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Principal Site Reliability Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

The (USA) Principal, Site Reliability Engineer leads the design, development, and implementation of reliability programs for complex site environments. This role ensures system performance ...

Principal Site Reliability Engineer

Bellevue, WA · On-site

$64.25 - $85.50/hr

We are seeking a seasoned and strategic Lead/Principal Site Reliability Engineer to drive the reliability, scalability, and performance of our core production systems while significantly enhancing ...

Principal SRE Engineer

$128.14K - $252.19K/yr

This Principal SRE will bridge the platform engineering and database team by building self-service tooling for cloud databases. Position Summary: The Principal Site Reliability Engineer (SRE) is a ...

Principal Site Reliability Engineer

Denver, CO · On-site

$58.75 - $78/hr

We are seeking a Principal Site Reliability Engineer to define the strategic vision and own the enterprise-wide reliability, scalability, and performance of our critical production services. As a ...

Principal Site Reliability Engineer

OR · On-site +1

$57 - $75.75/hr

As a Principal Engineer on the SRE team at Upstart, you will serve as a thought leader and SRE evangelist - driving adoption of best practices, mentoring engineers across the organization, and ...

Principal Site Reliability Engineer

$58.25 - $77.50/hr

As a Principal Engineer on the SRE team at Upstart, you will serve as a thought leader and SRE evangelist - driving adoption of best practices, mentoring engineers across the organization, and ...

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Principal Site Reliability Engineer information

See salary details

$10

$63

$91

How much do principal site reliability engineer jobs pay per hour?

As of May 28, 2026, the average hourly pay for principal site reliability engineer in the United States is $63.74, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $54.81 and $72.84 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

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

To thrive as a Principal Site Reliability Engineer, you need deep expertise in systems engineering, cloud infrastructure, automation, and strong programming skills, typically supported by a degree in computer science or a related field. Familiarity with tools like Kubernetes, Terraform, Prometheus, and CI/CD platforms, as well as certifications such as AWS Certified Solutions Architect or Google Professional Cloud DevOps Engineer, are often required. Exceptional problem-solving, leadership, and communication skills help you guide teams and drive reliability initiatives across organizations. These skills ensure reliable, scalable systems and foster a culture of continuous improvement and operational excellence.

How does a Principal Site Reliability Engineer typically contribute to setting technical direction and mentoring within an SRE team?

As a Principal Site Reliability Engineer, you play a critical role in shaping the technical vision of the SRE team by establishing best practices for infrastructure reliability, scalability, and incident response. You are often expected to mentor junior and mid-level engineers, guiding them through complex troubleshooting, architectural decisions, and automation strategies. Additionally, you collaborate closely with software engineering, product, and operations teams to ensure that reliability and performance goals align with business needs. This role offers significant influence over technical roadmaps and provides opportunities to lead cross-functional initiatives, making it ideal for those seeking both leadership and hands-on impact.

What are Principal Site Reliability Engineers?

Principal Site Reliability Engineers (SREs) are senior technical experts who lead the design, implementation, and maintenance of reliable, scalable, and highly available systems. They oversee complex infrastructure and work closely with engineering teams to optimize system performance, automate processes, and ensure operational excellence. Principal SREs also mentor other engineers, set technical standards, and drive improvements in incident response, monitoring, and system resilience. Their work is critical in minimizing downtime and ensuring a seamless experience for users.

What is the difference between Principal Site Reliability Engineer vs Site Reliability Engineer?

AspectPrincipal Site Reliability EngineerSite Reliability Engineer
CredentialsAdvanced certifications (e.g., AWS, Google Cloud), extensive experienceEntry to mid-level certifications, relevant experience
Work EnvironmentStrategic planning, architecture design, mentoringOperational tasks, automation, monitoring
Employer UsageLarge tech companies, cloud providers, enterprisesTech firms, startups, cloud services

The Principal Site Reliability Engineer typically holds more advanced certifications and has a strategic, leadership role in designing systems and mentoring teams. In contrast, the Site Reliability Engineer focuses on operational tasks, automation, and maintaining system reliability. Both roles are vital in ensuring system stability but differ in scope and seniority.

More about Principal Site Reliability Engineer jobs
What cities are hiring for Principal Site Reliability Engineer jobs? Cities with the most Principal Site Reliability Engineer job openings:
What job categories do people searching Principal Site Reliability Engineer jobs look for? The top searched job categories for Principal Site Reliability Engineer jobs are:
Infographic showing various Principal Site Reliability Engineer job openings in the United States as of May 2026, with employment types broken down into 72% Full Time, 22% Part Time, 4% Contract, and 2% Nights. Highlights an 94% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 4% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $132,583 per year, or $63.7 per hour.
Principal, Site Reliability Engineer

