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Principal Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

The Principal Engineer will be responsible for identifying opportunities to modernize platforms, drive AI adoption, establish engineering standards, and coordinate technical solutions that span ...

The Principal Engineer is a senior individual contributor role within the PetDesk CarePath organization, reporting directly to the Chief of Staff / CarePath Partnership Lead. This position provides ...

Principal Engineer

Watsonville, CA · On-site

$130K - $174K/yr

The City of Watsonville is seeking a seasoned, solutions-driven Principal Engineer to lead development review and land use engineering. You will guide private applications, from commercial and ...

Principal Engineer (Backend / Platform)About Us We are a Cambridge, MA-based rapidly scaling Generative AI startup. Our platform enables thousands of AI Agents to "think" and cooperate for hours to ...

Description The Principal Engineer role offers the opportunity to lead complex transformer design projects from concept through production, working at the intersection of engineering innovation ...

PR

$53/hr

We're seeking a Principal Engineer to work at a premier pharmaceutical/biotechnology industry leader industry in Juncos, PR. Salary: $53.00 hr - W2 Shift: 8hrs shift | Administrative - with work ...

Wells Fargo is seeking a Principal Engineer to join our Storage team within the FHO (Foundational Hosting Operations) organization. Learn more about the career areas and business divisions at ...

We're seeking a Principal Engineer to work at a premier pharmaceutical/biotechnology industry leader industry in Juncos, PR. Salary: $53.00 hr - W2 Shift: 8hrs shift | Administrative - with work ...

Principal Engineer

Bellevue, WA · On-site

$250K - $380K/yr

As Principal Engineer for the Streamlit in Snowflake team, you will be the top technical voice shaping how millions of users build and deploy apps on Snowflake's data platform. This role requires a ...

If so, being a Principal Engineer at Frost could be the job for you. At Frost, it's about more than a job. It's about having a flourishing career where you can thrive, both in and out of work. At ...

Principal Engineer Are you inspired by the opportunity to shape the future of AI-driven technology and lead the development of the next generation of high-performance, scalable, reliable, and ...

Principal Engineer

Kalamazoo, MI · On-site

$130K - $160K/yr

Principal Engineer Full-time Kalamazoo, MI, US Exclusive confidential search -- details shared with qualified applicants. Benefits You'll Love * Medical coverage including prescription drug benefits

Principal Engineer

Watsonville, CA · On-site

$130K - $174K/yr

The Principal Engineer is embedded in development services; you will ensure projects meet City standards, stormwater/NPDES-LID requirements, and applicable California laws (Subdivision Map Act, CEQA ...

Principal Engineer

Kalamazoo, MI · On-site

$130K - $160K/yr

Principal Engineer Full-time Kalamazoo, MI, US Exclusive confidential search -- details shared with qualified applicants. Benefits You'll Love * Medical coverage including prescription drug benefits

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Principal Engineer information

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$74K

$147.2K

$212.5K

How much do principal engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 16, 2026, the average yearly pay for principal 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 a Principal Engineer?

A principal engineer oversees the research, development, and design of engineering projects for a company or organization. These engineering experts are leaders in their industries and need an advanced understanding of their discipline to manage projects and guide team members. As a principal engineer, your job duties include creating budgets, negotiating with vendors, and delegating work. You may also train staff members, set project deadlines, and work to improve engineering application processes.

What is the difference between Principal Engineer vs Senior Engineer?

AspectPrincipal EngineerSenior Engineer
CredentialsTypically requires 8+ years of experience, advanced technical skills, and often leadership or mentorship experienceUsually requires 3-7 years of experience with strong technical skills
Work EnvironmentLeads complex projects, influences technical strategy, collaborates across teamsFocuses on executing technical tasks, supporting project development, and mentoring junior staff
Employer & Industry UsageCommon in large tech companies, engineering firms, and organizations with advanced technical hierarchiesWidely used across industries for experienced technical contributors

The main difference between a Principal Engineer and a Senior Engineer lies in their level of responsibility, experience, and influence. Principal Engineers typically lead complex projects and shape technical strategies, while Senior Engineers focus on executing technical tasks and supporting team efforts. Both roles require strong technical skills, but Principal Engineers often have more leadership and strategic responsibilities.

What engineers make $500,000 a year?

Principal engineers, especially in high-demand industries like technology, aerospace, and finance, can earn $500,000 or more annually with experience, advanced skills, and leadership responsibilities. Compensation often includes base salary, bonuses, stock options, and other incentives, particularly at large tech companies or startups with significant growth potential.

