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Principal project engineer salary
Average principal project engineer salary
$122,090
Average Salary Insights for Principal Project Engineers
The average salary for a Principal Project Engineer in the United States stands at $122,090 annually, translating to approximately $59 per hour. This role is critical in various sectors, including construction, technology, and engineering. Salaries can fluctuate based on factors such as geographical location, years of experience, and the specific industry.
Salary Variations by State
Principal Project Engineers in states like California and Texas often see higher salaries compared to their counterparts in other regions. For instance, the highest-paying states include:
- California
- Texas
- New York
These locations not only offer competitive salaries but also a diverse range of job opportunities. Companies seek skilled engineers to manage projects efficiently, leading to potential career advancements and salary increases.
Exploring Career Opportunities
As a Principal Project Engineer, you may find the highest-paying positions in sectors such as technology and construction management. By understanding salary trends and job opportunities in various states, professionals can strategically navigate their career paths, ensuring growth and financial stability.
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Where can a Principal Project Engineer earn more?
Principal project engineer salary estimates from across the web
Average principal project engineer salary by state
The highest-paying states for principal project engineers are Texas, New Mexico, and South Carolina. The lowest average principal project engineer salary states are Idaho, South Dakota, and Washington.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for principal project engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | $154,780 | $74.41 |
| 2 | New Mexico | $139,545 | $67.09 |
| 3 | Virginia | $131,237 | $63.09 |
| 4 | North Carolina | $134,899 | $64.86 |
| 5 | South Carolina | $135,102 | $64.95 |
| 6 | Georgia | $126,217 | $60.68 |
| 7 | Alabama | $126,282 | $60.71 |
| 8 | Mississippi | $131,515 | $63.23 |
| 9 | New Jersey | $128,726 | $61.89 |
| 10 | District of Columbia | $128,562 | $61.81 |
| 11 | Delaware | $122,254 | $58.78 |
| 12 | California | $129,415 | $62.22 |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | $128,517 | $61.79 |
| 14 | Connecticut | $131,048 | $63.00 |
| 15 | Louisiana | $129,130 | $62.08 |
| 16 | Michigan | $115,383 | $55.47 |
| 17 | Ohio | $114,046 | $54.83 |
| 18 | Arizona | $120,505 | $57.94 |
| 19 | Massachusetts | $128,045 | $61.56 |
| 20 | New Hampshire | $111,537 | $53.62 |
| 21 | Indiana | $113,647 | $54.64 |
| 22 | New York | $123,841 | $59.54 |
| 23 | Tennessee | $113,049 | $54.35 |
| 24 | Maryland | $121,375 | $58.35 |
| 25 | Wisconsin | $109,703 | $52.74 |
| 26 | West Virginia | $115,485 | $55.52 |
| 27 | Arkansas | $109,973 | $52.87 |
| 28 | Oklahoma | $115,139 | $55.36 |
| 29 | Nevada | $107,694 | $51.78 |
| 30 | Colorado | $110,577 | $53.16 |
| 31 | Kansas | $107,168 | $51.52 |
| 32 | Wyoming | $110,629 | $53.19 |
| 33 | Kentucky | $109,923 | $52.85 |
| 34 | Rhode Island | $115,778 | $55.66 |
| 35 | Minnesota | $100,980 | $48.55 |
| 36 | Florida | $116,546 | $56.03 |
| 37 | Missouri | $104,394 | $50.19 |
| 38 | Nebraska | $98,508 | $47.36 |
| 39 | Oregon | $99,375 | $47.78 |
| 40 | Idaho | $92,941 | $44.68 |
| 41 | Illinois | $107,052 | $51.47 |
| 42 | Iowa | $102,869 | $49.46 |
| 43 | Maine | $101,540 | $48.82 |
| 44 | Hawaii | $114,526 | $55.06 |
| 45 | North Dakota | $86,725 | $41.69 |
| 46 | Utah | $94,630 | $45.50 |
| 47 | Washington | $86,848 | $41.75 |
| 48 | Montana | $84,864 | $40.80 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $89,133 | $42.85 |
| 50 | Vermont | $94,176 | $45.28 |
| 51 | Alaska | $45,342 | $21.80 |
Highest paying cities for principal project engineers
The highest-paying cities for principal project engineers are Houston, TX, Middletown, CT, and Santa Clara, CA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Houston, TX | $167,012 | $80.29 |
| 2 | Middletown, CT | $135,176 | $64.99 |
| 3 | Santa Clara, CA | $133,615 | $64.24 |
| 4 | Charlottesville, VA | $132,077 | $63.50 |
| 5 | Boston, MA | $131,707 | $63.32 |
| 6 | New York, NY | $127,512 | $61.30 |
| 7 | Pittsburgh, PA | $127,212 | $61.16 |
| 8 | Huntsville, AL | $126,548 | $60.84 |
| 9 | Tucson, AZ | $124,193 | $59.71 |
| 10 | Baltimore, MD | $123,702 | $59.47 |
| 11 | Colorado Springs, CO | $119,012 | $57.22 |
| 12 | Oklahoma City, OK | $118,109 | $56.78 |
| 13 | Middletown, OH | $117,530 | $56.50 |
| 14 | Indianapolis, IN | $117,470 | $56.48 |
| 15 | Melbourne, FL | $117,151 | $56.32 |
| 16 | Milwaukee, WI | $114,655 | $55.12 |
| 17 | Bloomington, IL | $112,026 | $53.86 |
| 18 | Saint Louis, MO | $107,657 | $51.76 |
| 19 | Cedar Rapids, IA | $105,990 | $50.96 |
| 20 | Bloomington, MN | $104,013 | $50.01 |
Principal project engineer salary details
A principal project engineer's salary ranges from $74,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $200,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a principal project engineer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $200,000 | $16,667 | $96 |
| 75th Percentile | $158,000 | $13,167 | $76 |
| Average | $122,090 | $10,174 | $59 |
| 25th Percentile | $94,000 | $7,833 | $45 |
| 10th Percentile | $74,000 | $6,167 | $36 |
Highest paying principal project engineer jobs
The highest paying types of principal project engineers are senior principal engineer, principal engineer, and team lead engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engineer | $92,076 | $7,673 | $44.27 | 618,207 |
| Staff Engineer | $107,530 | $8,961 | $51.70 | 277,011 |
| Lead Engineer | $84,927 | $7,077 | $40.83 | 301,777 |
| Process Improvement Engineer | $82,473 | $6,873 | $39.65 | 55,438 |
| Design Engineer | $77,134 | $6,428 | $37.08 | 138,173 |
| Team Lead Engineer | $114,867 | $9,572 | $55.22 | 235,155 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for principal project engineers, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Daisy Huang
Assistant Professor, University of Alaska Fairbanks
Top companies hiring principal project engineers now:
Which companies pay principal project engineers the most?
