Median salary
$184,325
per year · annualized USD
Typical range
$152.5k – $239.9k
25th–75th percentile
Disclosing pay
78.8%
123 of 156 roles
Live roles
156
open right now
Salary trend
median · annualized USDSalary distribution
annualized USD · disclosed rolesHighest-paying jobs
Staff/Principal Backend Software Engineer
Principal Offensive Cyber Research Engineer
Staff/Principal Frontend Software Engineer
Distinguished AI Engineer
Principal Security Field Engineer
Sr. Principal Reverse Engineering/Vulnerability Research Engineer
Distinguished Engineer, AI Threat Defense
Distinguished Engineer
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Northrop Grumman
|
$139,750 | 34 |
| NI Nightwing | $152,500 | 11 |
| CI Clarity Innovations | $231,500 | 10 |
Mastercard
|
$259,000 | 4 |
|
Twenty
|
$323,500 | 3 |
STR
|
$245,000 | 3 |
Accenture Federal Services
|
$184,700 | 3 |
Vantage Data Centers
|
$177,500 | 3 |
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How much do Principal Engineer roles in Virginia pay?
The median salary for Principal Engineer roles in Virginia is $184,325 per year. Most pay falls between $152,500 (25th percentile) and $239,900 (75th percentile), with the broader 10th–90th percentile band running from $125,560 to $276,400.
These figures are computed live from 156 active Principal Engineer roles in Virginia on JobsRadar, of which 123 (78.8%) publish a salary range. Pay is normalized to annualized USD so roles can be compared on equal terms; the highest-paying roles listed above show their original posted currency. Numbers refresh every few hours as new roles are posted and older ones close.
Employers currently hiring well-paid Principal Engineer roles in Virginia include Twenty, Elevance Health, Databricks and Clarity Innovations.
Salary transparency varies by employer and region, so the disclosing share above reflects only roles that publish pay — not every open position. Use it as a directional benchmark rather than an exact offer.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the average Principal Engineer salary in Virginia?
- The median is $184,325 per year, with most pay between $152,500 and $239,900 (25th–75th percentile), based on 123 live listings that disclose pay on JobsRadar.
- What is the Principal Engineer salary range in Virginia?
- Pay ranges from about $125,560 to $276,400 per year (10th–90th percentile) around a median of $184,325. Figures are annualized USD from live listings, refreshed every few hours.