Principal Design Engineer Salary in Newport Coast, CA

How much does a Principal Design Engineer make in Newport Coast, CA?

As of August 01, 2026, the average salary for a Principal Design Engineer in Newport Coast, CA is $126,790 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $61.

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

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $154,031
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $116,851 to $141,049
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $107,802
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View as table View as graph 25% $116,851 10% $107,802 90% $154,031 75% $141,049 $126,790 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Principal Design Engineer Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $141,049 $11,754 $2,712 $68
Average $126,790 $10,566 $2,438 $61
25th Percentile $116,851 $9,738 $2,247 $56
Check out Principal Design Engineer Job Openings in Newport Coast, CA
Housekeeper

STAFF PRO, LLC - Newport Coast, CA

Membership Services

YMCA of Orange County - Newport Coast, CA

Service Assistant - JOEY Newport Beach

JOEY Restaurants - Newport Coast, CA

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Key Factors That Influence Principal Design Engineer Salaries

A Principal Design 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, skills and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Principal Design Engineer Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Principal Design 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): $88,677
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $100,589
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $125,742
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $153,534
  • Expert (over 8 years): $179,863
Levels Salary
Product D... Level Principal Design Engineer$88,677
Product D... Level Principal Design Engineer$100,589
Principal... Level Principal Design Engineer$125,742
Product D... Level Principal Design Engineer$153,534
Product D... Level Principal Design Engineer$179,863
$88,677 0 yr
$100,589 < 2 yrs
$125,742 2-4 yrs
$153,534 5-8 yrs
$179,863 > 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?

Top Paying Cities for Principal Design 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: $146,115
  • San Francisco: $144,515
  • Oakland: $141,470

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

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Customer Service (Mentioned in 18.12% 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.
  • Continuous Improvement (Mentioned in 0.72% Job Postings): A continual improvement process, also often called a continuous improvement process (abbreviated as CIP or CI), is an ongoing effort to improve products, services, or processes. These efforts can seek "incremental" improvement over time or "breakthrough" improvement all at once. Delivery (customer valued) processes are constantly evaluated and improved in the light of their efficiency, effectiveness and flexibility. Some see CIPs as a meta-process for most management systems (such as business process management, quality management, project management, and program management). W. Edwards Deming, a pioneer of the field, saw it as part of the 'system' whereby feedback from the process and customer were evaluated against organisational goals. The fact that it can be called a management process does not mean that it needs to be executed by 'management'; but rather merely that it makes decisions about the implementation of the delivery process and the design of the delivery process itself.
  • Brand Design (Mentioned in 0.41% Job Postings): It refers to key brand elements such as the logo, color scheme, typography, and other design components that makes a brand stand out from competitors, and recognizable to consumers.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Customer Service 18.12%
Continuous Improvement 0.72%
Brand Design 0.41%
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 Design Engineer's salary.
  • Floor Care: Can increase your salary by up to 13%.
  • Square: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
  • Customer Relationship: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Floor Care
$143,273
13%
Square
$134,397
6%
Customer Relationship
$133,130
5%
Brand Design
$133,130
5%
Networking
$133,130
5%
Creativity
$130,594
3%
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Principal Design Engineer Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Principal Design Engineer roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 180% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Healthcare and MFG Nondurable sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 90% above the average. In contrast, Principal Design Engineer positions in Hospitality & Leisure or Pharmaceuticals typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Principal Design Engineer as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for a Principal Design Engineer

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Healthcare$240,901$116.090%
MFG Nondurable$228,222$110.080%
Construction$215,543$104.070%
Media$202,864$98.060%
Aerospace & Defense$190,185$91.050%

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

Understanding how a Principal Design 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 August 01, 2026

Find Your Next Principal Design Engineer Job

Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Principal Design Engineer job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.

United States
  • Ricoh USA, Inc.

    Newport Coast, CA

    Ricoh USA, Inc. | Newport Coast, CA

    Senior Receptionist & Switchboard, MS OnsiteProvides exceptional service to the business by greeting/assisting all visitors and answering and transferring ... more

    3 Days Ago

  • Norm Reeves Auto Group

    Newport Coast, CA

    Norm Reeves Auto Group | Newport Coast, CA

    Automotive Billing ClerkJob Category:AccountingRequisition Number:CONTR002688Location:Irvine, CA (On site) Type:Full Time Hourly Rate:$28-$30 an hr.As a Bi... more

    3 Days Ago

  • DKN Hotels

    Newport Coast, CA

    DKN Hotels | Newport Coast, CA

    Guest Service AgentSalary Range:$17.00 - $17.50 HourlyLevel:EntryPosition Type:Full TimeJob Shift:AnyCategory:Customer ServiceEssential Functions and Respo... more

    3 Days Ago

  • Hoag Health System

    Newport Coast, CA

    Hoag Health System | Newport Coast, CA

    Instrument Technician IIIThe Instrument Technician III has completed a training program and has at least 1 year experience in a SPD department. This role i... more

    3 Days Ago

  • PIMCO

    Newport Coast, CA

    PIMCO | Newport Coast, CA

    Analyst/Associate - Product Strategy GroupPIMCO is a global leader in active fixed income with deep expertise across public and private markets. We invest ... more

    3 Days Ago

  • Hoag Health System

    Newport Coast, CA

    Hoag Health System | Newport Coast, CA

    Maternal Child Health NurseNote:This is a continuous recruitment requisition. We are always looking for talented RNs to join our Labor and Delivery team at... more

    3 Days Ago

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Cost of Living In Newport Coast, CA

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