Principal project engineer salaries at Alphanumeric and DIRECTV Puerto Rico are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average principal project engineer salary at companies like Qualcomm and Hitachi U.S.A. are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alphanumeric | $168,027 | $80.78 |
| 2 | DIRECTV Puerto Rico | $164,597 | $79.13 |
| 3 | Qualcomm | $163,185 | $78.45 |
| 4 | Hitachi U.S.A. | $153,164 | $73.64 |
| 5 | CooperVision | $150,255 | $72.24 |
| 6 | Motion Recruitment | $149,414 | $71.83 |
| 7 | 3M Company | $149,125 | $71.69 |
| 8 | Honeywell | $146,882 | $70.62 |
| 9 | Monsanto | $146,665 | $70.51 |
| 10 | KBR | $146,324 | $70.35 |
| 11 | Randstad North America, Inc. | $146,260 | $70.32 |
| 12 | System Soft Technologies India Pvt | $145,127 | $69.77 |
| 13 | EMD Millipore | $145,115 | $69.77 |
| 14 | Framatome Technologies Inc | $145,098 | $69.76 |
| 15 | Broken Hill Proprietary | $145,098 | $69.76 |
| 16 | WorleyParsons | $144,439 | $69.44 |
| 17 | BNY Mellon | $144,218 | $69.34 |
| 18 | The Cooper Companies | $143,511 | $69.00 |
| 19 | Aerojet Rocketdyne | $141,761 | $68.15 |
| 20 | Elbit Systems of America | $141,068 | $67.82 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Principal Project Engineer salary by industry
The average principal project engineer salary varies across industries:
- The average principal project engineer salary in the finance industry is $142,390, the highest of any industry.
- The average principal project engineer salary in the finance industry is $140,137.
- Principal project engineers in the technology industry earn an average salary of $102,280, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for principal project engineers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Finance | $142,390 | $68.46 |
| 2 | Energy | $140,137 | $67.37 |
| 3 | Health Care | $136,128 | $65.45 |
| 4 | Pharmaceutical | $135,875 | $65.32 |
| 5 | Construction | $130,635 | $62.81 |
| 6 | Professional | $120,124 | $57.75 |
| 7 | Manufacturing | $118,841 | $57.14 |
| 8 | Technology | $102,280 | $49.17 |
High paying principal project engineer jobs
Principal project engineer salary trends
The average principal project engineer salary has risen by $16,073 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average principal project engineer earned $106,017 annually, but today, they earn $122,090 a year. That works out to a 6% change in pay for principal project engineers over the last decade.
Compare principal project engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average principal project engineer salary over time
Compare principal project engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Principal project engineer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $122,000 | $58.70 | +1.0% |
| 2024 | $121,000 | $58.08 | +1.1% |
| 2023 | $119,000 | $57.44 | +1.3% |
| 2022 | $118,000 | $56.67 | +1.8% |
| 2021 | $116,000 | $55.64 | +1.0% |
Recently added principal project engineer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Electric Power | Project Engineer Senior or Principal | Columbus, OH | 06/29/2025 | $96,110 |
| Northrop Grumman | Project Management/Principal Project Management | Oklahoma City, OK | 06/28/2025 | $74,600 |
| Northrop Grumman | Principal Operations Project Management | Baltimore, MD | 06/28/2025 | $105,400 |
| Amazon | Principal PMT-Private Pricing, Project Kuiper | Bellevue, WA | 06/25/2025 | $161,900 |
| Northrop Grumman | Project Management/Principal Project Management | San Diego, CA | 06/25/2025 | $91,200 |
| Aspen Technology | Principal Project Engineer | Medina, MN | 06/20/2025 | $127,000 |
| Parsons | Principal Project Engineer-Transportation Engineer | San Diego, CA | 06/20/2025 | $108,700 |
| Parsons | Principal Project Engineer | Kansas City, KS | 06/20/2025 | $120,800 |
| Northrop Grumman | SDS Principal Project Management | Roy, UT | 06/19/2025 | $78,700 |
| Northrop Grumman | Principal Project Management 3 (Active Ts/Sci Required) | Gilbert, AZ | 06/18/2025 | $78,700 |
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