What are the main factors that influence a Principal Support Engineer's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change A Principal Support Engineer's salary?

A Principal Support Engineer's salary grows with experience: a Technical Customer Support Specialist I (0-2 years)earns $63,649, a Technical Customer Support Specialist II (2-4 years)earns $73,270, a Principal Support Engineer (4-7 years)earns $86,154, a Technical Customer Support Specialist IV (7+ years)earns $108,927, a Technical Customer Support Team Leader (7+ years)earns $77,329,

What are the highest paying states for a Principal Support Engineer?

Principal Support Engineer salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Principal Support Engineer roles are District of Columbia $93,665, California $93,310, Massachusetts $92,067. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Principal Support Engineer roles make?

Salaries for Principal Support Engineer level roles vary by specialization: Principal RF Engineer: $177,600; Principal Data Engineer: $170,762; Principal Database Engineer: $170,762; Principal Electronics Engineer: $170,591; Principal Engineer: $162,947.

How do different companies affect a Principal Support Engineer's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Principal Support Engineer roles. Large, established industry leaders like C R Bard Inc ($128,509) and Henry Schein Canada ($124,697) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $82,041.

Principal Support Engineer Salary in the United States

How much does a Principal Support Engineer make in the United States?

As of May 18, 2021, the average salary for a Principal Support Engineer in the United States is $84,597 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $41.

However, a Principal Support Engineer's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $96,821
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $69,235 to $90,996
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $55,249

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Principal Support Engineer Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$90,996	$7,583	$1,750	$44
Average	$84,597	$7,050	$1,627	$41
25th Percentile	$69,235	$5,770	$1,331	$33

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Key Factors That Influence Principal Support Engineer Salaries

A Principal Support Engineer's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Principal Support Engineer Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Principal Support Engineer's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $63,649
Early Career (1-2 years): $73,270
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $86,154
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $108,927
Expert (over 8 years): $77,329

Levels	Salary
Technical... Level Principal Support Engineer	$63,649
Technical... Level Principal Support Engineer	$73,270
Principal... Level Principal Support Engineer	$86,154
Technical... Level Principal Support Engineer	$108,927
Technical... Level Principal Support Engineer	$77,329

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What Am I Worth?

How Do Principal Support Engineer Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Principal Support Engineers. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $93,665.
California: $93,310.
Massachusetts: $92,067.

District of Columbia $93,665 California $93,310 Massachusetts $92,067 Washington $91,728 New Jersey $91,694 Alaska $91,576 Connecticut $90,408 New York $89,935

Hawaii $88,420 Rhode Island $87,710 Maryland $87,228 Minnesota $86,568 Colorado $86,314 Illinois $86,229 Oregon $85,908 Delaware $85,671

New Hampshire $85,522 Virginia $85,189 Pennsylvania $84,216 Nevada $83,725 North Dakota $83,565 Michigan $83,311 Wisconsin $83,218 Vermont $83,032

Texas $82,516 Maine $82,482 Arizona $82,431 Ohio $82,372 Georgia $81,594 Indiana $81,204 Wyoming $81,128 Utah $81,010

Iowa $80,959 Kansas $80,553 Louisiana $80,435 North Carolina $80,392 Missouri $80,375 Florida $80,045 Montana $79,868 Nebraska $79,699

Kentucky $79,605 South Carolina $79,267 Tennessee $79,056 Idaho $78,971 New Mexico $78,353 Oklahoma $78,218 Alabama $77,719 South Dakota $76,881

