Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Principal engineer salary
Average principal engineer salary
$130,213
Understanding Principal Engineer Salaries
As of October 2025, the average salary for a Principal Engineer is $130,213 per year, translating to about $63 per hour. Salaries can differ significantly based on several factors, including geographic location, industry, and level of experience.
Average Salary by Experience Level
Entry-level positions typically start lower, while senior roles can command much higher salaries. For example, those with over ten years of experience often see substantial increases in compensation.
Top-Paying States
States such as California, New York, and Texas offer some of the highest salaries for Principal Engineers, reflecting the demand for engineering expertise in tech hubs. Understanding these variations can help job seekers make informed career decisions.
Job Opportunities
Numerous companies are in search of Principal Engineers, particularly in sectors like technology and manufacturing. Browse job listings to find opportunities that match your skills and career goals.
Let Zippi find your next principal engineer job
Let Zippi find your next principal engineer job
Where can a Principal Engineer earn more?
Principal engineer salaries by experience level
Principal engineer salary estimates from across the web
Average principal engineer salary by state
The average principal engineer salary in California, Washington, and New Mexico are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average principal engineer salary states are Iowa, Montana, and Kansas.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for principal engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $150,913 | $72.55 |
| 2 | Washington | $134,651 | $64.74 |
| 3 | Arizona | $128,540 | $61.80 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $130,183 | $62.59 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $138,193 | $66.44 |
| 6 | Oregon | $127,305 | $61.20 |
| 7 | New Mexico | $130,312 | $62.65 |
| 8 | Idaho | $122,609 | $58.95 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | $122,845 | $59.06 |
| 10 | Texas | $124,463 | $59.84 |
| 11 | Nevada | $127,752 | $61.42 |
| 12 | Delaware | $123,881 | $59.56 |
| 13 | Maryland | $125,595 | $60.38 |
| 14 | Louisiana | $129,188 | $62.11 |
| 15 | Rhode Island | $120,745 | $58.05 |
| 16 | Maine | $123,349 | $59.30 |
| 17 | New Jersey | $120,957 | $58.15 |
| 18 | West Virginia | $120,110 | $57.75 |
| 19 | Virginia | $116,745 | $56.13 |
| 20 | Connecticut | $117,063 | $56.28 |
| 21 | Michigan | $111,581 | $53.64 |
| 22 | Pennsylvania | $111,182 | $53.45 |
| 23 | Tennessee | $113,844 | $54.73 |
| 24 | Florida | $111,430 | $53.57 |
| 25 | Hawaii | $124,765 | $59.98 |
| 26 | Utah | $104,292 | $50.14 |
| 27 | Colorado | $109,170 | $52.49 |
| 28 | Illinois | $108,620 | $52.22 |
| 29 | Georgia | $110,040 | $52.90 |
| 30 | Alaska | $114,852 | $55.22 |
| 31 | Vermont | $106,444 | $51.17 |
| 32 | New York | $110,793 | $53.27 |
| 33 | Alabama | $101,770 | $48.93 |
| 34 | South Carolina | $107,252 | $51.56 |
| 35 | North Dakota | $104,531 | $50.26 |
| 36 | Minnesota | $102,027 | $49.05 |
| 37 | South Dakota | $105,618 | $50.78 |
| 38 | North Carolina | $101,052 | $48.58 |
| 39 | Ohio | $100,660 | $48.39 |
| 40 | Oklahoma | $104,537 | $50.26 |
| 41 | Kentucky | $100,470 | $48.30 |
| 42 | Arkansas | $98,660 | $47.43 |
| 43 | Montana | $95,860 | $46.09 |
| 44 | Missouri | $101,208 | $48.66 |
| 45 | Indiana | $97,362 | $46.81 |
| 46 | Nebraska | $99,062 | $47.63 |
| 47 | Kansas | $95,451 | $45.89 |
| 48 | Wisconsin | $92,196 | $44.33 |
| 49 | Iowa | $95,934 | $46.12 |
| 50 | Wyoming | $90,004 | $43.27 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $95,152 | $45.75 |
Highest paying cities for principal engineers
The highest-paying cities for principal engineers are San Mateo, CA, Washington, DC, and Seattle, WA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Mateo, CA | $157,181 | $75.57 |
| 2 | Washington, DC | $138,189 | $66.44 |
| 3 | Seattle, WA | $135,775 | $65.28 |
| 4 | Boston, MA | $130,277 | $62.63 |
| 5 | Phoenix, AZ | $128,815 | $61.93 |
| 6 | Portland, OR | $127,123 | $61.12 |
| 7 | San Antonio, TX | $126,077 | $60.61 |
| 8 | Portland, ME | $123,943 | $59.59 |
| 9 | Washington, MI | $112,330 | $54.00 |
| 10 | Philadelphia, PA | $111,835 | $53.77 |
| 11 | Orlando, FL | $111,446 | $53.58 |
| 12 | New York, NY | $110,946 | $53.34 |
| 13 | Atlanta, GA | $109,641 | $52.71 |
| 14 | Englewood, CO | $109,246 | $52.52 |
| 15 | Chicago, IL | $109,235 | $52.52 |
| 16 | Raleigh, NC | $102,145 | $49.11 |
| 17 | Eden Prairie, MN | $102,071 | $49.07 |
| 18 | Columbus, OH | $99,563 | $47.87 |
| 19 | Indianapolis, IN | $96,677 | $46.48 |
| 20 | Milwaukee, WI | $92,543 | $44.49 |
Principal Engineers are the most in-demand in these five cities:
Principal engineer salary details
A principal engineer's salary ranges from $95,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $177,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a principal engineer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $177,000 | $14,750 | $85 |
| 75th Percentile | $153,000 | $12,750 | $74 |
| Average | $130,213 | $10,851 | $63 |
| 25th Percentile | $110,000 | $9,167 | $53 |
| 10th Percentile | $95,000 | $7,917 | $46 |
Highest paying principal engineer jobs
The highest paying types of principal engineers are senior staff engineer, principal software engineer, and principal systems engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Lead Engineer | $114,867 | $9,572 | $55.22 | 235,155 |
| Lead Design Engineer | $108,490 | $9,041 | $52.16 | 118,073 |
| Consulting Engineer | $97,746 | $8,145 | $46.99 | 125,600 |
| Engineer | $92,076 | $7,673 | $44.27 | 618,207 |
| Staff Engineer | $107,530 | $8,961 | $51.70 | 277,011 |
| Integration Engineer | $99,674 | $8,306 | $47.92 | 103,437 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for principal engineers, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Michael Rudisill
Department Head and Professor of Engineering Technology, Northern Michigan University
Top companies hiring principal engineers now:
Which companies pay principal engineers the most?
