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Principal Application Engineer Jobs in California

TETRAMEM INC

Senior Application Engineer

San Jose, CA

$120K - $180K/yr

About this Role We are seeking a Principal Application Engineer to drive deployment and integration of our ultra-low-power edge inference SoC within the U.S. Defense Industrial Base (DIB), including ...

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Showing results 21-40

All JobsPrincipal Application Engineer JobsPrincipal Application Engineer Jobs in California

Principal Application Engineer information

See California salary details

$49.8K

$109.2K

$150K

How much do principal application engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 9, 2026, the average yearly pay for principal application engineer in California is $109,249.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $82,900.00 and $133,200.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the difference between Principal Application Engineer vs Application Engineer?

AspectPrincipal Application EngineerApplication Engineer
CredentialsBachelor's or Master's in Engineering, often with specialized certificationsBachelor's degree in Engineering or related field
Work EnvironmentLead technical projects, mentor teams, and develop strategic solutionsImplement and support applications, troubleshoot issues, and assist clients
Industry UsageUsed in tech, manufacturing, and software companies for senior technical rolesCommon in software, hardware, and engineering firms for entry to mid-level roles

The Principal Application Engineer typically holds a senior, strategic role with leadership responsibilities, while the Application Engineer focuses on technical support and implementation. Both roles require strong engineering credentials, but the Principal position involves more oversight and project management.

What does a principal application engineer do?

A principal application engineer leads the design, development, and implementation of complex software applications, often providing technical guidance to teams. They analyze customer requirements, develop solutions, and ensure the performance and scalability of applications, typically using programming languages and development tools. This role requires strong technical expertise, problem-solving skills, and often involves mentoring junior engineers.
What are popular job titles related to Principal Application Engineer jobs in California? For Principal Application Engineer jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Principal Application Engineer jobs in California look for? The top searched job categories for Principal Application Engineer jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for Principal Application Engineer jobs? Cities in California with the most Principal Application Engineer job openings:
Principal Application Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Principal Application Engineer job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 76% Full Time, 18% Part Time, and 6% Contract. Highlights an 92% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 6% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $109,249 per year, or $52.5 per hour.

Senior Principal Application Engineer - Physical Systems

Cadence Design Systems, Inc.

San Jose, CA • On-site

$99K - $185K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Retirement, PTO

Posted 20 days ago

Cadence Design Systems rating

9.0

Company rating: 9.0 out of 10

Based on 5 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

33rd of 242 rated software companies

Job description

At Cadence, we hire and develop leaders and innovators who want to make an impact on the world of technology.
Application Engineer - Presales of CAE Simulation software with focus on multi-physics. Skillset required for products like Nastran, Dytran, Odyssee, FTI/Simufact or similar competitor solutions
  • Partner directly with sales teams to drive technical strategy throughout the sales cycle, translating complex customer engineering challenges into simulation-driven solutions that enable both a technical win and a business win.
  • Leverage strong mechanical engineering fundamentals (solid mechanics, fluid dynamics, heat transfer, materials science, and dynamics) to engage with customer design and analysis teams across industries such as automotive, aerospace, defense, and heavy equipment.
  • Engage early with customers to understand product design and validation workflows, for multi-Body Dynamics including structural analysis (linear/nonlinear FEA, fatigue, durability, crash, NVH) and CFD applications (aerodynamics, thermal management, conjugate heat transfer, multiphase flow) and align simulation solutions to their development processes.
  • Apply expertise in engineering design and simulation of complex systems-including vehicle structures, aircraft components, satellite assemblies, and general mechanical structures-to position CAE tools as a core enabler of digital product development and design optimization.
  • Own the technical sales lifecycle, from requirements discovery through validation, ensuring alignment between customer product design challenges and the capabilities of CAE tools, solver technologies, and simulation workflows.
  • Deliver high-impact technical presentations and demonstrations that reflect real-world engineering scenarios, such as structural integrity validation, lightweighting, thermal management, and aerodynamic performance, demonstrating solver accuracy, robustness, and workflow efficiency.
  • Develop and execute advanced proof-of-concept (PoC) studies using customer-specific CAD geometry, material properties, boundary conditions, and load cases to validate simulation accuracy and demonstrate measurable engineering outcomes (e.g., weight reduction, improved stiffness, reduced drag, thermal efficiency).
  • Architect end-to-end CAE solution workflows including geometry preparation, meshing strategies, solver setup, Multiphysics coupling, optimization, and post-processing-aligned with customer infrastructure (on-prem HPC, cloud, GPU acceleration).
  • Provide technical leadership in deal strategy, positioning differentiators based on deep understanding of numerical methods, solver formulations, meshing techniques, and engineering accuracy requirements.
  • Support RFIs/RFPs with highly technical responses, including simulation methodologies, verification & validation (V&V) approaches, correlation to physical testing, benchmarking data, and system architecture designs.
  • Build trusted advisor relationships with customer engineering teams, providing guidance on best practices in simulation-driven design.
  • Lead technical objection handling, addressing challenges related to solver fidelity, scalability, model complexity, numerical stability, and integration into CAD/PLM and digital engineering ecosystems.
  • Conduct competitive technical benchmarking, comparing solver performance, accuracy, scalability, and workflow automation to clearly position advantages in real-world engineering applications.
  • Collaborate with product management and R&D teams, communicating industry-specific needs such as electrification, lightweighting, advanced materials (e.g., composites), space applications, and digital twin initiatives.
  • Enable internal sales teams and partners through training on simulation fundamentals, application workflows, and technical value messaging tailored to mechanical engineering audiences.
  • Develop reusable technical assets, including validated models, application notes, and industry-specific demonstration cases.
  • Support pre-sales deployment readiness, ensuring proposed solutions align with customer IT, HPC environments, and engineering workflows prior to purchase.
  • Troubleshoot technical issues during evaluations and PoCs, including mesh generation, solver convergence, nonlinear instabilities, and performance tuning to ensure successful outcomes.
  • Drive revenue growth through technical excellence, increasing win rates by demonstrating how simulation accelerates design cycles, reduces physical testing, and improves product performance.
  • Travel as required (up-to 30% of the time) to support customer engagements, technical workshops, and onsite evaluations across domestic and international locations.

The annual salary range for Massachusetts is $99,750 to $185,250. You may also be eligible to receive incentive compensation: bonus, equity, and benefits. Sales positions generally offer a competitive On Target Earnings (OTE) incentive compensation structure. Please note that the salary range is a guideline and compensation may vary based on factors such as qualifications, skill level, competencies and work location. Our benefits programs include: paid vacation and paid holidays, 401(k) plan with employer match, employee stock purchase plan, a variety of medical, dental and vision plan options, and more.
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