Principal Structural Engineer Salary
$50K - $59.5K
2% of jobs
$59.5K - $69K
8% of jobs
$69K - $78.5K
12% of jobs
$80.4K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$78.5K - $88K
15% of jobs
The median wage is $95.6K / yr.
$88K - $97.5K
16% of jobs
$97.5K - $107K
16% of jobs
$111.9K is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$107K - $116.5K
12% of jobs
$116.5K - $126K
9% of jobs
$126K - $135.5K
5% of jobs
$135.5K - $145K
3% of jobs
$145K - $154.5K
2% of jobs
$50K
$95.5K
$152.5K
$99,400
/year
$47.79
/hour
Principal Structural Engineer Salary Comparison by Location
Nationwide
United States
$99,400
Columbus
Ohio
$96,010
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How much does a Principal Structural Engineer make?
As of Jul 26, 2026, the average annual pay for a Principal Structural Engineer in the United States is $99,400 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $47.79 an hour. This is the equivalent of $1,911/week or $8,283/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $152,500 and as low as $50,000, the majority of Principal Structural Engineer salaries currently range between $80,000 (25th percentile) to $113,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $134,500 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Principal Structural Engineer varies greatly (by as much as 33000), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.
A Principal Structural Engineer in your area makes on average $96,010 per year, or $3,390 (3.410%) less than the national average annual salary of $99,400. Ohio ranks number 41 out of 50 states nationwide for Principal Structural Engineer salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Principal Structural 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 Structural Engineer on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Principal Structural Engineer Jobs
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Principal Structural Engineer job is above the national average. Topping the list is Kentville, NS, , with Whitehorse, YT, and Haines Junction, YT, close behind in the second and third positions. Haines Junction, YT, beats the national average by $54,184 (54.5%), and Kentville, NS, furthers that trend with another $55,788 (56.1%) above the $99,400 average.
With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Principal Structural Engineer appears to be exceedingly fruitful.
Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 4% between Kentville, NS, and Kelowna, 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 Structural Engineer role.
City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Kentville, NS | $155,188 | $74.61 |
Whitehorse, YT | $154,201 | $74.14 |
Haines Junction, YT | $153,584 | $73.84 |
North Cowichan, BC | $153,132 | $73.62 |
Duncan, BC | $152,543 | $73.34 |
Oak Bay, BC | $152,265 | $73.20 |
Victoria, BC | $151,620 | $72.89 |
Courtenay, BC | $149,802 | $72.02 |
Saint John, NB | $148,816 | $71.55 |
Kelowna, BC | $148,504 | $71.40 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Principal Structural Engineer Jobs in the U.S.
Analyzing some similar jobs related to the Principal Structural Engineer job category, we found that Principal Application Engineer jobs have average salaries greater than Principal Structural Engineer jobs.
Significantly, Principal Application Engineer jobs pay $11,298 (11.4%) more than the average Principal Structural Engineer salary of $99,400. If you're qualified, finding work as a Principal Application Engineer may help you make more money than that of the average Principal Structural Engineer position.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Principal Application Engineer | $110,698 | $53.22 |
Cost Engineer | $97,048 | $46.66 |
Construction Observer | $95,168 | $45.75 |
Civil Inspector | $70,510 | $33.90 |
Engineering Drafting | $52,344 | $25.17 |
About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
