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50+ principal engineer here. My perspective is US-centric, but I've worked closely with engineers on teams & orgs globally, both in the past as well as my curre
by throwawaypren21 5y ago
50+ principal engineer here. My perspective is US-centric, but I've worked closely with engineers on teams & orgs globally, both in the past as well as my current role. Not FAANG+ but close/adjacent; large, cloud-focused tech.
It's true that IC roles are less common at this level but they are definitely out there, especially in big tech. In the US anyway, it's basically a 2-tier system: $700K+ total annual comp or sub-$200. I didn't discover the former even existed outside the Bay area until the last few years, but boy am I glad I did. If you love what you do, in the right organization you'll have autonomy, creative freedom and potentially influence org-wide. And I'm not gonna lie, the money is great. (Side note to my US-based friends: at the high end, Salary.com, GlassDoor, etc is absurdly low). To the OP: if you're feeling constrained by your existing environment, consider looking around. The last 2 companies I interviewed asked virtually all design/architecture & leadership questions, no "leet code". There are definitely lots of opportunities from FB, Google, Apple & Amazon for PE roles in Europe so consider looking around. But that all assumes you fundamentally enjoy what you do (not talking structurally, actual system & technical leadership — the building & shipping part). I work hard at times, but honestly these days I could do most of my job in a couple of hours per workday. I wish you the best.
- xyzzy_plugh 5y agoThe comp targets are not normally 700k+, it just has happened in the last several years because stocks have appreciated so much. A total comp target of 400-500 is much more common, base should be well over 200k/yr, though.
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- throwaway_60757 5y agoI'm much earlier in my career (30s) and just starting to hit the staff level in my midsize tech company. Do you have any advice for positioning a career to those first tier of jobs over the next ten to twenty years?
- throwawaypren21 5y agoMine is certainly not the normal path, and there were several significant projects which only peripherally advanced my career, so ymmv (greatly). But I guess my best advice is to find a niche. There are endless numbers of "Java Architect 2"s or whatever in the labor market, but far fewer highly skilled engineers who understand deep business domains. Find your niche. You don't have to be a manager to develop close relationships with customers/users and understand their pain points. Become seen as invaluable (or at least really hard to replace) by your peers and senior management. And, of course, most engineers are underpaid. In case you've not read it, Patrick's essay is required reading for comp and career development. https://www.kalzumeus.com/2012/01/23/salary-negotiation/ https://www.kalzumeus.com/2012/01/23/salary-negotiation/ Good luck!
- throwawaypren21 5y agoAlso worth a read: https://www.kalzumeus.com/2011/10/28/dont-call-yourself-a-programmer/ https://www.kalzumeus.com/2011/10/28/dont-call-yourself-a-pr...
- throwaway_60757 5y agoThat makes sense. Thank you for your advice.