Associate Principal Engineer

Associate Principal Engineer Salary

$41.5K

$76.5K

$131.5K

$82,636

/year

$39.73

/hour

Associate Principal Engineer Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$82,636

Columbus

Ohio

$79,818

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    How much does an Associate Principal Engineer make?

    As of May 28, 2026, the average annual pay for an Associate Principal Engineer in the United States is $82,636 a year.

    Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $39.73 an hour. This is the equivalent of $1,589/week or $6,886/month.

    While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $131,500 and as low as $41,500, the majority of Associate Principal Engineer salaries currently range between $65,500 (25th percentile) to $95,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $116,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for an Associate Principal Engineer varies greatly (by as much as 29500), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.

    An Associate Principal Engineer in your area makes on average $79,818 per year, or $2,818 (3.410%) less than the national average annual salary of $82,636. Ohio ranks number 38 out of 50 states nationwide for Associate Principal Engineer salaries.

    To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Associate Principal Engineer jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.

    Find your next high paying job as an Associate Principal Engineer on ZipRecruiter today.

    What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Associate Principal Engineer Jobs

    We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for an Associate Principal Engineer job is above the national average. Topping the list is Kentville, NS, , with Whitehorse, YT, and Carcross, YT, close behind in the second and third positions. Carcross, YT, beats the national average by $59,230 (71.7%), and Kentville, NS, furthers that trend with another $60,222 (72.9%) above the $82,636 average.

    With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as an Associate Principal Engineer appears to be exceedingly fruitful.

    Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 3% between Kentville, NS, and Courtenay, BC, , reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for an Associate Principal Engineer role.

    City

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Kentville, NS

    $142,858

    $68.68

    Whitehorse, YT

    $141,949

    $68.24

    Carcross, YT

    $141,866

    $68.20

    Haines Junction, YT

    $141,382

    $67.97

    North Cowichan, BC

    $140,966

    $67.77

    Duncan, BC

    $140,424

    $67.51

    Oak Bay, BC

    $140,168

    $67.39

    Victoria, BC

    $139,574

    $67.10

    Alberton, PE

    $138,271

    $66.48

    Courtenay, BC

    $137,900

    $66.30

    What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Associate Principal Engineer Jobs in the U.S.

    We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Associate Principal Engineer category.

    For example Principal Data Scientist jobs pay as much as $61,373 (74.3%) more than the average Associate Principal Engineer salary of $82,636. If you're qualified, finding work as an Principal Data Scientist may help you make more money than that of the average Associate Principal Engineer position.

    Job Title

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Principal Data Scientist

    $144,009

    $69.24

    Associate Research Scientist

    $83,671

    $40.23

    T Roc

    $63,244

    $30.41

    H2O Ai

    $56,375

    $27.10

    Club Feast

    $31,808

    $15.29

    About Our Data

    ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.

    Infographic detailing Associate Principal Engineer salary across the United States as of May 2026. Displays a bar chart with salary percentiles, a national average salary of $82,636 per year or $39.73 an hour, and a color-coded map showing state-by-state salary variations.