Principal Manager Salary in the United States

How much does a Principal Manager make in the United States?

As of August 01, 2026, the average salary for a Principal Manager in the United States is $204,352 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $98.

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

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $241,185
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $187,687 to $223,632
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $172,514
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View as table View as graph 25% $187,687 10% $172,514 90% $241,185 75% $223,632 $204,352 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Principal Manager Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $223,632 $18,636 $4,301 $108
Average $204,352 $17,029 $3,930 $98
25th Percentile $187,687 $15,641 $3,609 $90
Check out Principal Manager Job Openings in the United States
Principal Engineer

ANS - Columbus, OH

Senior or Principal Engineer

Toole Design - Columbus, OH

Senior Director Principal Gifts

Confidential - Columbus, OH

Search More Principal Manager Jobs in the United States

Key Factors That Influence Principal Manager Salaries

A Principal Manager'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 Manager Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Principal Manager'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): $107,865
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $146,221
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $202,934
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $233,217
  • Expert (over 8 years): $318,912
Levels Salary
Operation... Level Principal Manager$107,865
Senior Op... Level Principal Manager$146,221
Principal... Level Principal Manager$202,934
Divisiona... Level Principal Manager$233,217
SVP of Op... Level Principal Manager$318,912
$107,865 0 yr
$146,221 < 2 yrs
$202,934 2-4 yrs
$233,217 5-8 yrs
$318,912 > 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?

Top Paying Cities for Principal Managers

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: $257,749
  • San Francisco: $254,927
  • Oakland: $249,555

What Skills Can Increase a Principal Manager's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Leadership (Mentioned in 16.07% Job Postings): Knowledge of and ability to employ effective strategies that motivate and guide other members within our business to achieve optimum results.
  • Continuous Improvement (Mentioned in 1.53% 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.
  • Purchasing (Mentioned in 0.93% Job Postings): Purchasing refers to a business or organization attempting to acquire goods or services to accomplish its goals. Although there are several organizations that attempt to set standards in the purchasing process, processes can vary greatly between organizations. Typically the word “purchasing” is not used interchangeably with the word “procurement”, since procurement typically includes expediting, supplier quality, and transportation and logistics (T&L) in addition to purchasing.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Leadership 16.07%
Continuous Improvement 1.53%
Purchasing 0.93%
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 Manager's salary.
  • Process Improvement: Can increase your salary by up to 16%.
  • Supply Chain: Can increase your salary by up to 16%.
  • Insight: Can increase your salary by up to 15%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Process Improvement
$237,048
16%
Supply Chain
$237,048
16%
Insight
$235,005
15%
Innovation
$232,961
14%
Procurement
$232,961
14%
Business Administration
$232,961
14%
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Principal Manager Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Principal Manager roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 57% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Software & Networking and Financial Services sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 25% above the average. In contrast, Principal Manager positions in Transportation or Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Principal Manager as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for a Principal Manager

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Software & Networking$255,440$123.025%
Financial Services$245,222$118.020%
Pharmaceuticals$241,135$116.018%
Biotechnology$235,005$113.015%
Internet$228,874$110.012%

Principal Manager Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Principal Manager'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

Salary Trends for Principal Manager

Salaries for a Principal Manager can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $159,142 in 2023 to around $155,447 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Principal Manager salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Principal Manager Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$159,142
2024
$158,204
2025
$155,447
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $159,142
2024 $158,204
2025 $155,447
2026
View More
2027
View More

Most common benefits for Principal Manager

Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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Common company salaries for Principal Manager

Here are companies hiring for Principal Manager and their salaries, click below for more details.

Find Your Next Principal Manager Job

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

United States
  • McKesson

    Columbus, OH

    McKesson | Columbus, OH

    McKesson is an impact-driven, Fortune 10 company that touches virtually every aspect of healthcare. We are known for delivering insights, products, and ser... more

    6 Days Ago

  • Educational Solutions Company

    Columbus, OH

    Educational Solutions Company | Columbus, OH

    Job Description. Job Description. Description. Performance Task. Purpose of the Performance Task. This performance task is designed to assess your readines... more

    8 Days Ago

  • Veracode

    Columbus, OH

    Veracode | Columbus, OH

    Job Description. Job Description. Looking for an innovative, high-growth, multi-award-winning company in one of the hottest segments of the security market... more

    9 Days Ago

  • T&amp;M Associates

    Columbus, OH

    T&amp;M Associates | Columbus, OH

    Job Description. Job Description. T&M Associates is seeking a highly motivated Principal Engineer to help grow our Land Development presence in our Columbu... more

    9 Days Ago

  • Hazen and Sawyer

    Columbus, OH

    Hazen and Sawyer | Columbus, OH

    Job Description. Job Description. Join our Hazen team and make the world a better place providing exceptional client service in. all things water. ® and su... more

    9 Days Ago

  • CoverMyMeds

    Columbus, OH

    CoverMyMeds | Columbus, OH

    McKesson is an impact-driven, Fortune 10 company that touches virtually every aspect of healthcare. We are known for delivering insights, products, and ser... more

    9 Days Ago

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FAQ about Principal Manager

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Principal Manager?

The Software & Networking industry offers the highest average compensation for Principal Manager roles, with salaries approximately 25% 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.)

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