Principal R D Engineer

Principal R D Engineer Salary

$74K

$147.5K

$212.5K

$147,220

/year

$70.78

/hour

Principal R D Engineer Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$147,220

Columbus

Ohio

$142,200

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    How much does a Principal R D Engineer make?

    As of Jun 10, 2026, the average annual pay for a Principal R D Engineer in the United States is $147,220 a year.

    Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $70.78 an hour. This is the equivalent of $2,831/week or $12,268/month.

    While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $212,500 and as low as $74,000, the majority of Principal R D Engineer salaries currently range between $118,500 (25th percentile) to $173,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $196,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Principal R D Engineer varies greatly (by as much as 54500), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.

    A Principal R D Engineer in your area makes on average $142,200 per year, or $5,020 (3.410%) less than the national average annual salary of $147,220. Ohio ranks number 30 out of 50 states nationwide for Principal R D Engineer salaries.

    To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Principal R D 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 R D Engineer on ZipRecruiter today.

    What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Principal R D Engineer Jobs

    We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Principal R D Engineer job is above the national average. Topping the list is Two Rivers, WI, , with Barrow, AK, and Nome, AK, close behind in the second and third positions. Nome, AK, beats the national average by $35,406 (24.0%), and Two Rivers, WI, furthers that trend with another $51,431 (34.9%) above the $147,220 average.

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

    Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 13% between Two Rivers, WI, and Palo Alto, CA, , 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 R D Engineer role.

    City

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Two Rivers, WI

    $198,651

    $95.51

    Barrow, AK

    $183,402

    $88.17

    Nome, AK

    $182,626

    $87.80

    Berkeley, CA

    $180,262

    $86.66

    Berlin Corners, VT

    $179,934

    $86.51

    Tacoma, WA

    $179,008

    $86.06

    Sitka, AK

    $177,353

    $85.27

    Wyoming, WY

    $175,578

    $84.41

    Mountain View, CA

    $173,672

    $83.50

    Palo Alto, CA

    $173,497

    $83.41

    What are Top 0 Best Paying Related Principal R D Engineer Jobs in the U.S.

    Analyzing some similar jobs related to the Principal R D Engineer job category, we found that related job jobs have average salaries similar than Principal R D Engineer jobs.

    Job Title

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    About Our Data

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

    Infographic detailing Principal R&D Engineer salary across the United States as of June 2026. Displays a bar chart with salary percentiles, a national average salary of $147,220 per year or $70.78 an hour, and a color-coded map showing state-by-state salary variations.