How much does a Principal Engineer make?
Experience
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- 15+ Years
Industry
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- Insurance
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$225,386
/ yrThe estimated total pay for a Principal Engineer is $225,386 per year in the United States area, with an average salary of $156,081 per year. These numbers represent the median, which is the midpoint of the ranges from our proprietary Total Pay Estimate model and based on salaries collected from our users. The estimated additional pay is $69,304 per year. Additional pay could include cash bonus, commission, tips, and profit sharing. The "Most Likely Range" represents values that exist within the 25th and 75th percentile of all pay data available for this role.
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For Principal Engineer
Download as data table
What is the total pay trajectory for Principal Engineer?
| Job Title | Salary |
|---|---|
| Principal Engineer | $225,386 /yr |
| Senior Principal Engineer | $244,837 /yr |
| Distinguished Engineer | $248,552 /yr |
Top Paying Companies
For a Principal Engineer in United States
Below is the total pay for the top 10 highest paying companies for a Principal Engineer in United States. Employers include Google, Apple and NVIDIA.
Top Paying Companies
For Principal Engineer in United States
| 1 | $411,370 | ||
| 2 | Apple | $383,092 | |
| 3 | NVIDIA | $359,401 | |
| 4 | Yahoo | $344,594 | |
| 5 | Arrcus | $344,589 | |
| 6 | Amazon | $342,180 | |
| 7 | VMware | $333,873 | |
| 8 | Samsung Research America | $333,312 | |
| 9 | Cisco Systems | $331,558 | |
| 10 | Netskope | $331,090 |
For Principal Engineer
Download as data table
What is the total pay trajectory for Principal Engineer?
| Job Title | Salary |
|---|---|
| Principal Engineer | $225,386 /yr |
| Senior Principal Engineer | $244,837 /yr |
| Distinguished Engineer | $248,552 /yr |
What are total pay estimates for a Principal Engineer at different companies?
- Popular
- Most Reports
- Salary: high to low
- Salary: low to high
$271,405
/ yr
$194,709
/ yr
$283,827
/ yr
$216,639
/ yr
$219,545
/ yr
$331,558
/ yrIs this salary info helpful?
Let’s pay it forward! The Glassdoor community relies on people like you to share accurate salary info to promote fair compensation everywhere
$250,465
/ yr
$228,008
/ yr
$268,892
/ yr
$276,747
/ yr
$271,607
/ yr
$202,842
/ yr
$173,197
/ yr
$182,265
/ yr
$173,965
/ yr
$283,123
/ yr
$203,457
/ yr
$236,214
/ yrPrincipal Engineer Salaries
Top Paying Industries
For a Principal Engineer in United States
The top 5 paying industries for a Principal Engineer in United States are Information Technology with a median total pay of $280,906, Transportation & Logistics with a median total pay of $255,145, Healthcare with a median total pay of $249,165, Retail & Wholesale with a median total pay of $242,576, and Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology with a median total pay of $232,236.
Glassdoor Economist Pay Overview
What is the pay outlook for Engineering?
Engineering jobs are in high demand with workers receiving generous compensation packages and bonuses. Engineering offers ample opportunity for growth and development with transferable skills across an array of fields from software, supply chain and logistics to aerospace. Most roles require at least a bachelor’s degree. To remain competitive, job-seekers should consider specialization or skill-specific programs such as coding boot-camps or certifications.
Recent Salaries Shared
For principal engineer
Job Title
Location
Total Pay
Base Pay | Additional Pay
Total Years of Experience
Years at Recent Employer
Submitted
Date or Time
United States of America
| 15+ years
/yr
Submitted Yesterday
United States of America
| 15+ years
/yr
$133K | $5K
Submitted Yesterday
United States of America
| 4-6 years
/yr
Submitted Yesterday
United States of America
| 10-14 years
/yr
$125K | $19K
Submitted Yesterday
United States of America
| 15+ years
/yr
Submitted Yesterday
United States of America
| 7-9 years
/yr
Submitted Yesterday
United States of America
| 15+ years
/yr
Submitted Yesterday
United States of America
| 15+ years
/yr
$190K | $60K
Submitted Yesterday
Principal Engineer pay FAQ
The national average salary for a Principal Engineer is $156,081 per year in United States. Filter by location to see a Principal Engineer salaries in your area. Salaries estimates are based on 8282 salaries submitted anonymously to Glassdoor by a Principal Engineer employees.
The highest salary for a Principal Engineer in United States is $244,169 per year.
The lowest salary for a Principal Engineer in United States is $99,773 per year.
If you are thinking of becoming a Principal Engineer or planning the next step in your career, find details about the role, the career path and salary trajectory of a Principal Engineer.