Arkansas $76,425 West Virginia $76,179 Mississippi $75,443

Top Paying Cities for Principal Support Engineers

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

San Jose: $106,702
San Francisco: $105,653
Oakland: $103,309

San Jose, CA $106,702

San Francisco, CA $105,653

Oakland, CA $103,309

New York, NY $98,039

Queens Village, NY $97,405

Paramus, NJ $96,728

Passaic, NJ $96,643

Bergenfield, NJ $96,559

Stamford, CT $96,432

Huntington, NY $96,347

Newark, NJ $95,797

Bridgeport, CT $95,628

New Brunswick, NJ $95,349

Vallejo, CA $95,171

Middlesex, NJ $95,121

Somerset, NJ $95,044

Petaluma, CA $94,850

Santa Cruz, CA $94,520

Boston, MA $94,351

Monterey, CA $93,928

Fairbanks, AK $93,868

Los Angeles, CA $93,708

Washington, DC $93,665

Seattle, WA $93,513

Santa Rosa, CA $93,496

Juneau, AK $93,251

Orange, CA $92,972

Anchorage, AK $92,819

Anaheim, CA $92,760

Santa Ana, CA $92,633

Nassau, NY $92,583

Long Beach, CA $92,549

Danbury, CT $92,523

Santa Maria, CA $92,236

Everett, WA $92,219

Bremerton, WA $91,804

Trenton, NJ $91,644

Sacramento, CA $91,610

San Diego, CA $91,567

Brockton, MA $91,534

Tacoma, WA $91,500

Santa Barbara, CA $91,381

Lowell, MA $91,043

New Suffolk, NY $91,009

Nashua, NH $90,908

Lompoc, CA $90,772

Ventura, CA $90,688

Stockton, CA $90,662

New Haven, CT $90,493

Atlantic City, NJ $90,273

Hartford, CT $90,087

Modesto, CA $90,045

Poughkeepsie, NY $89,859

New Britain, CT $89,816

Kennewick, WA $89,698

Olympia, WA $89,698

New London, CT $89,681

Norwich, CT $89,656

Lawrence, MA $89,613

Bakersfield, CA $89,376

New Bedford, MA $89,258

Riverside, CA $89,258

Richland, WA $89,173

Portsmouth, NH $89,106

Vineland, NJ $89,089

San Bernardino, CA $89,021

Boulder, CO $88,784

Worcester, MA $88,717

Portland, OR $88,640

Saint Paul, MN $88,539

Minneapolis, MN $88,539

Philadelphia, PA $88,420

Honolulu, HI $87,972

Springfield, MA $87,676

Providence, RI $87,668

Chicago, IL $87,422

Bellingham, WA $87,321

Baltimore, MD $87,228

Chico, CA $87,016

Wilmington, DE $86,872

Pittsfield, MA $86,788

Manchester, NH $86,627

Spokane, WA $86,255

Denver, CO $86,246

Albany, NY $85,849

Troy, NY $85,815

Schenectady, NY $85,637

Burlington, VT $85,451

Portland, ME $85,155

Salem, OR $85,087

Yakima, WA $85,070

Ann Arbor, MI $85,045

Rochester, MN $84,808

Reno, NV $84,766

Fresno, CA $84,766

Milwaukee, WI $84,690

Detroit, MI $84,605

Allentown, PA $84,580

Carson City, NV $84,571

Houston, TX $84,444

Colorado Springs, CO $84,436

Syracuse, NY $84,394

Eugene, OR $84,233

Gary, IN $84,131

Bismarck, ND $84,131

Galveston, TX $84,131

Springfield, OR $84,064

Medford, OR $83,861

Fort Collins, CO $83,827

Austin, TX $83,759

Mesa, AZ $83,582

Phoenix, AZ $83,565

Dallas, TX $83,539

Reading, PA $83,488

Saint Cloud, MN $83,455

Concord, NH $83,378

Madison, WI $83,345

Utica, NY $83,116

Raleigh, NC $83,049

Las Vegas, NV $83,040

Rochester, NY $82,981

Des Moines, IA $82,972

Atlanta, GA $82,837

Battle Creek, MI $82,812

Salt Lake City, UT $82,786

Lancaster, PA $82,659

Champaign, IL $82,642

Harrisburg, PA $82,541

Durham, NC $82,465

Kansas City, MO $82,456

Kansas City, KS $82,439

Fort Worth, TX $82,431

Boca Raton, FL $82,397

Cleveland, OH $82,389

Columbus, OH $82,372

Pittsburgh, PA $82,363

Richmond, VA $82,329

Indianapolis, IN $82,313

Cincinnati, OH $82,203

Petersburg, VA $82,076

Lansing, MI $81,890

Billings, MT $81,890

Huntsville, AL $81,890

Lebanon, PA $81,881

Pueblo, CO $81,873

Dayton, OH $81,873

Appleton, WI $81,847

