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Principal Engineering Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Position Overview The Principal in Charge (PIC) is a key strategic leader within K2M's business team, responsible for strengthening client relationships, guiding project success, and driving business ...

Principal Engineering Designer

San Diego, CA ยท On-site

$43.50 - $58.50/hr

As a Principal Engineer Designer in San Diego, CA you will have an opportunity to work with a multi-disciplinary team on meaningful, landmark projects in Southern California. As a RICK team member ...

Principal Engineering Lead

Long Beach, CA ยท On-site

$200K - $250K/yr

The Principal Engineering Lead position is responsible for the overall engineering strategy, technical governance, and delivery of all engineering activities for the POLA (Port of Los Angeles) Cruise ...

Position Overview The Principal in Charge (PIC) is a key strategic leader within K2M's business team, responsible for strengthening client relationships, guiding project success, and driving business ...

The Principal Engineering Lead will establish and lead engineering operations standards for a large-scale federal data and analytics modernization program, ensuring reliable and secure delivery of ...

Principal Engineering Manager

Redmond, WA ยท On-site

$188K - $304K/yr

We are hiring a Principal Engineering Manager to set the technical direction for securing AI at Microsoft - both securing the agents we ship and using agents to secure our customers. It is a problem ...

Principal Engineering Manager

Redmond, WA ยท On-site

$220K - $331K/yr

The team is looking for an action-oriented Principal Engineering Manager who will expand the scope of our governance and provisioning products across human/non-human identities accessing applications ...

Engineering Principal Engineering Principals are leaders in the practice who influence culture, morale, and recruiting as well as provide leadership in the pursuit and delivery of work. An ...

Engineering Principal Engineering Principals are leaders in the practice who influence culture, morale, and recruiting as well as provide leadership in the pursuit and delivery of work. An ...

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Principal Engineering information

See salary details

$36.5K

$109.4K

$182K

How much do principal engineering jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 16, 2026, the average yearly pay for principal engineering in the United States is $109,393.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $85,000.00 and $125,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What engineers make $200,000 a year?

Principal engineers, software engineers, and senior engineering managers often earn $200,000 or more annually, especially with extensive experience, advanced skills, and in high-demand industries like technology and aerospace. Compensation can include base salary, bonuses, and stock options, and typically requires strong technical expertise, leadership abilities, and relevant certifications.

What engineers make $300,000 a year?

Senior engineering roles such as Principal Engineers, Software Architects, and Engineering Managers often have salaries reaching or exceeding $300,000 annually, especially in high-demand industries like technology, finance, and aerospace. These positions typically require extensive experience, advanced technical skills, and often involve leadership responsibilities or specialized expertise.

What engineers make $500,000 a year?

Principal engineers, especially in high-demand industries like technology, aerospace, or finance, can earn $500,000 or more annually, often including bonuses and stock options. Achieving this level typically requires extensive experience, advanced technical skills, leadership responsibilities, and sometimes working in senior or executive engineering roles.

What does a principal engineer do?

A principal engineer is a senior technical leader responsible for designing and guiding complex engineering projects, setting technical standards, and mentoring engineering teams. They often work on strategic initiatives, collaborate with cross-functional teams, and use advanced tools and methodologies to ensure technical excellence. Strong expertise in engineering principles, problem-solving skills, and experience with relevant technologies are essential for this role.

What is the difference between Principal Engineering vs Senior Engineering?

AspectPrincipal EngineeringSenior Engineering
Required CredentialsBachelor's or Master's in Engineering, extensive experience, often professional certificationsBachelor's or Master's in Engineering, several years of experience
Work EnvironmentStrategic, cross-team leadership, high-level project oversightTechnical execution, project development, team collaboration
Employer & Industry UsageUsed in large organizations, tech firms, engineering consultanciesCommon across industries, startups, mid-sized companies
Search & Comparison IntentUnderstanding senior technical leadership rolesTechnical expertise and project contribution

Principal Engineering roles focus on strategic leadership, cross-team coordination, and high-level project oversight, often requiring extensive experience and advanced credentials. Senior Engineering positions are more hands-on, emphasizing technical skills, project execution, and team collaboration. While both roles are vital in engineering organizations, Principal Engineers typically operate at a higher strategic level compared to Senior Engineers.

