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Principal Member Technical Staff Salary in the United States

How much does a Principal Member Technical Staff make in the United States?

As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Principal Member Technical Staff in the United States is $105,890 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $51.

However, a Principal Member Technical Staff's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $128,366
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $96,902 to $117,655
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $88,719
Salary Factors Salary-Boosting Skills Salary by Experience Related Job Salaries Top Paying Cities Explore Related Jobs

Key Factors That Influence Principal Member Technical Staff Salaries

A Principal Member Technical Staff'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, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Principal Member Technical Staff Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Principal Member Technical Staff'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): $69,149
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $84,004
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $106,514
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $127,954
  • Expert (over 8 years): $161,477
Levels Salary
Telecommu... Level Principal Member Technical Staff$69,149
Telecommu... Level Principal Member Technical Staff$84,004
Principal... Level Principal Member Technical Staff$106,514
Telecommu... Level Principal Member Technical Staff$127,954
Telecommu... Level Principal Member Technical Staff$161,477
View as Graph

How Do Principal Member Technical Staff 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 Member Technical Stafves. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
  • District of Columbia: $117,241.
  • California: $116,797.
  • Massachusetts: $115,240.

Top Paying Cities for Principal Member Technical Stafves

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: $133,559
  • San Francisco: $132,097
  • Oakland: $129,313

What Skills Can Increase a Principal Member Technical Staff's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Troubleshooting (Mentioned in 6.17% Job Postings): Troubleshooting is a form of problem solving, often applied to repair failed products or processes on a machine or a system. It is a logical, systematic search for the source of a problem in order to solve it, and make the product or process operational again. Troubleshooting is needed to identify the symptoms. Determining the most likely cause is a process of elimination—eliminating potential causes of a problem. Finally, troubleshooting requires confirmation that the solution restores the product or process to its working state. In general, troubleshooting is the identification or diagnosis of "trouble" in the management flow of a system caused by a failure of some kind. The problem is initially described as symptoms of malfunction, and troubleshooting is the process of determining and remedying the causes of these symptoms. A system can be described in terms of its expected, desired or intended behavior (usually, for artificial systems, its purpose). Events or inputs to the system are expected to generate specific results or outputs. (For example, selecting the "print" option from various computer applications is intended to result in a hardcopy emerging from some specific device). Any unexpected or undesirable behavior is a symptom. Troubleshooting is the process of isolating the specific cause or causes of the symptom. Frequently the symptom is a failure of the product or process to produce any results. (Nothing was printed, for example). Corrective action can then be taken to prevent further failures of a similar kind.
  • Installation (Mentioned in 2.53% Job Postings): The action or process of installing someone or something, or of being installed. the act of installing the state of being installed, something that is installed for use.
  • VoIP (Mentioned in 2.13% Job Postings): Voice over Internet Protocol is the transmission of voice and multimedia content over an internet connection. VoIP allows users to make voice calls from a computer, smartphone, other mobile devices, special VoIP phones and WebRTC-enabled browsers.
Skills Demand Percentage
Troubleshooting 6.17%
Installation 2.53%
VoIP 2.13%
See More Skills

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 Member Technical Staff's salary.

  • API: Can increase your salary by up to 10%.
  • Insight: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
  • Customer Relationship: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
API $116,479
10%
Insight $112,243
6%
Customer Relationship $112,243
6%
Get Latest Data

Principal Member Technical Staff Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Principal Member Technical Staff roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 40% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit and Telecom sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 20% above the average. In contrast, Principal Member Technical Staff positions in Energy & Utilities or Transportation typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Principal Member Technical Staff as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for a Principal Member Technical Staff

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit$127,068$61.020%
Telecom$127,068$61.020%
Financial Services$121,773$59.015%
Business Services$116,479$56.010%
MFG Durable$116,479$56.010%

How Education impacts a Principal Member Technical Staff's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Principal Member Technical Stafves enter the field with a Associate's Degree degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Principal Member Technical Staff with a Associate's Degree is between $103,498 and $109,591).

Principal Member Technical Staff Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Principal Member Technical Staff
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 3.4%
High School 22.4%
Associates 10.3%
Bachelors 41.4%
Masters 20.7%
Doctorate 1.7%
View as Graph

Principal Member Technical Staff Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Principal Member Technical Staff'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 September 01, 2026
$96,902
Average $105,890/year
$117,655
$8,075
Average $8,824/month
$9,805
$1,864
Average $2,036/week
$2,263
$47
Average $51/hour
$57
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $117,655 $9,805 $2,263 $57
Average $105,890 $8,824 $2,036 $51
25th Percentile $96,902 $8,075 $1,864 $47

Most common benefits for Principal Member Technical Staff

  • Social Security
  • 401 (k)
  • Disability
  • Healthcare
  • Pension
  • Time Off (days)

Common company salaries for Principal Member Technical Staff

Here are companies hiring for Principal Member Technical Staff and their salaries, click below for more details.

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FAQ about Principal Member Technical Staff

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Principal Member Technical Staff?

The Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit industry offers the highest average compensation for Principal Member Technical Staff roles, with salaries approximately 20% above the market median.

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

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