What does a principal engineer do?

A principal engineer is a senior technical leader responsible for designing complex systems, setting technical standards, and guiding engineering teams. They often have deep expertise in their field, use tools like design documentation and code reviews, and may influence product development strategies. Their role combines technical excellence with leadership to ensure project success.

What engineers make $200,000 a year?

Principal engineers, software engineers, and specialized roles such as data engineers or cloud engineers often earn $200,000 or more annually, especially with extensive experience, advanced skills, and certifications. Compensation varies by industry, location, and company size, with senior-level positions typically offering higher salaries. Expertise in programming, system architecture, and leadership can contribute to reaching this salary level.

What are Principal Engineers?

Principal Engineers are highly experienced technical experts who lead engineering teams, provide strategic technical direction, and help solve complex engineering challenges within an organization. They often act as mentors, set technical standards, and collaborate with stakeholders across departments to drive innovation and ensure the success of engineering projects. Principal Engineers typically have many years of industry experience and are recognized for their deep technical knowledge and leadership skills.

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

To thrive as a Principal Engineer, you need deep technical expertise in your engineering discipline, strong problem-solving abilities, and typically an advanced degree or equivalent experience. Familiarity with complex software development tools, architectural frameworks, and industry certifications like AWS Certified Solutions Architect or relevant PE licenses is common. Exceptional leadership, communication, and mentorship skills help Principal Engineers guide teams and influence project direction. These competencies are essential for driving innovation, ensuring technical excellence, and delivering large-scale, high-impact solutions.

What engineers make $300,000 a year?

Principal engineers, especially in high-demand industries like software, aerospace, and oil and gas, can earn $300,000 or more annually with experience, advanced skills, and often in senior or leadership roles. Compensation may include base salary, bonuses, and stock options, particularly in large tech companies or specialized engineering fields.

How does a Principal Engineer typically collaborate with cross-functional teams to drive project success?

Principal Engineers play a key role in collaborating with cross-functional teams, such as product management, design, and operations, to ensure technical solutions align with business objectives. They often lead architectural discussions, mentor team members, and facilitate communication between engineering and non-engineering stakeholders. This collaboration helps identify potential challenges early, streamline development processes, and deliver high-quality products. Additionally, Principal Engineers are often involved in setting technical standards and guiding teams through complex problem-solving.
What cities are hiring for Principal Engineer jobs? Cities with the most Principal Engineer job openings:
What are the most commonly searched types of Principal Engineer jobs? The most popular types of Principal Engineer jobs are:
Who are the top companies hiring for Principal Engineer jobs? The top employers for Principal Engineer jobs are:
What states have the most Principal Engineer jobs? States with the most job openings for Principal Engineer jobs include:
What are popular job titles related to Principal Engineer jobs? For Principal Engineer jobs, the most frequently searched job titles are:
Infographic showing various Principal Engineer job openings in the United States as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 95% Full Time, 2% Part Time, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 87% Physical, 4% Hybrid, and 9% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $147,220 per year, or $70.8 per hour.
Principal Engineer