Principal, Site Reliability Engineer

Walmart

Cassville, MO

$110K - $220K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 10 days ago


Walmart rating

6.0

Company rating: 6.0 out of 10

Based on 21,548 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

22nd of 39 rated national retailers


Job description

Position Summary...What you'll do...Role summary:
The (USA) Principal, Site Reliability Engineer leads the design, development, and implementation of reliability programs for complex site environments. This role ensures system performance, scalability, and disaster recovery through advanced monitoring, root cause analysis, and infrastructure automation. The position requires expertise in software architecture, distributed systems, and cloud technologies to optimize operational efficiency and resilience. The Principal Engineer collaborates across teams to drive continuous improvement, establish reliability standards, and support business objectives by delivering robust, scalable, and secure solutions aligned with organizational goals.
  About the team:
The CES team delivers exceptional customer service experiences to millions of Walmart customers and agents worldwide. Comprising software engineers, data scientists, and machine learning experts, the team advances GenAI technology within complex enterprise applications. As part of Walmart Global Tech’s Enterprise Business Systems, CES collaborates closely with product, business, and UX teams to drive measurable business outcomes. The team focuses on innovation, reliability, and scalability to support Walmart’s mission of helping customers save money and live better through cutting-edge technology and robust site reliability engineering practices.
  What you'll do:
  • Design and develop reliability programs tailored to complex site environments, ensuring alignment with business goals and site safety engineering.
  • Lead and facilitate reliability testing and chaos experiments to validate application resiliency and system performance.
  • Analyze system architecture and performance to optimize scalability, disaster recovery, and operational efficiency.
  • Develop and implement monitoring strategies, establishing metrics and alerts to maintain system availability and reliability.
  • Guide root cause analysis efforts to identify and resolve defects, enhancing application stability and preventing incidents.
  • Drive infrastructure automation and telemetry integration to support continuous delivery and operational excellence.
  • Mentor team members on tools, coding standards, and reliability best practices.

  What you'll bring:
  • Extensive experience in site reliability engineering with strong expertise in system monitoring, root cause analysis, and reliability analysis.
  • Proficiency in designing scalable, modular, and extensible software architectures aligned with business and technical requirements.
  • In-depth knowledge of disaster recovery planning, execution, and contingency procedures for complex site environments.
  • Skilled in cloud computing platforms and containerization technologies such as Docker.
  • Ability to lead reliability testing and chaos engineering experiments using open-source tools.
  • Strong coding skills in languages like JavaScript and Python, with automation experience in CI/CD pipelines.
  • Proven capability to analyze system performance and implement telemetry for continuous improvement.

At Walmart, we offer competitive pay as well as performance-based bonus awards and other great benefits for a happier mind, body, and wallet. Health benefits include medical, vision and dental coverage. Financial benefits include 401(k), stock purchase and company-paid life insurance. Paid time off benefits include PTO (including sick leave), parental leave, family care leave, bereavement, jury duty, and voting. Other benefits include short-term and long-term disability, company discounts, Military Leave Pay, adoption and surrogacy expense reimbursement, and more. You will also receive PTO and/or PPTO that can be used for vacation, sick leave, holidays, or other purposes. The amount you receive depends on your job classification and length of employment. It will meet or exceed the requirements of paid sick leave laws, where applicable. For information about PTO, see https://one.walmart.com/notices. Live Better U is a Walmart-paid education benefit program for full-time and part-time associates in Walmart and Sam's Club facilities. Programs range from high school completion to bachelor's degrees, including English Language Learning and short-form certificates. Tuition, books, and fees are completely paid for by Walmart.
Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to a specific plan or program terms.
For information about benefits and eligibility, see One.Walmart.
Bentonville, Arkansas US-10735: The annual salary range for this position is $110,000.00 - $220,000.00
Sunnyvale, California US-11807: The annual salary range for this position is $143,000.00 - $286,000.00 Additional compensation includes annual or quarterly performance bonuses. Additional compensation for certain positions may also include :
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Minimum Qualifications...

Outlined below are the required minimum qualifications for this position. If none are listed, there are no minimum qualifications.

Option 1: Bachelor's degree in computer science, computer engineering, computer information systems, software engineering, or related area and5 years’ experience in site reliability engineering, site and system administration, infrastructure management, or related area.Option 2: 7 years’ experience in site reliability engineering, site and system administration, infrastructure management, or related area.Preferred Qualifications...

Outlined below are the optional preferred qualifications for this position. If none are listed, there are no preferred qualifications.

Experience in site reliability engineering, site and system administration, infrastructure management, or related area., Master's degree in site reliability engineering, site and system administration, infrastructure management, or related area and 3 years’ experience in site reliability engineering, site and system administration, infrastructure management, or related area., SRE certification (for example, IBM Cloud Site Reliability Engineer)., We value candidates with a background in creating inclusive digital experiences, demonstrating knowledge in implementing Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 AA standards, assistive technologies, and integrating digital accessibility seamlessly. The ideal candidate would have knowledge of accessibility best practices and join us as we continue to create accessible products and services following Walmart’s accessibility standards and guidelines for supporting an inclusive culture.Primary Location...2501 Se J St, Ste A, Bentonville, AR 72716-3724, United States of AmericaWalmart and its subsidiaries are committed to maintaining a drug-free workplace and has a no tolerance policy regarding the use of illegal drugs and alcohol on the job. This policy applies to all employees and aims to create a safe and productive work environment.

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About Walmart

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

From our humble beginnings as a small discount retailer in Rogers, Ark., Walmart has opened thousands of stores in the U.S. and expanded internationally. Through innovation, we're creating a seamless experience to let customers shop anytime and anywhere online and in stores. We are creating opportunities and bringing value to customers and communities around the globe. Walmart operates approximately 10,500 stores and clubs in 19 countries and eCommerce websites. We employ 2.1 million associates around the world — nearly 1.6 million in the U.S. alone.

Industry

Retail, professional, labor and political organizations, specialized design services, transportation and warehousing and fitness and sports centers

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

Bentonville, AR, US

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