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Principal System Safety Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

System Safety Engineering, Systems Engineering, Software or Firmware Engineering, Electrical Engineering or equivalent Safety Engineering. • Active Secret security clearance is required. Pluses ...

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Principal System Safety Engineer information

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$21K

$149.2K

$224.5K

How much do principal system safety engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 22, 2026, the average yearly pay for principal system safety engineer in the United States is $149,214.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $120,000.00 and $175,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the difference between Principal System Safety Engineer vs System Safety Engineer?

AspectPrincipal System Safety EngineerSystem Safety Engineer
CredentialsTypically requires advanced certifications like CSEP, PE, or equivalentOften requires similar certifications but may be at an entry or mid-level
Work EnvironmentLeads safety programs, manages teams, and influences safety policiesPerforms safety analyses, supports safety assessments, and implements safety measures
Industry UsageUsed across aerospace, defense, and complex engineering sectorsCommonly found in similar industries, supporting safety compliance

The Principal System Safety Engineer typically holds a higher level of responsibility, overseeing safety programs and leading teams, while the System Safety Engineer focuses on executing safety analyses and supporting safety initiatives. Both roles require relevant certifications and are integral to safety in engineering projects, but the principal role involves more strategic leadership.

What engineers make $500,000 a year?

Principal System Safety Engineers in specialized industries such as aerospace, defense, or high-tech manufacturing can earn $500,000 or more annually, especially with extensive experience, advanced certifications, and leadership roles. High compensation often reflects the complexity of safety systems, regulatory requirements, and the need for expertise in risk assessment and safety standards.

What is the highest salary of a Safety Engineer?

The highest salaries for Principal System Safety Engineers can exceed $150,000 annually, especially with extensive experience, advanced certifications, and working in high-demand industries such as aerospace, defense, or nuclear. Senior safety engineers with specialized skills and leadership roles may earn even higher compensation packages, including bonuses and benefits.

What engineers make $200,000 a year?

Principal System Safety Engineers and other senior engineering roles in specialized fields such as aerospace, defense, or software engineering can earn $200,000 or more annually, especially with extensive experience, advanced certifications, and working in high-demand industries. Compensation often includes base salary, bonuses, and benefits, reflecting the level of expertise and responsibility involved.

What are Principal System Safety Engineers?

Principal System Safety Engineers are senior professionals responsible for overseeing and managing safety activities in complex engineering projects, ensuring that all systems meet regulatory and organizational safety standards. They lead safety analyses, risk assessments, and the development of safety requirements throughout a system’s lifecycle. Their role often includes collaborating with multidisciplinary teams, mentoring junior engineers, and providing technical guidance on safety processes. These engineers play a critical part in industries like aerospace, defense, automotive, and rail, where the safety of systems is paramount.

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

To thrive as a Principal System Safety Engineer, you need deep expertise in system safety engineering principles, risk assessment methodologies, and a relevant engineering degree, often supported by certifications like Certified Safety Professional (CSP) or equivalent. Familiarity with safety analysis tools (such as FMEA, Fault Tree Analysis), safety standards (like MIL-STD-882 or IEC 61508), and requirements management systems is crucial. Strong leadership, analytical thinking, and clear communication skills enable effective collaboration across multidisciplinary teams and with stakeholders. These competencies ensure the identification, management, and mitigation of safety risks throughout complex system lifecycles, safeguarding both end users and organizational objectives.

How does a Principal System Safety Engineer typically collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure project safety standards are met?

A Principal System Safety Engineer regularly works alongside design, testing, and operations teams to integrate safety considerations throughout the project lifecycle. This involves leading hazard analyses, facilitating safety reviews, and ensuring that all identified risks are addressed in design and operational procedures. The role also includes mentoring junior engineers and communicating complex safety requirements to both technical and non-technical stakeholders. Effective collaboration ensures that safety standards are met without compromising project timelines or innovation.

What engineers make $300,000 a year?

Principal System Safety Engineers in specialized industries such as aerospace, defense, or high-tech manufacturing can earn $300,000 or more annually, especially with extensive experience, certifications, and leadership responsibilities. High salaries often reflect advanced technical skills, security clearances, and the ability to manage complex safety protocols in critical systems.
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Infographic showing various Principal System Safety Engineer job openings in the United States as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 96% Full Time, 1% Part Time, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 87% Physical, 5% Hybrid, and 8% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $149,214 per year, or $71.7 per hour.
Principal System Safety Engineer

Principal System Safety Engineer

Raytheon

San Jose, CA

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 14 days ago


Job description

Date Posted:

2026-07-07

Country:

United States of America

Location:

US-AZ-TUCSON-807 ~ 1151 E Hermans Rd ~ BLDG 807

Position Role Type:

Onsite

U.S. Citizen, U.S. Person, or Immigration Status Requirements:

The ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government issued security clearance is required.​ U.S. citizenship is required, as only U.S. citizens are eligible for a security clearance

Security Clearance Type:

DoD Clearance: Secret

Security Clearance Status:

Active and existing security clearance required after day 1

At RTX, the world’s largest aerospace and defense company, 185,000 great minds are united by purpose and inspired to make a difference solving the world’s most complex problems. With our three market leading businesses, world-class operations and investments in research and development, we offer capabilities and opportunity no one else can. Together, we push the boundaries of known science and find new ways to connect and protect our world.

Raytheon brings the strength of more than 100 years of experience and renowned engineering expertise to meet the needs of today’s mission and stay ahead of tomorrow’s threat. We deliver solutions that help our nation and allies defend freedoms and deter aggression, creating a safer, more secure world. Join us and help shape the future of aerospace and defense.