Principal Engineer

Thomson Reuters

Frisco, TX • On-site

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 14 days ago


Thomson Reuters rating

8.9

Company rating: 8.9 out of 10

Based on 19 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

25th of 451 rated business services


Job description

Do you thrive in environments where your technical expertise can directly impact how the world's leading professionals access and utilize information?
This is a Principal Engineer opportunity supporting the evolution of the ONESOURCE Platform and ONESOURCE AI organizations.
Why This Role Matters
The ONESOURCE Platform serves as the foundation for multiple products across the portfolio. As a result, this role will have significant impact on platform strategy, architecture decisions, and the delivery of shared capabilities that enable innovation across the organization. The Principal Engineer will be responsible for identifying opportunities to modernize platforms, drive AI adoption, establish engineering standards, and coordinate technical solutions that span multiple products and business areas.
About the Role
In this position, you will:
  • Serve as a Principal Engineer supporting both the ONESOURCE Platform and ONESOURCE AI organizations, helping drive the technical vision, architecture, and engineering strategy across shared platform capabilities.
  • Lead the design and evolution of large-scale, distributed systems and microservices-based architectures that support multiple products across the ONESOURCE portfolio.
  • Partner with engineering leaders, architects, product teams, and business stakeholders to develop scalable, secure, and reliable platform solutions.
  • Drive architectural consistency, engineering excellence, and best practices across teams while ensuring alignment with broader business objectives.
  • Act as a senior technical advisor, providing guidance on complex technical challenges, modernization initiatives, cloud-native technologies, and AI-enabled solutions.
  • Influence technical decision-making across multiple teams and organizations through collaboration, thought leadership, and effective stakeholder engagement.
  • Develop and champion platform standards, frameworks, and engineering patterns that improve software quality, maintainability, scalability, and operational efficiency.
  • Lead the evaluation and adoption of emerging technologies, identifying opportunities to leverage AI and modern engineering approaches to accelerate innovation.
  • Coordinate cross-functional technical initiatives that span multiple products, ensuring solutions are aligned, reusable, and strategically valuable to the broader platform ecosystem.
  • Mentor and coach engineers and technical leaders, helping elevate technical capability, strengthen architectural practices, and foster a culture of continuous learning and innovation.
  • Provide technical leadership in solving ambiguous, business-critical problems and translating strategic objectives into actionable engineering solutions.
  • Support the successful delivery of platform and AI initiatives by balancing technical excellence, business priorities, and customer impact.

About You
You're an ideal fit if you have:
  • Significant experience in software engineering, architecture, or platform engineering roles, with a proven track record of delivering large-scale enterprise applications.
  • Deep expertise designing and building distributed systems, microservices architectures, and cloud-native platforms.
  • Experience driving technical strategy and architectural direction across multiple teams, products, or business domains.
  • Proven ability to lead complex technical initiatives and solve highly ambiguous engineering challenges.
  • Strong understanding of software design principles, system scalability, reliability, performance, security, and maintainability.
  • Experience collaborating with cross-functional stakeholders, including Product Management, Architecture, Engineering, QA, UX, and Business teams.
  • Demonstrated success influencing technical decisions without direct authority and driving alignment across organizations.
  • Experience establishing engineering standards, best practices, frameworks, and governance models.
  • Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to present technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.
  • Ability to mentor engineers and technical leaders, fostering engineering excellence and continuous improvement.

Preferred Qualifications
  • Experience working on enterprise platform products that serve multiple applications, product lines, or business units.
  • Knowledge of modern cloud platforms and technologies such as AWS, Azure, Kubernetes, containers, and platform engineering practices.
  • Experience developing or supporting AI/ML-powered products, services, or platforms.
  • Strong understanding of event-driven architectures, API design, integration patterns, and modern software development methodologies.
  • Experience leading modernization initiatives, including cloud transformation and platform evolution programs.
  • Background working within large, matrixed, global organizations.
  • Demonstrated ability to balance technical innovation with business priorities and customer needs.
  • Passion for exploring emerging technologies and identifying opportunities to create value through AI and modern engineering practices.

Leadership Competencies
  • Strategic thinker with the ability to translate long-term business objectives into scalable technical solutions.
  • Strong collaborator with exceptional relationship-building and influencing skills.
  • Comfortable operating in fast-paced, evolving environments while leading through change.
  • Effective coach and mentor who helps elevate the performance and growth of technical teams.
  • Results-oriented with a strong sense of ownership, accountability, and customer focus.
  • Ability to navigate complex organizational dynamics and drive consensus across diverse stakeholder groups.
  • Continuous learner with a passion for innovation, engineering excellence, and technology leadership.

#LI-SM2
This posting is for proactive recruitment purposes and may be used to fill current openings or future vacancies within our organization.
What's in it For You?
  • Hybrid Work Model: We've adopted a flexible hybrid working environment (2-3 days a week in the office depending on the role) for our office-based roles while delivering a seamless experience that is digitally and physically connected.
  • Flexibility & Work-Life Balance: Flex My Way is a set of supportive workplace policies designed to help manage personal and professional responsibilities, whether caring for family, giving back to the community, or finding time to refresh and reset. This builds upon our flexible work arrangements, including work from anywhere for up to 8 weeks per year, empowering employees to achieve a better work-life balance.
  • Career Development and Growth: By fostering a culture of continuous learning and skill development, we prepare our talent to tackle tomorrow's challenges and deliver real-world solutions. Our Grow My Way programming and skills-first approach ensures you have the tools and knowledge to grow, lead, and thrive in an AI-enabled future.
  • Industry Competitive Benefits: We offer comprehensive benefit plans to include flexible vacation, two company-wide Mental Health Days off, access to the Headspace app, retirement savings, tuition reimbursement, employee incentive programs, and resources for mental, physical, and financial wellbeing.
  • Culture: Globally recognized, award-winning reputation for inclusion and belonging, flexibility, work-life balance, and more. We live by our values: Obsess over our Customers, Compete to Win, Challenge (Y)our Thinking, Act Fast / Learn Fast, and Stronger Together.
  • Social Impact: Make an impact in your community with our Social Impact Institute. We offer employees two paid volunteer days off annually and opportunities to get involved with pro-bono consulting projects and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) initiatives.
  • Making a Real-World Impact: We are one of the few companies globally that helps its customers pursue justice, truth, and transparency. Together, with the professionals and institutions we serve, we help uphold the rule of law, turn the wheels of commerce, catch bad actors, report the facts, and provide trusted, unbiased information to people all over the world.

