide, Waters operates directly in 35 countries, including 15 manufacturing facilities, with products available in more than 100 countries. Our team focuses on creating business advantages for laboratory-dependent organizations to enable significant advancement in healthcare delivery, environmental management, food safety, and water quality.
   
   Working at Waters enables our employees to unlock the potential of their careers. Our global team is driven by purpose. We strive to be better, learn and improve every day in everything we do. We're the problem solvers and innovators that aren't afraid to take risks to transform the world of human health and well-being. We're all in it together delivering benefit as one to provide the insights needed today in order to solve the challenges of tomorrow.
   
   Diversity and inclusion are fundamental to our core values at Waters Corporation. It is our responsibility to actively implement programs and practices to drive inclusive behavior and increase diversity across the organization. We are united by diversity and thrive on it for the benefit of our employees, our products, our customers and our community. Waters is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender identity or protected Veteran status.
   
   C++, object-oriented, embedded, real-time,
   
   #LI-HYBRID
   
   Company Name: Waters Division
   
   External Company URL: www.waters.com
   
   Street: 34 Maple Street
   
   Telecommute: Negotiable - Flexwise
   
   Key Words: C++, object-oriented, embedded, real-time,
   #LI-HYBRID

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find principal consulting engineers for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any principal consulting engineers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level principal consulting engineers with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your principal consulting engineer job on Zippia to find and recruit principal consulting engineer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit principal consulting engineers, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new principal consulting engineer

   Once you've found the principal consulting engineer candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new principal consulting engineer. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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