Principal Engineer Jobs in California

Principal Engineer jobs in California are among the most active in the country, concentrated in technology, aerospace, semiconductors, and defense systems, with openings at every level from mid-career through distinguished staff engineer. The largest hiring markets are the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, and San Diego, where employers like Qualcomm, Lockheed Martin, and Apple maintain deep engineering organizations. Demand is strongest in hardware systems design, software infrastructure, and embedded systems. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.

Find Principal Engineer Jobs

Overview

Open roles1,050+
Top employerPalo Alto Networks
Top citySanta Clara, CA
Cities hiring78
Work type78% On-site
Top industryTechnology

Showing 5 of 1,050+ Principal Engineer jobs

Exelixis
Associate Principal Engineer
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Exelixis
New 8h ago
Associate Principal Engineer
Exelixis
Alameda, California
Cloud & DevOps
Technical Product & Program Management
Solutions Engineering & Architecture
Cloud Engineering
DevOps
Technical Program Management
$182k - $259k/yr
On-Site
Master's
501-1,000

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SanDisk
Principal Engineer, Technology Development Engineering
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SanDisk
New 13h ago
Principal Engineer, Technology Development Engineering
SanDisk
Milpitas, California
Specialized Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Industrial & Manufacturing Engineering
Engineering (Non-Software)
Manufacturing Engineering
On-Site
Doctorate
1,001-5,000

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Edwards Lifesciences
Principal Engineer, Quality
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Edwards Lifesciences
Added 3d ago
Principal Engineer, Quality
Edwards Lifesciences
Irvine, California
Quality Control
Specialized Engineering
Industrial & Manufacturing Engineering
Engineering (Non-Software)
Manufacturing Engineering
$121k - $171k/yr
On-Site
Bachelor's
10,000+

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Bosch
Senior Principal Engineer
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Bosch
Added 4d ago
Senior Principal Engineer
Bosch
Sunnyvale, California
Software Engineering
AI (Artificial Intelligence)
ML (Machine Learning)
Data Science & Analytics
Technical Product & Program Management
MLOps
Technical Program Management
$240k - $320k/yr
On-Site
Master's
10,000+

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Edwards Lifesciences
Principal Engineer
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Edwards Lifesciences
Added 4d ago
Principal Engineer
Edwards Lifesciences
Irvine, California
Specialized Engineering
Industrial & Manufacturing Engineering
Engineering (Non-Software)
Biomedical Engineering
Manufacturing Engineering
$87k - $123k/yr
On-Site
Bachelor's
10,000+

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See All 1,050+ Principal Engineer Jobs in California

Find roles in California that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.

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Principal Engineer Jobs by City in California

Where California roles are concentrated, by current openings.

Santa Clara
184 jobs
San Jose
178 jobs
San Francisco
109 jobs
Sunnyvale
74 jobs
San Mateo
53 jobs
Los Angeles
48 jobs
San Diego
38 jobs
Irvine
36 jobs
Milpitas
36 jobs

Principal Engineer Job Market in California

A snapshot from current California openings, updated as new roles post.

Who's Hiring

  • Palo Alto Networks
    Palo Alto Networks100
  • Roblox
    Roblox48
  • NVIDIA
    NVIDIA36
  • Astera Labs
    Astera Labs35
  • Walmart
    Walmart23

Top Industries Hiring

  • Technology & Software528
  • Electronics & Hardware266
  • Consulting & Professional Services97
  • Agriculture & Farming71
  • Manufacturing52

What California Employers Look For

The qualifications that appear most often in principal engineer jobs across California.

  • Bachelor's or master's degree in engineering, computer science, or a related technical field
  • 10 or more years of progressive engineering experience including technical leadership responsibilities
  • Demonstrated ability to set technical direction and drive architecture decisions across large systems
  • Experience leading cross-functional teams and mentoring senior and staff engineers
  • Deep expertise in at least one domain such as hardware design, distributed systems, or embedded software
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills for executive audiences and cross-organizational alignment

Principal Engineer Jobs in California: Frequently Asked Questions

How do you become a principal engineer in California?

Becoming a principal engineer in California typically requires a bachelor's or master's degree in engineering or computer science, followed by a sustained record of technical leadership at the senior engineer level. California employers generally promote into principal roles based on demonstrated scope of impact, system ownership, and influence across teams rather than a state-issued license. Civil and structural principal engineers may hold a California Professional Engineer license issued by the California Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists.

Which companies hire principal engineers in California?

Employers hiring principal engineers in California right now include Palo Alto Networks, Roblox, and NVIDIA, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of June 2026. California's concentration of major technology headquarters, aerospace primes, and semiconductor companies means demand for principal-level engineers is distributed across both large public companies and well-funded growth-stage firms throughout the Bay Area and Southern California.

Which California cities have the most principal engineer jobs?

Santa Clara, San Jose, and San Francisco account for the largest share of principal engineer openings in California. The Bay Area's concentration of major technology and semiconductor headquarters drives the volume there, while Los Angeles and San Diego attract principal engineers through aerospace, defense, and hardware companies including those clustered in corridors like the South Bay and Sorrento Valley.

Are there remote principal engineer jobs in California?

Yes, and more than most engineering roles, because principal engineers focus heavily on architecture, design review, and cross-team technical guidance rather than hands-on lab or manufacturing work. About 22% of principal engineer openings tied to California are remote or hybrid as of June 2026, reflecting the desk-and-collaboration nature of the role. Systems design, software infrastructure, and platform architecture positions see the highest proportion of fully remote arrangements.

How can I get hired as a principal engineer in California with little or no experience?

The most realistic path for someone earlier in their career is to target senior engineer roles at California technology or aerospace employers and build toward principal through demonstrated scope expansion. Companies like Apple, Qualcomm, and Northrop Grumman hire new graduates and associate engineers into structured programs and promote from within. Strengthening a portfolio with open-source contributions, patents, or published system designs and earning a Professional Engineer license through the California Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists can meaningfully differentiate a candidate moving toward principal-level consideration.

Where can I find and apply to principal engineer jobs in California?

You can find and apply to principal engineer jobs in California on Migrate Mate, which lists current California openings across technology, aerospace, semiconductors, and other industries. Search the listings for roles that match your specialization and experience level, then apply directly to the ones that fit.

See All 1,050+ Principal Engineer Jobs in California

Find roles in California that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.

Find Principal Engineer Jobs