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Principal Infrastructure Engineer Jobs in California

Sr. Infrastructure Engineer

San Diego, CA ยท On-site

$115K - $156K/yr

Identity Management Principals Functional. Responsibilities: Manage a support team comprising of up to 10 support engineers in disparate locations. Manage/Maintain a Windows 2008 R2 Active Directory ...

Senior Data Infrastructure Engineer

Santa Clara, CA ยท On-site

$127K - $173K/yr

As a Data Infrastructure Engineer, your role is to identify corner cases in autonomous driving ... Annotation Team to apply principals of data-centric AI to resolve real-world problems.

Senior Data Infrastructure Engineer

Santa Clara, CA ยท On-site

$127K - $173K/yr

As a Data Infrastructure Engineer, your role is to identify corner cases in autonomous driving ... Annotation Team to apply principals of data-centric AI to resolve real-world problems.

Showing results 21-40

Principal Infrastructure Engineer information

See California salary details

$20.7K

$147.3K

$221.6K

How much do principal infrastructure engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 8, 2026, the average yearly pay for principal infrastructure engineer in California is $147,260.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $118,400.00 and $172,700.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

How does a principal infrastructure engineer typically collaborate with cross-functional teams to implement large-scale projects?

As a Principal Infrastructure Engineer, you will frequently work alongside software developers, network architects, DevOps engineers, and project managers to design and deliver robust infrastructure solutions. Your role often involves leading technical discussions, establishing best practices, and ensuring all infrastructure components meet project requirements. Collaboration is key, as you'll coordinate system integrations, troubleshoot complex issues, and guide teams through migrations or upgrades. This cross-functional teamwork not only enhances project outcomes but also broadens your exposure to diverse technologies and business needs.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a principal infrastructure engineer?

To thrive as a Principal Infrastructure Engineer, you need deep expertise in network architecture, cloud platforms, and systems administration, usually demonstrated by a degree in computer science or a related field and extensive experience. Familiarity with tools like Terraform, Kubernetes, AWS, Azure, and relevant certifications such as AWS Certified Solutions Architect or Cisco CCNP are commonly required. Strong leadership, problem-solving abilities, and effective communication are vital soft skills for guiding teams and collaborating with stakeholders. These skills ensure robust, scalable, and secure infrastructure solutions that support organizational goals and technological growth.

What is a principal infrastructure engineer?

A Principal Infrastructure Engineer is a senior-level professional responsible for designing, overseeing, and optimizing the IT infrastructure within an organization. They lead large-scale infrastructure projects, ensure system reliability and scalability, and often mentor other engineers. Their work includes managing cloud platforms, networks, storage, and security, as well as establishing best practices for infrastructure management. Principal Infrastructure Engineers play a key role in aligning technology solutions with business goals and ensuring efficient and secure operations.

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

AspectPrincipal Infrastructure EngineerInfrastructure Engineer
CredentialsTypically requires a bachelor's degree in computer science or related field, with extensive experience; certifications like Cisco CCNP, AWS, or Azure are commonUsually holds a bachelor's degree in IT, computer science, or related; certifications like Cisco CCNA, CompTIA Network+ are common
Work EnvironmentLeads complex infrastructure projects, designs architecture, and mentors teams in enterprise settingsSupports, maintains, and implements infrastructure solutions in data centers or cloud environments
Employer & Industry UsageFound in large corporations, cloud providers, and consulting firmsCommon in IT departments across various industries, including tech, finance, and healthcare

The main difference is that a Principal Infrastructure Engineer focuses on strategic design, leadership, and complex project oversight, while an Infrastructure Engineer handles day-to-day implementation and maintenance tasks. Both roles require technical expertise, but the Principal role involves higher-level planning and decision-making.

What are popular job titles related to Principal Infrastructure Engineer jobs in California? For Principal Infrastructure Engineer jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Principal Infrastructure Engineer jobs in California look for? The top searched job categories for Principal Infrastructure Engineer jobs in California are:
Infographic showing various Principal Infrastructure Engineer job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 92% Full Time, 2% Part Time, and 6% Contract. Highlights an 87% Physical, 4% Hybrid, and 9% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $147,260 per year, or $70.8 per hour.

