Principal Network Engineer
Principal Network Engineer Salary
$21K - $37.5K
6% of jobs
$37.5K - $54K
0% of jobs
$54K - $70.5K
0% of jobs
$70.5K - $87K
10% of jobs
$87K - $103.5K
7% of jobs
$107K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$103.5K - $120K
10% of jobs
The median wage is $131.4K / yr.
$120K - $136.5K
25% of jobs
$151.7K is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$136.5K - $153K
19% of jobs
$153K - $169.5K
8% of jobs
$169.5K - $186K
9% of jobs
$186K - $202.5K
6% of jobs
$21K
$134K
$204K
$133,243
/year
$64.06
/hour
Principal Network Engineer Salary Comparison by Location
Nationwide
United States
$133,243
Columbus
Ohio
$128,700
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How much does a Principal Network Engineer make?
As of Aug 15, 2026, the average annual pay for a Principal Network Engineer in the United States is $133,243 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $64.06 an hour. This is the equivalent of $2,562/week or $11,103/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $204,000 and as low as $21,000, the majority of Principal Network Engineer salaries currently range between $117,000 (25th percentile) to $158,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $190,500 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Principal Network Engineer varies greatly (by as much as 41000), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.
A Principal Network Engineer in your area makes on average $128,700 per year, or $4,543 (3.410%) less than the national average annual salary of $133,243. Ohio ranks number 39 out of 50 states nationwide for Principal Network Engineer salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Principal Network Engineer jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
Find your next high paying job as a Principal Network Engineer on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Principal Network Engineer Jobs
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Principal Network Engineer job is above the national average. Topping the list is Oakland, CA, , with Kentville, NS, and Whitehorse, YT, close behind in the second and third positions. Whitehorse, YT, beats the national average by $47,898 (35.9%), and Oakland, CA, furthers that trend with another $57,021 (42.8%) above the $133,243 average.
With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Principal Network Engineer appears to be exceedingly fruitful.
Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 7% between Oakland, CA, 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 a Principal Network Engineer role.
City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Oakland, CA | $190,264 | $91.47 |
Kentville, NS | $182,300 | $87.64 |
Whitehorse, YT | $181,141 | $87.09 |
Carcross, YT | $181,035 | $87.04 |
North Cowichan, BC | $179,885 | $86.48 |
Duncan, BC | $179,194 | $86.15 |
Oak Bay, BC | $178,867 | $85.99 |
Victoria, BC | $178,110 | $85.63 |
Alberton, PE | $176,447 | $84.83 |
Courtenay, BC | $175,973 | $84.60 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Principal Network Engineer Jobs in the U.S.
We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Principal Network Engineer category.
For example Arista jobs pay as much as $108,052 (81.1%) more than the average Principal Network Engineer salary of $133,243. If you're qualified, finding work as a Arista may help you make more money than that of the average Principal Network Engineer position.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Arista | $241,295 | $116.01 |
Principal Solution Engineer | $147,220 | $70.78 |
Ccie Wireless | $109,336 | $52.57 |
Communications Network Engineer | $96,327 | $46.31 |
No Experience Ccna | $53,147 | $25.55 |
About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