Buffalo, NY $81,813

Racine, WI $81,771

Charlotte, NC $81,763

Saint Louis, MO $81,737

Springfield, IL $81,703

York, PA $81,687

Elkhart, IN $81,687

Gastonia, NC $81,678

Benton Harbor, MI $81,678

Beaumont, TX $81,627

Lorain, OH $81,610

Toledo, OH $81,577

Binghamton, NY $81,534

Rock Hill, SC $81,526

Rockford, IL $81,484

Elyria, OH $81,441

Fargo, ND $81,441

Flagstaff, AZ $81,382

Fort Lauderdale, FL $81,331

Miami, FL $81,280

Duluth, MN $81,145

Bangor, ME $81,035

Cedar Rapids, IA $80,942

Louisville, KY $80,900

Grand Rapids, MI $80,883

Hialeah, FL $80,874

Casper, WY $80,756

Scranton, PA $80,654

New Orleans, LA $80,629

Virginia Beach, VA $80,621

Akron, OH $80,578

Peoria, IL $80,468

Sarasota, FL $80,451

Green Bay, WI $80,392

Baton Rouge, LA $80,350

Charleston, SC $80,333

Nashville, TN $80,308

Jamestown, NY $80,291

Davenport, IA $80,291

Tucson, AZ $80,248

Cheyenne, WY $80,223

Saint Petersburg, FL $80,198

Tampa, FL $80,181

Omaha, NE $80,164

Evansville, IN $80,130

Port Arthur, TX $80,130

Bradenton, FL $80,096

Santa Fe, NM $79,944

Orlando, FL $79,859

Clearwater, FL $79,766

La Crosse, WI $79,589

Canton, OH $79,589

Grand Forks, ND $79,563

Tulsa, OK $79,538

Albuquerque, NM $79,538

Newport News, VA $79,529

High Point, NC $79,504

Ogden, UT $79,470

Corpus Christi, TX $79,402

Laramie, WY $79,352

Norfolk, VA $79,352

Rock Island, IL $79,301

Saginaw, MI $79,284

Jacksonville, FL $79,276

Salisbury, NC $79,259

Memphis, TN $79,242

Moline, IL $79,199

Fort Myers, FL $79,174

Waterloo, IA $79,064

Spartanburg, SC $78,979

Lincoln, NE $78,937

Fort Wayne, IN $78,920

Birmingham, AL $78,827

Cedar Falls, IA $78,810

Provo, UT $78,802

Springfield, OH $78,793

San Antonio, TX $78,776

Greensboro, NC $78,743

South Bend, IN $78,734

Winston Salem, NC $78,726

Boise, ID $78,700

Savannah, GA $78,641

Muskegon, MI $78,489

Lima, OH $78,387

Lake Charles, LA $78,353

Anderson, IN $78,337

Lexington, KY $78,311

Augusta, GA $78,286

Greenville, SC $78,286

Wichita, KS $78,210

Tuscaloosa, AL $78,210

Columbia, SC $78,133

Bloomington, IN $77,922

Roanoke, VA $77,871

Asheville, NC $77,761

Knoxville, TN $77,617

Shreveport, LA $77,609

Wilmington, NC $77,499

Frankfort, KY $77,338

Oklahoma City, OK $77,279

Chillicothe, OH $77,245

Longview, TX $77,237

Topeka, KS $77,211

Mobile, AL $77,084

Terre Haute, IN $77,051

Erie, PA $77,042

Altoona, PA $77,000

Melbourne, FL $76,975

Amarillo, TX $76,941

Killeen, TX $76,915

Fayetteville, AR $76,848

Sioux Falls, SD $76,788

Chattanooga, TN $76,738

Idaho Falls, ID $76,729

Gainesville, FL $76,552

Portsmouth, OH $76,509

Little Rock, AR $76,492

Lynchburg, VA $76,492

Youngstown, OH $76,458

Lafayette, LA $76,458

Temple, TX $76,425

Daytona Beach, FL $76,408

Clarksville, TN $76,399

Pensacola, FL $76,391

Hopkinsville, KY $76,137

Charleston, WV $76,129

Florence, SC $76,086

Sioux City, IA $76,035

Macon, GA $75,790

Tallahassee, FL $75,782

Fayetteville, NC $75,765

Wichita Falls, TX $75,748

Waco, TX $75,748

Pine Bluff, AR $75,714

Vincennes, IN $75,553

Lubbock, TX $75,519

Great Falls, MT $75,469

Alamogordo, NM $75,460

Abilene, TX $75,393

Rapid City, SD $75,283

Monroe, LA $75,283

Albany, GA $75,232

Huntington, WV $75,223

Jackson, MS $75,215

Greenville, MS $75,206

Parkersburg, WV $75,122

Montgomery, AL $75,105

Johnstown, PA $75,088

Springfield, MO $75,020

Biloxi, MS $74,978

Sumter, SC $74,800

Columbus, GA $74,792

Twin Falls, ID $74,741

Pascagoula, MS $74,631

Kingsport, TN $74,411

Gulfport, MS $74,386

