What does a principal electrical engineer do?
A principal electrical engineer is responsible for overseeing the development of electrical systems and projects. Because of their expertise, they have the responsibility to spearhead electrical projects from planning to execution, set goals and budgets, establish guidelines, develop test structures, and create strategies to optimize operations. They must also respond to issues and concerns, resolving them promptly and efficiently. Furthermore, as a principal electrical engineer, it is essential to manage staff while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Principal electrical engineer responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real principal electrical engineer resumes:
- Identify, develop and implement action items to manage & improve software releases and develop guidelines in JavaScript coding.
- Own the design and integration of a number of internal VHDL library base IP into the FPGA chip.
- Design high speed pulse processing analog front end and FPGA digital processing electronics for use in a space flight application.
- Modify existing converter layout replacing analog controller with DSP.
- Design various custom PC boards to communicate via I2C, SPI, RS232, RS485.
- Clone-Proof a high-volume fpga-base design with hand-code VHDL SHA-1 encryption algorithm.
- Integrate the development version ARM7 base circuit/ASIC into production version circuit & PCB.
- Assist in several designs of ASICs with modules in VHDL for those designs.
- Translate product requirements into schematics, PCB layout, and IEC60601 3rd edition documentation.
- Provide expert support to the software development team in matters pertaining to the hardware and FPGA designs.
- Ensure that products meet agency (UL, FCC) standards and shepherd them through the approval process.
- Implement, test and verify firmware and software for FPGAs and embed processors in commercial and military avionics displays.
- Analyze the RF power requirements, RF propagation effects, and timing constraints associate with operating in a GSM cellular network.
- Perform voice recognition analysis using MatLab.
- Configure applications with WonderWare HMI software.
Principal electrical engineer skills and personality traits
We calculated that 19% of Principal Electrical Engineers are proficient in Electrical Engineering, RF, and Analog. They’re also known for soft skills such as Concentration, Initiative, and Speaking skills.
We break down the percentage of Principal Electrical Engineers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Electrical Engineering, 19%
Designed, scheduled, cost, and planned for the I&C/Electrical engineering discipline.
- RF, 8%
Evolved Digital Pre-Distortion RF amplifier technology with self-calibration feature.
- Analog, 6%
Task required project management, Intellectual Property analysis and transfer, and analog /digital circuit design and analysis.
- FPGA, 4%
Implemented, tested and debugged an FPGA which processes and formats video and manages system functions including BIT and AMLCD configuration.
- Design Reviews, 4%
Coordinated and led electrical circuit design reviews with engineering team.
- Mentor Graphics, 3%
Checked and corrected wiring diagramsconverted from Helix to Mentor Graphics by SATYAM for wire harness build by Labinal-Mexico.
Common skills that a principal electrical engineer uses to do their job include "electrical engineering," "rf," and "analog." You can find details on the most important principal electrical engineer responsibilities below.
Concentration. The most essential soft skill for a principal electrical engineer to carry out their responsibilities is concentration. This skill is important for the role because "electrical and electronics engineers design and develop complex electrical systems and electronic components and products." Additionally, a principal electrical engineer resume shows how their duties depend on concentration: "designed system monitor systems using abb plc's and including data concentration and climatecontrols. "
Initiative. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling principal electrical engineer duties is initiative. The role rewards competence in this skill because "electrical and electronics engineers must apply their knowledge to new tasks in every project they undertake." According to a principal electrical engineer resume, here's how principal electrical engineers can utilize initiative in their job responsibilities: "develop technology documentation for design and certification of new product development initiatives. "
Speaking skills. This is an important skill for principal electrical engineers to perform their duties. For an example of how principal electrical engineer responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "electrical and electronics engineers work closely with other engineers and technicians." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a principal electrical engineer: "generated and presented internal and customer design reviews and status reports in addition to other project related documents. ".
