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Principal Electronics Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

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Principal Electronics Engineer information

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$74K

$147.2K

$212.5K

How much do principal electronics engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 18, 2026, the average yearly pay for principal electronics engineer in the United States is $147,220.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $118,500.00 and $173,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

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

AspectPrincipal Electronics EngineerElectronics Engineer
Required CredentialsBachelor's or Master's in Electronics Engineering, professional certifications often preferredBachelor's degree in Electronics or Electrical Engineering
Work EnvironmentDesign teams, R&D departments, project leadership rolesDesign, testing, and development in engineering teams
Employer & Industry UsageTech companies, aerospace, defense, manufacturingElectronics manufacturing, consumer electronics, telecommunications

The main difference is that a Principal Electronics Engineer typically holds a senior, leadership-oriented role with advanced expertise, overseeing projects and guiding teams, while an Electronics Engineer focuses on designing and developing electronic systems at a more technical level. Both roles require strong technical skills, but the Principal position involves more strategic responsibilities and experience.

More about Principal Electronics Engineer jobs
What cities are hiring for Principal Electronics Engineer jobs? Cities with the most Principal Electronics Engineer job openings:
What states have the most Principal Electronics Engineer jobs? States with the most job openings for Principal Electronics Engineer jobs include:
Infographic showing various Principal Electronics Engineer job openings in the United States as of June 2026, with employment types broken down into 92% Full Time, 7% Part Time, and 1% Contract. Highlights an 87% Physical, 5% Hybrid, and 8% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $147,220 per year, or $70.8 per hour.
Electronics Engineer/ Principal Electronics Engineer - Networking Engineer

Electronics Engineer/ Principal Electronics Engineer - Networking Engineer

Northrop Grumman Corporation

San Diego, CA • On-site

Full-time

Medical, Life, PTO

Posted 25 days ago


Northrop Grumman rating

8.1

Company rating: 8.1 out of 10

Based on 340 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

109th of 518 rated manufacturers


Job description

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be availableCLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: YesCLEARANCE TYPE: Top SecretTRAVEL: Yes, 25% of the TimeDescriptionAt Northrop Grumman, our employees have incredible opportunities to work on revolutionary systems that impact people's lives around the world today, and for generations to come. Our pioneering and inventive spirit has enabled us to be at the forefront of many technological advancements in our nation's history - from the first flight across the Atlantic Ocean, to stealth bombers, to landing on the moon. We look for people who have bold new ideas, courage and a pioneering spirit to join forces to invent the future, and have fun along the way. Our culture thrives on intellectual curiosity, cognitive diversity and bringing your whole self to work - and we have an insatiable drive to do what others think is impossible. Our employees are not only part of history, they're making history.

Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems is looking to add an Electronics Engineer/ Principal Electronics Engineer - Networking Engineer to join our team in Rancho Bernardo, Ca, The candidate should be a self-starter with familiarity working in an Integrated Product Team construct.

Roles and Responsibilities will include:

  • Design, implement, and support network infrastructure components (Routers/Switches/Firewalls).

  • Monitor and optimize network performance.

  • Develop and maintain network documentation, diagrams, and standards.

  • Troubleshoot and root cause analysis for complex network issues and support incidents response as needed.

  • Develop engineering and automated deployments for datacenter system configurations.

  • Collaborate with engineers to install, troubleshoot and redline documented procedures.

  • Work closely with Engineers and Technicians in a lab environment.

  • Provide support to software integration lab and for end-to-end communication. Including being responsible for making network changes to the system, enhancing and improving the network system and architecture, troubleshooting complex network issues and resolving the discovered bugs.

The selected candidate will be required to work full-time, on-site at our facility. There is NO remote / hybrid / telework available for this position. Travel up to 25% may be required.

Basic Qualifications

  • Electronics Engineer - Networking: Bachelor's Degree in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics) discipline and 2 years of related engineering experience; OR a Master's degree in a STEM discipline and 0 years of related engineering experience.

  • Principal Electronics Engineer - Networking: Bachelor's Degree in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics) discipline and 5 years of related engineering experience; OR a Master's degree in a STEM discipline and 3 years of related engineering experience; OR a PhD in a STEM discipline and 1 year of related engineering experience.

  • Must be able to obtain DoD 8140 approved IAT Level II (or higher) compliant certification. Examples include: CCNA Security, Security+CE and CISSP within a reasonable time upon hire as determined by the program.