Alexandria, LA $74,107

Fort Smith, AR $73,895

El Paso, TX $73,667

Helena, MT $73,557

Las Cruces, NM $73,286

Harlingen, TX $73,049

Pocatello, ID $72,973

Florence, AL $72,948

Brownsville, TX $72,931

Dothan, AL $72,795

Mcallen, TX $72,753

Columbus, MS $72,127

Altus, OK $71,738

Lawton, OK $71,577

Pierre, SD $71,273

What Skills Can Increase a Principal Support Engineer's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Customer Service (Mentioned in 19.98% Job Postings): Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. The perception of success of such interactions is dependent on employees "who can adjust themselves to the personality of the guest". Customer service concerns the priority an organization assigns to customer service relative to components such as product innovation and pricing. In this sense, an organization that values good customer service may spend more money in training employees than the average organization or may proactively interview customers for feedback. From the point of view of an overall sales process engineering effort, customer service plays an important role in an organization's ability to generate income and revenue. From that perspective, customer service should be included as part of an overall approach to systematic improvement. One good customer service experience can change the entire perception a customer holds towards the organization.
Customer Success (Mentioned in 1.48% Job Postings): Customer success is a method for ensuring customers reach their desired outcomes when using an organization's product or service.
CRM (Mentioned in 1.11% Job Postings): Customer relationship management (CRM) is a technology for managing all your company's relationships and interactions with customers and potential customers.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Customer Service	19.98%
Customer Success	1.48%
CRM	1.11%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Principal Support Engineer's salary.

Leadership: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
Collaboration: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
Initiative: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Leadership	$90,518	7%
Collaboration	$89,672	6%
Initiative	$88,827	5%
Troubleshooting	$87,135	3%
Problem Solving	$86,289	2%
Customer Satisfaction	$85,443	1%

Get Latest Data

Principal Support Engineer Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Principal Support Engineer's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on May 18, 2021

$69,235

Average $84,597/year

$90,996

$5,770

Average $7,050/month

$7,583

$1,331

Average $1,627/week

$1,750

$33

Average $41/hour

$44

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$90,996	$7,583	$1,750	$44
Average	$84,597	$7,050	$1,627	$41
25th Percentile	$69,235	$5,770	$1,331	$33

Salaries of jobs related to Principal Support Engineer

Salary Trends for Principal Support Engineer

Salaries for a Principal Support Engineer can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $82,467 in 2023 to around $81,818 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Principal Support Engineer salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Principal Support Engineer Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$82,467

2024

$82,424

2025

$81,818

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$82,467
2024	$82,424
2025	$81,818
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Principal Support Engineer

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