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Principal Electrical Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Principal Electrical Engineer

Concord, NH · On-site

$114K - $211K/yr

Principal Electrical Engineer Requisition ID: 1772 Position Location: Fairfax, VA / Concord, NH Position Reports To: Senior Manager, Electrical Engineering Supervises Others: No At Trident Systems ...

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Principal Electrical Engineer The Principal Electrical Engineer defines and leads the overall electrical system architecture for complex consumer electronics product lines. This role drives system ...

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Principal Electrical Engineer

Round Lake, IL

$133K - $163K/yr

The Principal Electrical Engineer is an exciting role in supporting hardware design activities within our research and development team. Primary focus of the role will be to provide electrical ...

The Principal Electrical Engineer will serve as a technical authority, project leader, and mentor, ensuring the successful delivery of innovative, code-compliant, and cost-effective solutions. This ...

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Principal Electrical Engineer

Irvine, CA · On-site

$149K - $182K/yr

Principal Electrical Engineer Irvine, CA (Onsite) Position Summary Thales is looking for a Principal Electrical Engineer to serve as the recognized technical authority for the hardware design ...

Principal Electrical Engineer

Fairfax, VA · On-site

$114K - $211K/yr

Principal Electrical Engineer Requisition ID: 1772 Position Location: Fairfax, VA / Concord, NH Position Reports To: Senior Manager, Electrical Engineering Supervises Others: No At Trident Systems ...

Apply Early

The Principal Electrical Engineer will serve as a technical authority, project leader, and mentor, ensuring the successful delivery of innovative, code-compliant, and cost-effective solutions. This ...

Apply Early

The Principal Electrical Engineer will serve as a technical authority, project leader, and mentor, ensuring the successful delivery of innovative, code-compliant, and cost-effective solutions. This ...

Apply Early

Principal Electrical Engineer

Colonial Heights, VA · On-site

$135K - $166K/yr

Principal Electrical Engineer Location: Colonial Heights, VA, United States Overview The Principal Electrical Engineer is responsible for troubleshooting and improving electrical and instrumentation ...

The Principal Electrical Engineer will serve as a technical authority, project leader, and mentor, ensuring the successful delivery of innovative, code-compliant, and cost-effective solutions. This ...

Apply Early

Principal Electrical Engineer

Addison, TX · On-site

$134K - $164K/yr

Principal Electrical Engineer- Location: Addison, TX-onsite work only Fulltime Position Summary: We are seeking a skilled and motivated Electrical Engineer to join our engineering team in the ...

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Principal Electrical Engineer

Colonial Heights, VA · On-site

$135K - $166K/yr

Principal Electrical Engineer Location: Colonial Heights, VA, United States Overview The Principal Electrical Engineer is responsible for troubleshooting and improving electrical and instrumentation ...

The Principal Electrical Engineer will serve as a technical authority, project leader, and mentor, ensuring the successful delivery of innovative, code-compliant, and cost-effective solutions. This ...

Apply Early

Principal Electrical Engineer

Irvine, CA · On-site

$148K - $181K/yr

Principal Electrical Engineer Irvine, CA (Onsite) Position Summary Thales is looking for a Principal Electrical Engineer to serve as the recognized technical authority for the hardware design ...

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Showing results 1-20

Principal Electrical Engineer information

See salary details

$98.5K

$154.8K

$205K

How much do principal electrical engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 4, 2026, the average yearly pay for principal electrical engineer in the United States is $154,823.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $139,000.00 and $170,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are Principal Electrical Engineers?

Principal Electrical Engineers are senior-level professionals who lead the design, development, and implementation of electrical systems and projects. They are responsible for overseeing teams of engineers, ensuring technical excellence, and providing strategic direction on complex engineering tasks. Their work often includes managing project schedules, budgets, and client communications, as well as mentoring junior engineers and ensuring compliance with industry standards and safety regulations.

What engineers make $200,000 a year?

Principal Electrical Engineers and other senior engineering roles in specialized fields such as software, aerospace, or petroleum engineering can earn $200,000 or more annually, especially with extensive experience, advanced certifications, and working in high-demand industries or locations. Compensation often includes bonuses, stock options, or other incentives for senior-level positions.

