What is a Principal Engineer?

A principal engineer is a professional who oversees other engineers in different departments and contributes to multiple projects at one time, while a senior engineer is someone who often manages just one project or department.

A staff engineer is the lowest position of an engineer at a company, while a principal engineer is part of the engineering leadership at a company.

Staff engineers design, build, and test structures, products, systems, services, or equipment, depending on their area of specialty. They are employed in a variety of industries and mainly specialize in civil, mechanical, industrial, or electrical engineering.

No, you do not need a Ph.D. to be a principal engineer. To be eligible for a principal engineering position requires a bachelor's degree, certification, and over ten years of field experience.

It takes about 15 to 20 years to become a principal engineer. That includes the time that it takes to earn an engineering degree, as well as the ten to 15 years of work experience needed for the position. Senior engineers and principal engineers are among the highest-ranking engineers in terms of seniority.

It takes between 12 to 20 years to become a principal engineer at Google. The time it takes largely comes down to your educational background and previous work experience.

A principal engineer at Google is considered a level 8 position. An entry-level engineer starts at level 3 or level 4.

Principal engineers make an average of $105,903 a year. However, there is a good deal of variability in how much a principal engineer can make, ranging from as low as $87,000 a year to as high as $146,000 a year. Factors such as location and industry impact how much a principal engineer can make.

Yes, "principal" is higher than "senior" for engineers. A principal engineer is paid more, and it takes longer to achieve compared to a senior role. Other differences include the scope of responsibilities specific to each position.