Our use of AI within the recruitment process Thomson Reuters utilizes Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our global recruitment process. Unless you opt-out, our AI system will assess the information provided by you and compare it to the requirements listed for the role, and present the result to our recruitment personnel for further review. The AI system acts as a supporting tool, but there is always a human making the decision if you will be considered for the role.
In the United States, Thomson Reuters offers a comprehensive benefits package to our employees. Our benefit package includes market competitive health, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance programs, as well as a competitive 401k plan with company match. In addition, Thomson Reuters offers market leading work life benefits with competitive vacation, sick and safe paid time off, paid holidays (including two company mental health days off), parental leave, sabbatical leave. These benefits meet or exceeds the requirements of paid time off in accordance with any applicable state or municipal laws. Finally, Thomson Reuters offers the following additional benefits: optional hospital, accident and sickness insurance paid 100% by the employee; optional life and AD&D insurance paid 100% by the employee; Flexible Spending and Health Savings Accounts; fitness reimbursement; access to Employee Assistance Program; Group Legal Identity Theft Protection benefit paid 100% by employee; access to 529 Plan; commuter benefits; Adoption & Surrogacy Assistance; Tuition Reimbursement; and access to Employee Stock Purchase Plan.
Thomson Reuters complies with local laws that require upfront disclosure of the expected pay range for a position. The base compensation range varies across locations.For any eligible US locations, unless otherwise noted, the base compensation range for this role is $158,900 USD - $295,100 USD.Base pay is positioned within the range based on several factors including an individual's knowledge, skills and experience with consideration given to internal equity. Base pay is one part of a comprehensive Total Reward program which also includes flexible and supportive benefits and other wellbeing programs.This role may also be eligible for an Annual Bonus based on a combination of enterprise and individual performance.
About Us
Thomson Reuters informs the way forward by bringing together the trusted content and technology that people and organizations need to make the right decisions. We serve professionals across legal, tax, accounting, compliance, government, and media. Our products combine highly specialized software and insights to empower professionals with the data, intelligence, and solutions needed to make informed decisions, and to help institutions in their pursuit of justice, truth, and transparency. Reuters, part of Thomson Reuters, is a world leading provider of trusted journalism and news.
We are powered by the talents of 26,000 employees across more than 70 countries, where everyone has a chance to contribute and grow professionally in flexible work environments. At a time when objectivity, accuracy, fairness, and transparency are under attack, we consider it our duty to pursue them. Sound exciting? Join us and help shape the industries that move society forward.
As a global business, we rely on the unique backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences of all employees to deliver on our business goals. To ensure we can do that, we seek talented, qualified employees in all our operations around the world regardless of race, color, sex/gender, including pregnancy, gender identity and expression, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, citizen status, veteran status, or any other protected classification under applicable law. Thomson Reuters is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer providing a drug-free workplace.
Thomson Reuters makes reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities, including veterans with disabilities, and for sincerely held religious beliefs in accordance with applicable law. If you reside in the United States and require an accommodation in the recruiting process, you may contact our Human Resources Department at HR.Leave-Expert@thomsonreuters.com. Disability accommodations in the recruiting process may include things like a sign language interpreter, making interview rooms accessible, providing assistive technology, or other relevant accommodations. Please note this email is not intended for general recruitment questions and we will promptly respond to inquiries regarding accommodations. More information on requesting an accommodation here.
Learn more on how to protect yourself from fraudulent job postings here.
More information about Thomson Reuters can be found on thomsonreuters.com

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