How does a Principal Electrical Engineer typically collaborate with cross-functional teams during large-scale projects?

As a Principal Electrical Engineer, you will frequently work with multidisciplinary teams including mechanical, civil, and software engineers, as well as project managers and clients. Your role often involves leading technical discussions, providing guidance on electrical design solutions, and ensuring that electrical systems integrate seamlessly with other engineering disciplines. Effective communication and coordination are key, as you may also mentor junior engineers and facilitate design reviews to align project goals. This collaborative environment fosters innovation and ensures that complex projects are delivered efficiently and safely.

What engineers make $500,000?

Principal Electrical Engineers in specialized industries such as aerospace, oil and gas, or high-level consulting can earn $500,000 or more annually, especially with extensive experience, advanced certifications, and leadership responsibilities. Compensation often includes bonuses, stock options, or profit sharing, reflecting the seniority and complexity of the role.

What engineers make $300,000 a year?

Principal Electrical Engineers and other senior engineering roles in specialized fields such as aerospace, software, or petroleum engineering can earn $300,000 or more annually, especially with extensive experience, advanced certifications, and leadership responsibilities. High compensation often reflects expertise, management duties, and working in high-demand industries or companies.

Can you make $500,000 as an electrical engineer?

Principal electrical engineers in high-level roles, especially in industries like aerospace, energy, or technology, can earn salaries approaching or exceeding $500,000 with bonuses and stock options. However, such compensation is typically reserved for senior positions with extensive experience, advanced skills, and often in leadership or specialized technical roles. Most electrical engineers earn lower base salaries, with higher earnings possible through career advancement and additional compensation packages.

What Is a Principal Electrical Engineer?

A principal electrical engineer serves as a project manager for electrical-related building or construction projects. In this role, your job duties may include designing electrical devices, ensuring proper installation, inspecting completed electrical work, and providing work estimates. You may also supervise a staff of junior engineers, overseeing their work, and ensure that the project is completed within the allotted timeframe and budget. Principal electrical engineers are often the liaison between the engineering team and upper management. You must create reports and communicate regular updates on the status of each project to ensure each stage is meeting deadline expectations.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Principal Electrical Engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Principal Electrical Engineer, you need advanced expertise in electrical engineering principles, project management, and typically a bachelor's or master's degree in electrical engineering with a Professional Engineer (PE) license. Mastery of design software (such as AutoCAD and MATLAB), familiarity with industry standards (like IEEE), and experience with simulation and analysis tools are essential. Strong leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills enable effective team management and cross-functional collaboration. These skills ensure successful project delivery, innovation, and compliance with regulatory and safety standards in complex engineering environments.

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

AspectPrincipal Electrical EngineerElectrical Engineer
Required CredentialsBachelor's degree in electrical engineering; often advanced certifications or extensive experienceBachelor's degree in electrical engineering; entry to mid-level certifications
Work EnvironmentDesign, oversee projects, lead teams in industries like manufacturing, power, or electronicsDesign, develop, test electrical systems, often under supervision
Employer & Industry UsageUsed in large corporations, consulting firms, and project leadership rolesCommon in engineering firms, manufacturing, and construction projects

The Principal Electrical Engineer typically holds more experience, leadership responsibilities, and advanced certifications compared to an Electrical Engineer. They focus on project oversight, strategic planning, and team leadership, while Electrical Engineers are more involved in technical design and development tasks.