Principal engineer salaries at Grubhub and Google are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average principal engineer salary at companies like eBay and ICE Mortgage Technology are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grubhub | $175,868 | $84.55 |
| 2 | $174,934 | $84.10 | |
| 3 | eBay | $173,285 | $83.31 |
| 4 | ICE Mortgage Technology | $170,857 | $82.14 |
| 5 | CrowdStrike | $170,753 | $82.09 |
| 6 | Stitch Fix | $170,612 | $82.03 |
| 7 | Zendesk | $168,910 | $81.21 |
| 8 | $168,051 | $80.79 | |
| 9 | PayPal | $166,656 | $80.12 |
| 10 | Crackle | $166,257 | $79.93 |
| 11 | Nike | $165,637 | $79.63 |
| 12 | $165,556 | $79.59 | |
| 13 | Medallia | $165,332 | $79.49 |
| 14 | Hearst | $164,614 | $79.14 |
| 15 | RichRelevance | $164,170 | $78.93 |
| 16 | Atlassian | $163,457 | $78.59 |
| 17 | Zenefits | $162,821 | $78.28 |
| 18 | Automation Anywhere | $162,168 | $77.97 |
| 19 | Rivian | $162,058 | $77.91 |
| 20 | Integral Ad Science | $162,032 | $77.90 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Principal Engineer salary by industry
The average principal engineer salary varies across industries:
- The average principal engineer salary in the telecommunication industry is $125,415, the highest of any industry.
- The average principal engineer salary in the finance industry is $121,268.
- Principal engineers in the manufacturing industry earn an average salary of $112,841, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for principal engineers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Telecommunication | $125,415 | $60.30 |
| 2 | Professional | $121,268 | $58.30 |
| 3 | Technology | $120,810 | $58.08 |
| 4 | Manufacturing | $112,841 | $54.25 |
High paying principal engineer jobs
Principal engineer salary trends
The average principal engineer salary has risen by $15,785 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average principal engineer earned $114,428 annually, but today, they earn $130,213 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for principal engineers over the last decade.
Compare principal engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average principal engineer salary over time
Compare principal engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Principal engineer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $130,000 | $62.60 | +1.9% |
| 2024 | $128,000 | $61.40 | +1.2% |
| 2023 | $126,000 | $60.67 | +1.7% |
| 2022 | $124,000 | $59.63 | +2.0% |
| 2021 | $122,000 | $58.46 | +0.7% |
Recently added principal engineer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exact Sciences | Principal Engineer, Artificial Intelligence | Boston, MA | 06/30/2025 | $152,000 |
| Exelixis | Associate Principal Engineer-AI | Alameda, CA | 06/30/2025 | $174,000 |
| WEX | Principal Ai/Ml Engineer | Ione, CA | 06/30/2025 | $203,000 |
| Early Warning | Principal Engineer | Scottsdale, AZ | 06/30/2025 | $190,000 |
| Jeppesen | Principal Fatigue & Fracture Engineer | Berkeley, MO | 06/30/2025 | $166,600 |
| Blue Origin | Principal IMU Engineer | Seattle, WA | 06/30/2025 | $177,857 |
| Esimplicity | Principal Engineer | Columbia, MD | 06/30/2025 | $120,000 |
| Ntrs | Principal, Cloud Engineer | Chicago, IL | 06/30/2025 | $137,400 |
| Abbvie | Principal Devsecops Engineer (Remote) | Tampa, FL | 06/29/2025 | $121,000 |
| Abbvie | Principal Devsecops Engineer (Remote) | Austin, TX | 06/29/2025 | $121,000 |
Principal engineer salary FAQs
Search for principal engineer jobs