How to hire a principal project engineer

How to hire a principal project engineer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step principal project 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 project engineer job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new principal project engineer
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a principal project engineer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your principal project engineer job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a principal project engineer for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

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   A principal project engineer's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, principal project engineers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list presents principal project engineer salaries for various positions.

   Type of Principal Project Engineer	Description	Hourly rate
   Principal Project Engineer	Industrial engineers find ways to eliminate wastefulness in production processes. They devise efficient systems that integrate workers, machines, materials, information, and energy to make a product or provide a service.	$35-96
   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:

   • Project Management
   • Program Management
   • DOD
   • Risk Management
   • Project Scope
   • Earned Value Management
   • Engineering Projects
   • SharePoint
   • IPT
   • Product Development
   • PET
   • Technical Support
   • Engineering Design
   • Capital Projects

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead a team of contracts management, engineering and marketing to secure multi-million dollar contracts from DoD and commercial customers.
   • Manage multiple crews for installation, implementation and service of RF and telecommunications systems throughout Florida.
   • Construct thread-safe, share memory libraries for concurrent data capture in Java and C++.
   • Used a variety of debugging tools to trace and debug multithreading applications on both development and production stage.
   • Design $2.5 million dollar class 8 clean room including 3 clean room manufacturing areas, gown room and QA office.
   • Integrate PCoIP infrastructure in DC and deploy thin clients in office as a security and cost saving replacement for Linux workstations.

   More principal project engineer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your principal project engineer job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A principal project engineer salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, principal project engineers' average salary in alaska is 71% less than in texas.
   • Seniority. Entry-level principal project engineers earn 63% less than senior-level principal project engineers.
   • Certifications. A principal project engineer with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a principal project engineer's salary.

   Average principal project engineer salary

   $122,090yearly

   $58.70 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level principal project engineer salary

   $74,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

   Average principal project engineer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Texas	$167,012	$80
   2	Connecticut	$135,176	$65
   3	California	$133,615	$64
   4	Virginia	$132,077	$64
   5	Massachusetts	$131,707	$63
   6	New York	$127,512	$61
   7	Pennsylvania	$127,212	$61
   8	Alabama	$126,548	$61
   9	Arizona	$124,193	$60
   10	Maryland	$123,702	$59
   11	Colorado	$119,012	$57
   12	Oklahoma	$118,109	$57
   13	Ohio	$117,530	$57
   14	Indiana	$117,470	$56
   15	Florida	$117,151	$56
   16	Wisconsin	$114,655	$55
   17	Illinois	$112,026	$54
   18	Missouri	$107,657	$52
   19	Iowa	$105,990	$51
   20	Minnesota	$104,013	$50

   Average principal project engineer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Alphanumeric	$168,027	$80.78
   2	DIRECTV Puerto Rico	$164,597	$79.13
   3	Qualcomm	$163,185	$78.45	18
   4	Hitachi U.S.A.	$153,164	$73.64	36
   5	CooperVision	$150,255	$72.24	1
   6	Motion Recruitment	$149,414	$71.83	3
   7	3M Company	$149,125	$71.69	64
   8	Honeywell	$146,882	$70.62	95
   9	Monsanto	$146,665	$70.51
   10	KBR	$146,324	$70.35	17
   11	Randstad North America, Inc.	$146,260	$70.32
   12	System Soft Technologies India Pvt	$145,127	$69.77	1
   13	EMD Millipore	$145,115	$69.77
   14	Framatome Technologies Inc	$145,098	$69.76	15
   15	Broken Hill Proprietary	$145,098	$69.76
   16	WorleyParsons	$144,439	$69.44	8
   17	BNY Mellon	$144,218	$69.34	3
   18	The Cooper Companies	$143,511	$69.00	7
   19	Aerojet Rocketdyne	$141,761	$68.15
   20	Elbit Systems of America	$141,068	$67.82	2

4. Writing a principal project engineer job description

   A job description for a principal project engineer role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a principal project engineer job description:

   Principal project engineer job description example

   With general autonomy, this position has bottom-line responsibility for the financial and technical success of very large projects. Responsible for managing all phases of project planning and execution on major (Mega) projects (typically a major project or group of projects having a total installed cost of over $500 million) in accordance with the established policies, procedures, systems, and requirements approved by the company. Supervises project personnel through subordinate leaders and is the liaison with the owner on all project matters. Possesses knowledge of the respective industry including Petrochemicals, Refining, Chemicals, LNG, Energy Transition etc. ranging in scope from pre-FEED, FEED to EPCM. Can manage and coordinate domestic as well as international multiple projects, alliances, joint ventures, etc. May supervise one or more Project Managers. Can also direct the proposal effort for these multi-faceted projects. The job role is independently accountable for a large staff or support arm of the organization.
   Job Qualifications
   
   Undergraduate degree in Engineering degree preferred. A minimum of fifteen (15) years related experience, with an average experience of 20+ years. Excellent verbal and written communication skills and ability to function within a project team Will comply with all KBR and site safety policies and procedures
   
   BENEFITS
   
   KBR offers a selection of competitive lifestyle benefits which could include a 401K plan with company match, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, AD&D, flexible spending account, disability, paid time off, or flexible work schedule. We support career advancement through professional training and development.
   
   INCLUSION AND DIVERSITY AT KBR
   
   At KBR, we are passionate about our people, sustainability, and our Zero Harm culture. These inform all that we do and are at the heart of our commitment to and ongoing journey toward being a more inclusive and diverse company. That commitment is central to our team of team's philosophy and fosters an environment of real collaboration across cultures and locations. Our individual differences and perspectives bring enhanced value to our teams and help us develop solutions for the most challenging problems. We understand that by embracing those differences and working together, we are more innovative, more resilient, and safer. We Deliver - Together.
   
   In compliance with the U.S. federal government's vaccine mandate, only candidates who are fully vaccinated for COVID-19 or have a reasonable accommodation or approved medical exception will be considered for this position.
   
   KBR is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, veteran status, genetic information, union status and/or beliefs, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

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5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find principal project engineers for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit principal project engineers, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   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 project engineer

   Once you've selected the best principal project engineer candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new principal project engineer. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

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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How much does it cost to hire a principal project engineer?