Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
What is a principal mechanical engineer and how to become one
Engineering is a broad discipline. There seems to be an engineering discipline related to almost everything around us. There are chemical engineering, civil engineering, industrial engineering, electronics engineering, and communications engineering, to name a few. One specialty in engineering that seems to be broad in itself is mechanical engineering. To put it simply, it is engineering related to machines - anything with mechanical components. In a project, it is important that mechanical engineers are well-trained. One person responsible for the mechanical engineers in a given project is the principal mechanical engineer.
Principal mechanical engineers oversee the whole project. They also manage the personnel involved in the project. They ensure that principles of mechanical engineering are properly applied in everything done on the site. In addition, they also ensure that plans are clearly laid out and followed by the people. As an added task, they also ensure that rules and regulations set by the company, the partners, and even the government are followed.
If you have an interest in working on mechanical projects, such as designing, building, and testing, this is a job for you. Of course, you need to have leadership skills as well.
What general advice would you give to a principal mechanical engineer?
Andrea Welker Ph.D.
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, College of Engineering Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Villanova University
Avg. Salary $102,451
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 2%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.11%
Asian 15.67%
Black or African American 3.17%
Hispanic or Latino 8.28%
Unknown 4.54%
White 68.23%
Genderfemale 5.62%
male 94.38%
Age - 39American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 39Stress level is high
7.1 - high
Complexity level is advanced
7 - challenging
Work life balance is fair
6.4 - fair
Principal mechanical engineer career paths
Key steps to become a principal mechanical engineer
Explore principal mechanical engineer education requirements
Start to develop specific principal mechanical engineer skills
Skills Percentages Mechanical Engineering 13.44% CAD 8.97% Mechanical Design 5.58% Creo 5.30% DOD 5.25% Complete relevant principal mechanical engineer training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New principal mechanical engineers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a principal mechanical engineer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real principal mechanical engineer resumes.Research principal mechanical engineer duties and responsibilities
- Used SolidWorks to design implantable leads, anchors, introductory devices and other accessories.
- Manage and drive continuous improvement programs (CIP) of RF plasma ion immersion implanting equipment for the semiconductor industry.
- Provide mechanical design and sustaining engineering expertise to troubleshoot manufacturing defect trends and achieve a more robust and producible product.
- Used Matlab to compare results and gather data.
Get principal mechanical engineer experience
Generally, it takes 4-6 years to become a principal mechanical engineer. The most common roles before becoming a principal mechanical engineer include senior mechanical engineer, mechanical engineer team lead and mechanical design engineer.Prepare your principal mechanical engineer resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your principal mechanical engineer resume.
You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a principal mechanical engineer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Choose from 10+ customizable principal mechanical engineer resume templates
Build a professional principal mechanical engineer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your principal mechanical engineer resume.
Apply for principal mechanical engineer jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a principal mechanical engineer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How did you land your first principal mechanical engineer job
Are you a principal mechanical engineer?
Share your story for a free salary report.
Average principal mechanical engineer salary
The average principal mechanical engineer salary in the United States is $102,451 per year or $49 per hour. Principal mechanical engineer salaries range between $78,000 and $133,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do principal mechanical engineers rate their job?
Principal mechanical engineer reviews
It can gurantee you a good salary and if you are creative you can do many things.
you have to be creative.
very little
The diversity of tasks, interaction with all stakeholders, continuous learning process, communication. Allows great progression in many technical skills
Updated January 8, 2025
