Skip to content
applystead.Log inGet started

Applystead salaries · 1,845 posted pay ranges

Principal salaries

Pay ranges employers published in 1,845 open job postings for Principal roles at 499 companies, updated Nov 15, 2026.

Continue with GoogleGet matched to Principal jobs

Posted base pay ranges from job listings, not total compensation. Figures are in USD; 131 more postings in AUD (median A$165K), 34 more postings in CAD (median CA$163K), 23 more postings in GBP (median £78.9K). How these figures are made

Pay distribution

Principal: postings by posted pay1,641 postings by the midpoint of their pay range, in 16 bands from $110K to $270K. Median $187K; middle half $160K–$217K.Median $187K$110K$270K

Postings per pay band: $110K–$120K: 113; $120K–$130K: 53; $130K–$140K: 102; $140K–$150K: 67; $150K–$160K: 75; $160K–$170K: 162; $170K–$180K: 105; $180K–$190K: 180; $190K–$200K: 100; $200K–$210K: 112; $210K–$220K: 179; $220K–$230K: 118; $230K–$240K: 63; $240K–$250K: 42; $250K–$260K: 38; $260K–$270K: 132.

Pay by level

  1. Principal$187K median, $159K–$215K typical, 1,618 postingsPrincipal: middle half $159K–$215K, median $187K
  2. Director$261K median, $186K–$261K typical, 20 postingsDirector: middle half $186K–$261K, median $261K
  3. Executive$180K median, $156K–$208K typical, 3 postingsExecutive: middle half $156K–$208K, median $180K

Companies hiring

  1. Walmart$198K median, $165K–$215K typical, 214 postingsWalmart: middle half $165K–$215K, median $198K
  2. Ramboll$186K median, $186K–$212K typical, 62 postingsRamboll: middle half $186K–$212K, median $186K
  3. Department of EducationA$150K median, A$150K–A$160K typical, 54 postings
  4. Northern Trust$186K median, $186K–$186K typical, 50 postingsNorthern Trust: middle half $186K–$186K, median $186K

Top-paying companies

  1. Ode with Anthropic · $425K median, 9 postings
  2. Crux · $400K median, 8 postings
  3. Sikich · $323K median, 4 postings
  4. OpenAI Deployment Company · $300K median, 4 postings

Who’s hiring Principal

  1. Principal jobs at IQVIA · 54 open roles
  2. Principal jobs at Ramboll · 50 open roles
  3. Principal jobs at Coupang · 47 open roles
  4. Principal jobs at Palo Alto Networks · 8 open roles
  5. Principal jobs at Workday · 6 open roles

By location

  1. United States$187K median, $160K–$216K typical, 1,583 postingsUnited States: middle half $160K–$216K, median $187K
  2. California$215K median, $185K–$227K typical, 335 postingsCalifornia: middle half $185K–$227K, median $215K
  3. Illinois$185K median, $140K–$189K typical, 140 postingsIllinois: middle half $140K–$189K, median $185K
  4. Chicago, IL$186K median, $145K–$190K typical, 128 postingsChicago, IL: middle half $145K–$190K, median $186K
  5. Remote$195K median, $168K–$220K typical, 283 postingsRemote: middle half $168K–$220K, median $195K

Remote vs on-site

Remote: $195K median, $168K–$220K typical, from 276 postings. On-site: $188K median, $161K–$223K typical, from 698 postings.

By years of experience

  1. 5–7 years$165K median, $129K–$188K typical, 10 postings5–7 years: middle half $129K–$188K, median $165K
  2. 8+ years$186K median, $180K–$200K typical, 16 postings8+ years: middle half $180K–$200K, median $186K

Newest Principal postings

  1. Principal, Product SecurityItron · United States · $96K–$165K/yr · Posted Nov 14, 2026
  2. Principal, Staff Site ReliabilityDigitalBridge · United States · $210K–$230K/yr · Posted Nov 14, 2026
  3. Senior Principal, Energy & Utilities, Distributed Energy Resource Management Systems (DERMS)West Monroe · San Francisco, CA · $223K–$263K/yr · Posted Nov 14, 2026
  4. Principal, Commercial StrategyTrinity Life Sciences · United States · $188K–$258K/yr · Posted Nov 14, 2026
  5. Principal, GTM EnablementAlcumus · Remote · $110K–$160K/yr · Posted Nov 14, 2026
  6. Want Applystead to find more jobs like these? Start free trial →

Assistant PrincipalDeputy PrincipalEngineer Senior PrincipalSoftware Engineer / Principal Software EngineerCloud Computing Engineer Principal

Questions and answers

How much does a Principal make?

The median posted base pay for Principal jobs is $187K a year, from 1,845 job postings with pay at 499 companies.

What is the typical Principal pay range?

The middle half of postings list $160K–$217K. The top 10% list $250K a year or more, and the lowest 10% $130K or less.

Which companies pay the most for Principal jobs?

By median posted pay: Ode with Anthropic ($425K), Crux ($400K), Sikich ($323K).

How does Principal pay change with level?

Median posted pay by level read from job titles: Principal $187K, Director $261K, Executive $180K.

Free tools and comparisons

Jobscan vs TealKickresume vs TealRaise request email templateReal hourly wage calculatorCold email to a recruiter templateReference request email template

Start free trial