Writing skills. principal electrical engineer responsibilities often require "writing skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "electrical and electronics engineers develop technical publications related to equipment they develop, including maintenance manuals, operation manuals, parts lists, product proposals, and design methods documents." This resume example shows what principal electrical engineers do with writing skills on a typical day: "involved extensively writing electrical system specifications for equipment procurement for fpso's, semi-submersibles, and drilling control systems. "
Math skills. Another crucial skill for a principal electrical engineer to carry out their responsibilities is "math skills." A big part of what principal electrical engineers relies on this skill, since "electrical and electronics engineers must use the principles of calculus and other advanced math in order to analyze, design, and troubleshoot equipment." How this skill relates to principal electrical engineer duties can be seen in an example from a principal electrical engineer resume snippet: "designed antenna matching network and automated its component selection using a mathcad script. "
The three companies that hire the most principal electrical engineers are:
- Raytheon Technologies91 principal electrical engineers jobs
- AVANGRID57 principal electrical engineers jobs
- Northrop Grumman51 principal electrical engineers jobs
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Compare different principal electrical engineers
Principal electrical engineer vs. System design engineer
A system design engineer is an individual who participates in system design engineering and resolves manufacturing and service problems. System design engineers are required to collaborate with the system design team to research emerging technologies and develop new capabilities. They create design layouts by utilizing the use of CAD software such as AutoCad as well as supervise a group of CAD technicians. System design engineers must also provide customer service in the field and deliver individualized problem solving and system design support
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a principal electrical engineer are more likely to require skills like "electrical engineering," "electrical design," "product development," and "vhdl." On the other hand, a job as a system design engineer requires skills like "architecture," "matlab," "c++," and "mechanical systems." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
System design engineers tend to make the most money working in the automotive industry, where they earn an average salary of $116,222. In contrast, principal electrical engineers make the biggest average salary, $119,245, in the technology industry.The education levels that system design engineers earn slightly differ from principal electrical engineers. In particular, system design engineers are 4.0% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a principal electrical engineer. Additionally, they're 1.8% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Principal electrical engineer vs. 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. They should also be well-versed in different construction or industrial materials, and they ensure that appropriate materials are used for the project. They also ensure that the projects meet the requirements of the groups that hired them. They create spaces that would both address the needs of the end-users and the industry standards. They also ensure that the projects they make would stand the test of time.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that principal electrical engineer responsibilities requires skills like "electrical engineering," "analog," "fpga," and "design reviews." But an engineer might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "python," "cloud," "c++," and "c #."
On average, engineers earn a lower salary than principal electrical engineers. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, engineers earn the most pay in the automotive industry with an average salary of $97,672. Whereas principal electrical engineers have higher pay in the technology industry, with an average salary of $119,245.engineers earn lower levels of education than principal electrical engineers in general. They're 7.1% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 1.8% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for principal electrical engineers in the next 3-5 years?
Andrea Welker Ph.D.
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, College of Engineering Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Villanova University
Principal electrical engineer vs. Senior staff engineer
A senior staff engineer is responsible for supervising a team of engineers, chemists, software developers, or molecular biologists. His/Her or her responsibilities include generating Structured Query Language (SQL) performance audit checklist template, creating SQL data query routines and functions for data extraction, and working directly with stakeholders. The job requires strong mechanical, listening, and mathematical skills and proficiency in Python programming language and computer architecture and hardware. The education requirements for the job include a bachelor's or master's degree in electrical engineering, business, mechanical engineering, or a related field.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from principal electrical engineer resumes include skills like "electrical engineering," "analog," "circuit design," and "electrical design," whereas a senior staff engineer is more likely to list skills in "python," "java," "c #," and "architecture. "
Senior staff engineers earn the highest salary when working in the telecommunication industry, where they receive an average salary of $136,458. Comparatively, principal electrical engineers have the highest earning potential in the technology industry, with an average salary of $119,245.Most senior staff engineers achieve a similar degree level compared to principal electrical engineers. For example, they're 0.1% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 1.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Principal electrical engineer vs. Senior engineer
A senior engineer is responsible for overseeing all operations within a designated area. With years of experience and expertise, a senior engineer may take charge of establishing goals, deadlines, and budgets for a particular project. They must devise and implement strategies that would improve the quality of workflow and deliver significant results. Furthermore, a senior manager must also supervise a team of skilled engineers, leading them in the joint effort to reach the company's vision and mission, all while adhering to the safety standards and regulations.
Types of principal electrical engineer
Updated January 8, 2025
