Principal Engineer Jobs in Pennsylvania

Principal Engineer jobs in Pennsylvania are in steady demand, with hiring concentrated in advanced manufacturing, defense systems, infrastructure, and technology sectors at levels from senior individual contributor through distinguished engineering leadership. Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and the Lehigh Valley account for the bulk of openings, where established employers like Lockheed Martin, Comcast, and Siemens maintain significant engineering workforces in the state. The most sought-after specializations include systems engineering, software architecture, and civil or structural engineering tied to Pennsylvania's ongoing infrastructure programs. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.

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Overview

Open roles92
Top employerPNC Financial Services
Top cityPittsburgh, PA
Cities hiring23
Work type56% On-site
Top industryConsulting

Showing 5 of 92+ Principal Engineer jobs

Naval Nuclear Laboratory
Principal Engineer
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Naval Nuclear Laboratory
New 14h ago
Principal Engineer
Naval Nuclear Laboratory
West Mifflin, Pennsylvania
Engineering (Non-Software)
Software Engineering
Technical Program Management
$106k - $166k/yr
Doctoral degree
5,001-10,000

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Framatome North America
System Designer Principal Engineer
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Framatome North America
New 23h ago
System Designer Principal Engineer
Framatome North America
Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania
Software Engineering
Technical Product & Program Management
UI/UX Design
$115k - $156k/yr
Bachelor's degree in Physics

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PNC Financial Services Group
Quality Engineer Principal - MLOps
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PNC Financial Services Group
Added 1d ago
Quality Engineer Principal - MLOps
PNC Financial Services Group
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Quality Assurance & Testing (QA Testing)
Software Engineering
Technical Program Management
$91k - $186k/yr
Bachelor's degree
10,000+

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PNC Financial Services Group
Quality Engineer Principal - Big Data / Hadoop / Data Warehousing
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PNC Financial Services Group
Added 1d ago
Quality Engineer Principal - Big Data / Hadoop / Data Warehousing
PNC Financial Services Group
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Quality Assurance & Testing (QA Testing)
Software Engineering
Technical Program Management
$91k - $169k/yr
Bachelor's degree
10,000+

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Coherent Corp.
Principal Software Engineer
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Coherent Corp.
Added 1d ago
Principal Software Engineer
Coherent Corp.
Horsham, Pennsylvania
Customer Service
Customer Success
Customer Support
$128k - $178k/yr
Master's degree
10,000+

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See All 92 Principal Engineer Jobs in Pennsylvania

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Principal Engineer Jobs by City in Pennsylvania

Where Pennsylvania roles are concentrated, by current openings.

Cranberry Township
11 jobs
Philadelphia
9 jobs
Warrendale
5 jobs
Horsham
4 jobs
Malvern
4 jobs
Reading
4 jobs
King of Prussia
4 jobs
Harrisburg
3 jobs

Principal Engineer Job Market in Pennsylvania

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

Who's Hiring

  • PNC Financial Services
    PNC Financial Services13
  • Westinghouse Electric Company
    Westinghouse Electric Company9
  • Worley
    Worley4
  • Motional
    Motional4
  • Coherent
    Coherent4

Top Industries Hiring

  • Consulting & Professional Services
  • Technology & Software
  • Manufacturing
  • Banking & Financial Services
  • Energy

What Pennsylvania Employers Look For

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

  • Bachelor's or master's degree in engineering with a relevant Pennsylvania Professional Engineer license preferred
  • Ten or more years of progressive engineering experience with demonstrated technical leadership
  • Proven ability to define architecture and set engineering standards across large cross-functional teams
  • Experience with systems integration, defense programs, or large-scale infrastructure projects common in Pennsylvania
  • Strong background in Agile or systems engineering lifecycle methodologies used by Pennsylvania employers
  • Ability to obtain or maintain security clearance for defense and government contractor roles in the region

Principal Engineer Jobs in Pennsylvania: Frequently Asked Questions

How do you become a principal engineer in Pennsylvania?

The most direct path is earning an accredited engineering degree, gaining substantial hands-on engineering experience, and then advancing into a technical leadership role recognized at the principal level. For roles in civil, structural, or mechanical engineering, obtaining a Pennsylvania Professional Engineer license through the State Registration Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors and Geologists strengthens candidacy considerably. Software and systems principal engineer roles typically emphasize depth of technical contribution and cross-team leadership over a state credential.

Which companies hire principal engineers in Pennsylvania?

Employers hiring principal engineers in Pennsylvania right now include PNC Financial Services, Westinghouse Electric Company, and Worley, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 2026. Pennsylvania's concentration of defense contractors, utilities, healthcare technology firms, and telecommunications companies means principal engineer openings appear consistently across both the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh corridors.

Which Pennsylvania cities have the most principal engineer jobs?

Pittsburgh, Cranberry Township, and Philadelphia lead Pennsylvania in principal engineer openings. Philadelphia draws the largest share through its concentration of technology companies, healthcare systems, and defense contractors, while Pittsburgh's strength in robotics, autonomous systems, and software draws significant demand, and secondary markets like Allentown reflect Lehigh Valley's manufacturing and infrastructure employer base.

Are there remote principal engineer jobs in Pennsylvania?

Yes, and more than most engineering levels, since principal engineer work often centers on architecture decisions, technical strategy, and cross-team coordination that can happen remotely. About 44% of principal engineer openings tied to Pennsylvania are remote or hybrid as of August 2026, reflecting broader industry flexibility. The portions of the role most commonly performed remotely are systems design review, code architecture, and stakeholder alignment, while on-site work tends to be required for hardware integration or classified program work.

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

The most realistic entry point is targeting associate or staff engineer roles at large Pennsylvania employers, then building toward principal through demonstrated technical ownership. Firms like Lockheed Martin in King of Prussia and Comcast in Philadelphia run structured early-career engineering programs that create internal pipelines. A Professional Engineer license from Pennsylvania's State Registration Board and a portfolio of meaningful technical contributions, even from academic or open-source projects, gives candidates without senior experience a measurable edge when applying to junior-to-mid roles that lead upward.

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

You can find and apply to principal engineer jobs in Pennsylvania on Migrate Mate, which lists current Pennsylvania openings across industries and metro areas. Find roles that fit your background and apply directly to the ones that match.

See All 92 Principal Engineer Jobs in Pennsylvania

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

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