More about Principal Engineering jobs
Infographic showing various Principal Engineering job openings in the United States as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 94% Full Time, 4% Part Time, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 87% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 10% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $109,393 per year, or $52.6 per hour.
Principal - Engineering

Principal - Engineering

K2M Design Inc.

Cleveland, OH โ€ข On-site

Full-time

Re-posted 8 days ago


Job description

Description:

We are looking for positive contributors to our culture, that are passionate about meeting the demanding needs of our clients, and add value and impact through expertise - all in turn contributing to the growth of K2M.


Position Overview

The Principal in Charge (PIC) is a key strategic leader within K2Mโ€™s business team, responsible for strengthening client relationships, guiding project success, and driving business growth. This role ensures that K2Mโ€™s projects are delivered with a high level of quality, responsiveness, and alignment with client expectations, while also developing long-term partnerships that contribute to market presence and revenue objectives.


Success in this role includes, leading business development efforts within assigned markets, including capturing new opportunities and expanding K2Mโ€™s project pipeline, maintaining and strengthening client relationships as the primary point of contact (PIC) for key accounts, meeting or exceeding annual sales revenue goals, and ensuring project delivery meets client expectations, contractual obligations, and critical success factors.


Professional Profile

  • Client-Facing Business Leader โ€“ Serves as primary contact for key clients, building trust, identifying opportunities, and expanding relationships.
  • Sales & Business Growth Orientation โ€“ Supports business development by identifying opportunities, participating in proposals, and contributing to revenue growth.
  • Project Delivery & Service Expert โ€“ Provides guidance on project vision, design direction, scope management, and quality assurance
  • Technical & Strategic Expertise โ€“ Proven industry experience paired with strategic leadership and strong client service orientation. Balances innovation with practical, technical solutions.
  • Professional Traits & Cultural Fit โ€“ Self-motivated, adaptable, composed under pressure, highly organized, and a strong ambassador of K2Mโ€™s values, mission, and culture.

Responsibilities (subject to change, modification as needed) are as follows, but not limited to:

  • Support K2Mโ€™s mission, values, and long-term vision across all interactions and decisions, including leadership, mentoring, and cross-functional collaboration.
  • Serve as the PIC and primary point of contact for key clients, ensuring strong relationships and long-term partnership value.
  • Identify, pursue, and support new business opportunities, ensuring a robust project pipeline for assigned markets.
  • Collaborate with K2M leadership to market technical expertise and design capabilities to clients through presentations, proposals, and strategic discussions.
  • Support cross-functional coordination to advance the OneK2M vision and align project and client initiatives with organizational goals.
  • Maintain active involvement in industry, professional, and community organizations to enhance K2Mโ€™s reputation and visibility.
  • Partner with marketing teams to develop collateral, proposals, and outreach campaigns that support business development objectives.
  • Provide senior-level project oversight, including visioning, design direction, and critical success factor management.
  • Monitor project performance, scope adherence, budgets, schedules, and quality to meet client expectations.
  • Conduct project kick-offs, client meetings, and post-project reviews to ensure alignment and continuous improvement.
  • Support contract review, risk mitigation, and resolution of project challenges.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Requirements:

Education/Experience:

  • Bachelor's degree or masterโ€™s degree from an accredited college or university.
    • Prefer licensed professional with advanced credentials.
  • Minimum 15 yearsโ€™ experience leading project teams at a senior level, establishing marketing opportunities and strategies that resulted in growth and development of an organization.
  • Minimum 5 yearsโ€™ experience in our industry or related field.
  • Proven expertise managing clients, teams, and projects.

Travel: Available for travel for presentations, client meetings, consultant coordination, strategic meetings, company functions as needed.


Work Environment and Physical Demands: The work environment and physical demands are consistent with that of an office setting. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.


The above job description is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of duties and standards of the position. Incumbents will follow any other instructions, and perform any other related duties, as assigned by their supervisor.