How to hire a principal test engineer

How to hire a principal test engineer, step by step

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

What does a principal test engineer do?

Post a principal test engineer job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the principal test engineer you need to hire. Certain principal test engineer roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   A principal test engineer's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, principal test 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.

   Here's a comparison of principal test engineer salaries for various roles:

   Type of Principal Test Engineer	Description	Hourly rate
   Principal Test Engineer		$40-76
   Quality Assurance Lead	A quality assurance lead, also known as QA Lead, is responsible for conducting necessary quality tests and analyses for software program and development. As a quality assurance lead, they must take the lead in ensuring quality during development by proactively performing critical evaluations, troubleshooting, and providing precise documentation... Show more	$34-59
   Quality Assurance	The primary role of quality assurance specialists is to inspect the quality system's implementation and perform quality assurance audits. They are responsible for monitoring and recording results from procedures and processes within manufacturing industries... Show more	$13-44

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Python
   • C++
   • Java
   • DOD
   • Test Procedures
   • Test Data
   • Test Equipment
   • Windows
   • Software Development
   • Test Results
   • Debugging
   • Unix
   • RF
   • Linux

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead text fixture design with emphasis on RF test signal conditioning and high-speed digital signaling.
   • Lead a group of 9 engineers responsible for technology development for handling electronic packages (computer CPU) during HVM.
   • Create FPGA and microprocessor designs.
   • Implement system customization through XML scripts.
   • Support the isolation and debugging of design relate field problems.
   • Design board level circuits to interface Power-PC microcontroller with FPGA.

   More principal test engineer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your principal test engineer job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A principal test engineer salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a principal test engineer in North Carolina may be lower than in California, and an entry-level principal test engineer usually earns less than a senior-level principal test engineer. Additionally, a principal test engineer with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average principal test engineer salary

   $116,493yearly

   $56.01 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level principal test engineer salary

   $84,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 20, 2026

   Average principal test engineer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$153,542	$74
   2	Oregon	$136,166	$65
   3	Washington	$135,994	$65
   4	Massachusetts	$111,227	$53
   5	New Jersey	$111,033	$53
   6	Utah	$110,708	$53
   7	Arizona	$108,373	$52
   8	Virginia	$105,066	$51
   9	Michigan	$102,270	$49
   10	Texas	$101,908	$49
   11	Georgia	$99,865	$48
   12	Colorado	$98,742	$47
   13	Maryland	$92,879	$45
   14	Indiana	$90,215	$43
   15	North Carolina	$88,352	$42
   16	Alabama	$83,696	$40

   Average principal test engineer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Microsoft	$164,227	$78.96	472
   2	Ampere	$155,486	$74.75
   3	F5	$153,260	$73.68	14
   4	Cadence Design Systems	$145,674	$70.04	49
   5	Amazon	$144,676	$69.56	664
   6	CyberCoders	$141,822	$68.18
   7	Broadcom	$138,798	$66.73	52
   8	Pluribus Networks	$137,950	$66.32
   9	DTCC	$135,657	$65.22	29
   10	Coghlin	$135,522	$65.15
   11	Cypress Semiconductor	$133,154	$64.02
   12	Edwards Lifesciences	$132,520	$63.71	66
   13	Hitachi Vantara	$132,271	$63.59	1
   14	FormFactor	$131,651	$63.29
   15	Dell	$128,919	$61.98	66
   16	Morse	$127,441	$61.27
   17	Randstad North America, Inc.	$127,135	$61.12	2
   18	FireEye	$126,985	$61.05
   19	LHP	$126,613	$60.87
   20	Western Digital	$126,218	$60.68	14

4. Writing a principal test engineer job description

   A job description for a principal test 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 test engineer job description:

   Principal test engineer job description example

   At Allegro we flex. Flex@Allegro is our approach to hybrid working that empowers managers and their team members to decide where and when work will be done. Ask what Flex@Allegro can mean for you.
   
   As a Principal Development Product/Test Engineer you will be a part of a development team for new high voltage gate driver products in our High Voltage Power Business Unit. You will be a key person in design, development, and implementation of test and characterization solutions for a given product. You will act as the central test resource as products move through the development cycle all the way into high volume production. You will be a key representative of test in an interdisciplinary team.
   Your responsibilities include:
   Design new methods to establish product performance and ensure testability Definition of test and validation plan to reach the target test coverage and test time Development, debugging, and documenting complex test software and hardware for ATELead in new design troubleshooting and providing recommendations to the rest of the team Analysis of test and characterization data, including statistical analysis Test program optimization and robustness studies Knowledge transfer to manufacturing engineering Results analysis during reliability studies
   
   Qualifications and requirements:
   Bachelor's degree in Electrical EngineeringMinimum of 8 years of related experience, ideally involving IC validation or test Deep knowledge of analog/digital circuit design Strong knowledge and experience with lab equipment Experience of software development, ideally C/C++
   An ideal candidate has good problem-solving skills, understands how individual tasks fit within large project and corporate goals. You can approach problems from alternative angles and bring original ideas. You must possess strong analytical skills and demonstrate good judgement.
   Why you will enjoy this job:
   This position is a great fit for individuals who enjoy variety in their daily activities. Your responsibilities will have a direct impact on products and technology at Allegro. Our product ownership model allows you to become an expert in each product of a continuously evolving product line. You will enjoy the autonomy of managing your daily activities and resulting responsibility for alignment with project goals. Lastly, at the end of each development cycle you will enjoy a sense of pride for being a part of the team releasing an innovative and valuable product to the global market.
   
   #LI-MR1
   
   At Allegro, we are committed to providing a harassment-free environment of mutual respect to fuel innovation through inclusive thought collaboration. Allegro is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental disability, national origin, veteran status, parental status, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. Allegro makes hiring decisions based solely on qualifications, merit, and business needs at the time.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find principal test engineers for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any principal test engineers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level principal test engineers with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your principal test engineer job on Zippia to find and attract quality principal test engineer candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as dice, engineering.com, stack overflow, it job pro.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit principal test 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 to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   Sometimes, it's not enough to interview principal test engineer candidates, so you can ask them to do a test project. If you are not a technical person and don't know what a test project should be, you can use these websites:

   • TestDome
   • CodeSignal
   • Testlify
   • BarRaiser
   • Coderbyte

   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 test engineer

   Once you've decided on a perfect principal test engineer candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new principal test 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.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

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