  • Understanding of TCP/IP, IPv4 addressing and network design including IP subnetting, VLANs and routing protocols.

  • Understanding of network device configuration and troubleshooting.

  • Experience with Microsoft Office tools such as Visio, Power point.

  • Good understanding and knowledge of network security features like IP access-lists.

  • A U.S. Citizen with Active DoD Top Secret/SCI clearance OR active DoD Top Secret clearance with SCI eligibility (with a background investigation within the past 5 years or enrolled into Continuous Evaluation).

  • Ability to obtain and maintain initial Special Access Program (SAP) access via a Program Access Request (PAR). This SAP/PAR must be obtained prior to commencement of employment and must be obtained within a reasonable amount of time as determined by the company to meet its business needs

Note: SAP/PAR will be upgraded once selected candidate is in role. Therefore, candidate must also be able to obtain and maintain upgraded SAP/PAR.)

Preferred Qualifications

  • Current applicable Special Access Program (SAP) clearance.

  • Active DoD Top Secret SCI clearance (with a background investigation within the past 5 years or enrolled into Continuous Evaluation).

  • Active DoD 8140 approved IAT Level II (or higher) compliant certification. Examples include: CCNA Security, Security+CE and CISSP.

  • Professional certification specific to the networking industry such as CCNA or higher.

  • Experience with Cisco technologies like Nexus switches, ACI Fabrics, Catalyst switches.

  • Experience with data center architecture.

  • Understanding network automation scripting using Ansible, Python, Bash and Shell.

  • Knowledge of virtualization technologies like VMware and their associated networking solutions (e.g. NSX).

  • Understanding advanced features like GRE, IPSEC, DMVPN, MPLS, QoS, Multicast.

  • Experience with Cisco Unified Communications / VoIP.

  • Familiar with network management applications, like SolarWinds, SuzieQ, Splunk, and/or Cisco ISE.

  • Familiar with Windows, Linux, VMWare configuration and troubleshooting.

  • Experience with HAIPE/TACLANE encryptors and other military COMSEC/CRYPTO equipment and procedures.

  • Familiar with network emulator tools such as EVE-NG, GNS3, Cisco Modeling Lab (CML), Virtual Internet Routing Lab (VIRL).

  • Working knowledge of DISA security STIGs and maintaining security best practices.

  • Experience with tools like Jira, Bitbucket, Gitlab, GitHub.

  • Experience with Kubernetes and Container networking.

  • Familiar with Agile methodology.

  • Familiar with version control, GIT experience preferred.

  • Ability to author and maintain technical installation, configuration, and update documentation.

  • Excellent communication, interpersonal skills, and the ability to interface with all levels of employees and management.

Primary Level Salary Range: $91,800.00 - $137,600.00Secondary Level Salary Range: $114,000.00 - $171,000.00The above salary range represents a general guideline; however, Northrop Grumman considers a number of factors when determining base salary offers such as the scope and responsibilities of the position and the candidate's experience, education, skills and current market conditions.Depending on the position, employees may be eligible for overtime, shift differential, and a discretionary bonus in addition to base pay. Annual bonuses are designed to reward individual contributions as well as allow employees to share in company results. Employees in Vice President or Director positions may be eligible for Long Term Incentives. In addition, Northrop Grumman provides a variety of benefits including health insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, savings plan, Company paid holidays and paid time off (PTO) for vacation and/or personal business.The application period for the job is estimated to be 20 days from the job posting date. However, this timeline may be shortened or extended depending on business needs and the availability of qualified candidates.Northrop Grumman is an Equal Opportunity Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class. For our complete EEO and pay transparency statement, please visit http://www.northropgrumman.com/EEO. U.S. Citizenship is required for all positions with a government clearance and certain other restricted positions.

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About Northrop Grumman

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

At Northrop Grumman, our employees have incredible opportunities to work on revolutionary systems that impact people's lives around the world today, and for generations to come. Our pioneering and inventive spirit has enabled us to be at the forefront of many technological advancements in our nation's history - from the first flight across the Atlantic Ocean, to stealth bombers, to landing on the moon. We look for people who have bold new ideas, courage and a pioneering spirit to join forces to invent the future, and have fun along the way. Our culture thrives on intellectual curiosity, cognitive diversity and bringing your whole self to work - and we have an insatiable drive to do what others think is impossible.

Industry

Space research administration

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

Falls Church, VA, US

Year founded

1939