Our System Safety team is dedicated to evaluating and mitigating the safety risks that our products may pose to the world, specifically to people, hardware, and the environment. By applying rigorous engineering and management principles, criteria, and techniques, the team ensures that safety is optimized throughout every phase of the system lifecycle.

System Safety is an integral part of the design process, functioning as a critical component within the broader systems engineering framework. From concept development to deployment and beyond, the team works to identify potential hazards, assess risks, and implement solutions to enhance product safety and reliability for our warfighters.

This is an exciting opportunity for a highly motivated Principal Software Safety Engineer II to join an innovative team in Tucson, AZ.

What You Will Do

As a Principal Software Safety Engineer, your responsibilities will include:

  • Developing and implementing one or more MIL-STD-882E compliant system safety programs involving management (task series 100), analysis (task series 200), evaluation (task series 300), and verification (task series 400).
  • Practical application of project management skills: 
    • Create/update the strategy for the program to meet all its milestones with system safety features integrated into the product in compliance with contract and awarded funding.  
    • Create a schedule and integrate safety tasks and activities into program Integrated Master Schedule (IMS). 
    •  Plan/manage the safety program effort within the Program IMS. 
    • Understanding of the safety budget and tasking through close coordination with the responsible CAM / IPTL / product owner, including EACs. 
    • Mentor junior safety engineers.    
  • Actively engage in engineering review boards, and configuration control boards to stay on top of design changes and assess impacts to the established safety program.  
  • Establish on-going feedback loop with functional and program management.  
  • Lead & coordinate System Safety Working Group(s) between key Raytheon and Customer representatives.
  • Escalate risks to the appropriate level and follow through on corrective actions.  
  • Interpret system requirements, customer specifications and military standards, to recommend compliance strategies to program leadership: Chief Engineer, Program Manager, Integrated Product Team Lead, etc. 
  • Working across all integrated product teams and lines to properly eliminate hazards or provide effective controls.
  • Collaborate with stakeholders across a range of engineering functions to identify and mitigate risks: Systems Engineering, Software Engineering, Firmware Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Environmental Safety, & Health, Human Systems Interfaces, Test Engineering.  
  • Analysis of engineering hardware, mechanical and electrical drawings and schematics assessing fault tolerance, latent hazards, and safety requirements compliance.
  • Collaborate with Program Management and government approval authorities from design, fabrication, integration and test, production to demilitarization and disposal phases
  • Manage safety-related interactions with suppliers and/or subcontractors.   
  • Innovate better safety solutions.  
  • Identify best practices to improve overall safety culture at Raytheon.  
  • Understand and shape system safety/Human System Interfaces postures across the lifecycle (design, integration/ test, flight test, production, field, returns). 
  • Ability to work on Special Access Program(s) 

Qualifications You Must Have

  • Typically requires a degree in Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) and a minimum of 8 years of prior relevant experience. 
  • Experience with risk assessment concepts, such as those included in MIL-STD 882E and JSSSEH.
  • Experience writing technical reports and presentations.
  • Experience with briefing safety status to safety approval authority at technical reviews, safety review boards, and others as part of the safety approval process.  
  • Experience managing a safety program.

Qualifications We Prefer

  • Active/Existing DoD Clearance
  • Experience with briefing at the military safety review board.
  • Experience with system and software safety implementation in Agile Development environment
  • Experience with interpersonal and project management skills, with the ability to manage a safety program and provide directions to support safety personnel
  • Experience with Earned Value Management Systems (EVMS) and Proposal Development
  • Experience interfacing with Human Systems Integration showcasing execution of Human Factors Engineering tasking involving MIL-STD-1472. 
  • Experience with Engineering Change Proposals, Engineering Review Boards, System Safety Working Groups
  • Experience interfacing with other engineering functions: Systems Engineering, Software or Firmware Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering.
  • Master’s degree in science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM)

What We Offer

  • Our values drive our actions, behaviors, and performance with a vision for a safer, more connected world. At RTX we value: Safety, Trust, Respect, Accountability, Collaboration, and Innovation.
  • Relocation Eligible

Please ensure the role type defined below is appropriate for your needs before applying to this role. This position is classified as:

Onsite: Employees who are working in Onsite roles will work primarily onsite. This includes all production and maintenance employees, as they are essential to the development of our products.

As part of our commitment to maintaining a secure hiring process, candidates may be asked to attend select steps of the interview process in-person at one of our office locations, regardless of whether the role is designated as on-site, hybrid or remote.

The salary range for this role is 107,500 USD - 204,500 USD. The salary range provided is a good faith estimate representative of all experience levels. RTX considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the role, function and associated responsibilities, a candidate’s work experience, location, education/training, and key skills. Hired applicants may be eligible for benefits, including but not limited to, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability, 401(k) match, flexible spending accounts, flexible work schedules, employee assistance program, Employee Scholar Program, parental leave, paid time off, and holidays. Specific benefits are dependent upon the specific business unit as well as whether or not the position is covered by a collective-bargaining agreement. Hired applicants may be eligible for annual short-term and/or long-term incentive compensation programs depending on the level of the position and whether or not it is covered by a collective-bargaining agreement. Payments under these annual programs are not guaranteed and are dependent upon a variety of factors including, but not limited to, individual performance, business unit performance, and/or the company’s performance. This role is a U.S.-based role. If the successful candidate resides in a U.S. territory, the appropriate pay structure and benefits will apply. RTX anticipates the application window closing approximately 40 days from the date the notice was posted. However, factors such as candidate flow and business necessity may require RTX to shorten or extend the application window.

RTX is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability or veteran status, or any other applicable state or federal protected class. RTX provides affirmative action in employment for qualified Individuals with a Disability and Protected Veterans in compliance with Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act.

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