What cities are hiring for Principal Electrical Engineer jobs? Cities with the most Principal Electrical Engineer job openings:
What are the most commonly searched types of Principal Electrical Engineer jobs? The most popular types of Principal Electrical Engineer jobs are:
Who are the top companies hiring for Principal Electrical Engineer jobs? The top employers for Principal Electrical Engineer jobs are:
What states have the most Principal Electrical Engineer jobs? States with the most job openings for Principal Electrical Engineer jobs include:
Infographic showing various Principal Electrical Engineer job openings in the United States as of June 2026, with employment types broken down into 97% Full Time, and 3% Part Time. Highlights an 93% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 5% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $154,823 per year, or $74.4 per hour.
Principal Electrical Engineer

Principal Electrical Engineer

Trident Systems LLC

Concord, NH • On-site

$114K - $211K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 14 days ago

Be an early applicant


Job description

Position Title: Principal Electrical Engineer
Requisition ID: 1772
Position Location: Fairfax, VA / Concord, NH
Position Reports To: Senior Manager, Electrical Engineering
Supervises Others: No

At Trident Systems Space Electronic Systems (SES) division, we believe in the power of using strong engineering principles to drive innovation and solve complex problems. We foster a culture of rigorous engineering and continuous improvement, leveraging the full knowledge of our organization through collaborative product development processes that include design and peer reviews. We combine our expertise in space electronics with right-sized development processes to create innovative, high-performance space-based electronic systems that meet our customers' evolving needs.

We are a mission partner supporting DoD, Intelligence Community, and Civil space customers. We develop complex, radiation effects mitigated, designs that balance competing requirements in modern space programs, delivering cutting-edge solutions that enable our customers to achieve more in space.

Position Summary

The Principal Electrical Engineer serves as a senior technical leader within Trident Systems’ Space Electronic Systems (SES) division, responsible for architecting, developing, and guiding advanced embedded hardware solutions for space and defense applications. This role provides deep subject matter expertise across the full hardware development lifecycle—from requirements definition through design, integration, test, and delivery—while ensuring designs meet stringent performance, reliability, and radiation-mitigation requirements. The Principal Hardware Engineer partners closely with cross-functional engineering teams, program leadership, and customers to solve complex technical challenges, support program execution and business development efforts, and shape the long-term technology roadmap for the organization.

Duties and Responsibilities

  • Manage engineering discipline personnel
  • Subject matter expert for embedded hardware engineering discipline
  • Lead embedded hardware development process: requirements specification, characterization, simulation, high-speed digital design, signal processing, schematic capture, PCB layout and routing, PCA testing, and system integration
  • Conduct peer reviews of design work and documentation
  • Provide technical guidance to discipline team, other engineering teams, PMO, EGD and VP
  • Support project execution as needed based on severity of resource demand and challenge of design
  • Cost Account Management
  • Support business development efforts
  • Represent Trident Systems Engineering with customer and vendor interface as a subject matter expert
  • Support ES technology roadmap by identifying goals for department and plans for execution
  • Ability to support travel or off-site work, as needed.
  • Perform other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering or related technical degree
  • 9+ years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree OR 7+ years with a Master’s degree
  • Experience with mixed-signal PCA development, utilizing High Density Interconnect (HDI) PCBs and high speed (> 1 GHz) components/circuits
  • Experience with FPGA and microprocessor development, including hardware descriptor languages (i.e. Verilog, VHDL)
  • Experience with hardware integration, test, and debug tools such as logic analyzers, scopes, emulators
  • Demonstrated experience implementing PCI, PCIe, cPCI, VME, or VPX standards (VITA 46, VITA 65)

Pay Information

Full-Time Salary Range: $114,000 - $211,000
Please Note: Actual compensation offered will be determined based on several factors including, but not limited to, relevant experience, skills, education, certifications, internal equity, business considerations, and geographic location where applicable.

Benefits

Hired applicants may be eligible for benefits including but not limited to:

  • Health benefits
    • Medical
    • Dental
    • Vision
    • Basic life with AD&D
    • Short-term disability
    • Long term disability
    • Ancillary (Voluntary life with AD&D, accident, critical illness, hospital, and pet)
    • Spending accounts (HSA, FSA, and DCFSA)
  • Paid time off
  • Holidays
  • 401(k) (including company match)
  • Tuition reimbursement
  • Leaves (Parental, maternity, and military)
  • Annual discretionary bonus (for eligible roles)

Trident Systems reserves the right to change or assign other duties to this position.

Trident Systems is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. To request reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact recruiting@tridsys.com.

Pay Transparency: The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)