How To Become A Principal Systems Engineer: What It Is and Career Path

What is a principal systems engineer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted experts

Dr. Ariful Azad Ph.D.,

Christian Hansen Ph.D.

Principal systems engineers can work in various fields, from manufacturing to product development and even software. Their job is to create systems that enable the business's smooth performance from product creation to final delivery.

Principal systems engineers may study existing systems to understand their functions and implement upgrades as needed. They may also design and test systems for new business processes. Principal systems engineers usually have a team of other engineers under them. They coordinate their activities, supervise work, and create work plans.

As a principal systems engineer, you may report to the business' operations manager or CEO. Your other responsibilities may include maintaining your department's operating budget and meeting with clients.

To become a principal systems engineer, you need an advanced degree in computer engineering or other specializations. You'll also need some years of experience to qualify for the role.

What general advice would you give to a principal systems engineer?

Dr. Ariful Azad Ph.D.

Director of Graduate Studies for the Dept. of Intelligent Systems Engineering, Assistant Professor of Intelligent Systems Engineering, Indiana University Bloomington

Look for a job that you would enjoy doing, even if it takes some time to find such a position. Internships are great to explore various options.

ScorePrincipal Systems EngineerUS Average

Salary

8.5

Avg. Salary $133,208

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

5.7

Growth rate 5%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.6

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.31%

Asian 12.76%

Black or African American 8.35%

Hispanic or Latino 12.05%

Unknown 5.04%

White 61.49%

Gender

female 10.28%

male 89.72%

Age - 42

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 42

Stress level

5.7

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.4

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

7.1

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a principal systems engineer

Explore principal systems engineer education requirements

Most common principal systems engineer degrees

Bachelor's

66.2 %

Master's

21.9 %

Associate

6.7 %

Start to develop specific principal systems engineer skills

Skills	Percentages
Systems Engineering	10.25%
DOD	7.54%
C++	5.07%
RF	4.94%
System Design	4.78%

Complete relevant principal systems engineer training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New principal systems 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 systems engineer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real principal systems engineer resumes.

Research principal systems engineer duties and responsibilities

Manage creation and deletion of user accounts in the department using Perl scripts.
Achieve compatibility requirements by partnering with LTE team to perform APCO P25 - LTE device functional and performance testing.
Develop and integrate software that drives flight control system hardware and achieves product requirements for an international avionics customer base.
Create verification test plans for TCP/IP network systems and storage area networks (SAN) incorporating Linux and Cisco network equipment.

Get principal systems engineer experience

Generally, it takes 1-2 years to become a principal systems engineer. The most common roles before becoming a principal systems engineer include senior systems engineer, systems engineer team lead and senior software engineer.

Prepare your principal systems engineer resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your principal systems 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 systems engineer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

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