Principal Architect, Infrastructure

IMG LIVE

Beverly Hills, CA โ€ข On-site

$142.50 - $190/hr

Other

Medical, Retirement, PTO

Posted 25 days ago


Job description

Principal Architect page is loaded## Principal Architectlocations: CA-Beverly Hills - 9601 Wilshiretime type: Full timeposted on: Posted 3 Days Agojob requisition id: JR28370WME is seeking a **Principal Architect** to lead the overall architecture and design of all infrastructure systems across the enterprise. Your job is to design the technology infrastructure platform that allows WME to scale and move faster.You should be a strategic, deeply technical, and forward-thinking infrastructure leader with a passion for designing systems that deliver measurable business value. Youโ€™ll work closely across IT and security teams to rapidly iterate on designs to establish standards aligned to requirements based on sound frameworks and doctrine.You have designed and worked hands-on across multiple infrastructure domain areas (network, identity, compute, data) and are well-versed in all the latest technology stacks including AI agents. You will have direct impact to align and mature our entire technology platform on which WME is built upon.The role will report to WMEโ€™s Sr. Global Director of Infrastructure and Enterprise Solutions based in Beverly Hills, CA.**Responsibilities*** **Enterprise Architecture & Standards:** Own the end-to-end architecture and design of all infrastructure systems spanning on-premises, hybrid, and cloud environments with a primary focus on Microsoft Azure. Establish and maintain standard designs for common use cases aligned to customer value and recognized frameworks (CIS Benchmarks, NIST CSF). Build and curate a centralized design repository accessible to engineering teams.* **Identity & Zero Trust:** Serve as the organizational expert on identity as the modern security perimeter. Design and drive adoption of Entra ID, Conditional Access policies, and password-less authentication. Architect zero-trust models incorporating just-in-time access, high auditability, and tight integration with employee onboarding, offboarding, and role-change workflows.* **Roadmap & Business Alignment:** Develop and maintain a multi-year infrastructure roadmap informed by business value input and stakeholder priorities. Translate business needs into architectural decisions and communicate trade-offs clearly to technical and non-technical audiences.* **Organizational Maturity:** Lead the transformation from ad-hoc, on-premises systems to a standards-based, self-service operating model. Champion Infrastructure as Code, automation, and repeatable patterns that reduce toil and increase velocity.* **Full-Stack Infrastructure Design:** Provide architectural leadership across the complete infrastructure landscape, including: Monitoring, Logging, Observability & Alerting; Infrastructure as Code; Compute (on-prem and cloud); Data platforms; Networking (LAN, WAN, and cloud integration focused on Azure); Shared services and integrations; Identity management and governance.* **Governance & Compliance:** Ensure all designs adhere to established security and compliance frameworks. Partner with security and risk teams to maintain alignment with CIS, NIST, and organizational policies.**Requirements*** 12+ years of progressive experience in infrastructure engineering and architecture, with at least 5 years in a principal or senior architect capacity* Deep expertise in Microsoft Azure architecture, including Azure networking, compute, identity, and governance services* Exceptional writing and storytelling skills* Demonstrated experience maturing an organization from on-premises, ad-hoc infrastructure to standards-based, self-service models* Broad infrastructure fluency across monitoring/observability, networking, compute, data, and integration patterns* Experience building and maintaining enterprise architecture roadmaps tied to business value* **Self-directed, curious, and addicted to solving hard problems** *Per local requirements and in the interest of transparency, the rate shown below reflects the prevalent current hiring range for this position. Hiring pay rates are based on a number of factors, including location and may vary depending on job-related qualifications, knowledge, skills and experience. The company strives to provide locally competitive rewards packages, which include base rate along with, as applicable, short- and long-term incentives, growth and developmental opportunities, and robust benefits, such as health care, retirement, vacation and other paid time off, and additional offerings.**Hiring Rate Minimum:*$142,500 annually (minimum will not fall below the applicable state/local minimum salary thresholds)*Hiring Rate Maximum:*$190,000 annuallyWME is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, or religion or belief.With over 125 years of experience, WME enables artists, athletes and brands to grow their businesses, leverage the full potential of their intellectual property, and bring projects to life that define the cultural landscape. WMEโ€™s expertise spans books, comedy, digital media, fashion, film, food, licensing, music, sports, television, theater, and more. #J-18808-Ljbffr