Principal Structural Engineer

Location

Chicago, IL

Wage

$130,100 – $195,100/yr

Employment Type

Full-time

Apply for This Position

Posted on September 3, 2026

Job Description

Overview

At Rimkus, the Built Environment Solutions team operates globally with local expertise, providing customized engineering and architectural solutions. The Principal Structural Engineer will evaluate and design solutions for complex building issues, ensuring sustainability and efficiency throughout the project lifecycle.

Responsibilities

  • Lead the preparation and review of construction drawings, specifications, and structural calculations.
  • Oversee complex structural evaluations of existing and damaged buildings.
  • Direct investigations and condition assessments for appropriate repair strategies.
  • Lead design assignments for upgrades and rehabilitation of existing buildings.
  • Ensure all deliverables comply with applicable building codes and standards.
  • Establish quality control standards for the team.
  • Plan and lead field assessments and site investigations.
  • Provide construction-phase engineering support.
  • Act as team leader responsible for project delivery.
  • Mentor and coach staff in technical development and professional growth.
  • Develop and manage project plans and budgets.
  • Serve as a practice-area expert in client meetings.

Requirements

  • Bachelor's degree in Engineering (Civil/Structural) is required.
  • 15+ years of progressive structural engineering experience is required.
  • Professional Engineer (P.E.) license is required.
  • Expert knowledge of commercial and residential structural systems.
  • Proficiency with building codes and referenced standards.
  • Strong technical writing skills.
  • AutoCAD proficiency is required.
  • BIM proficiency is preferred.
  • Ability to perform field work in active construction environments.

Benefits

  • Health Insurance
  • Dental
  • Vision
  • 401k
  • PTO

Additional Information

  • This position requires up to 25% travel.
  • Regular working hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Benefits

Health Insurance
Dental
Vision
401k
PTO

How this job compares in Chicago, IL

Pay in context

At roughly $78/hr, this posting sits about 66% above the $47/hr median for structural welder jobs in Chicago, IL — toward the top of a $43–$58/hr middle band drawn from 11 postings with published pay. Put another way, it pays more than about 100% of the comparable postings we have wage data for. Pay that far above local median usually comes attached to something: a harder cert requirement, travel, night shift, or overtime that isn't really optional. Worth establishing which before you accept.

The local market in Chicago, IL

We're tracking 104 other active welding openings in Chicago, IL right now, from 65 different employers. 44 of them were added in the last week. Across Illinois as a whole we're tracking 371 other active welding openings from 240 employers. A metro this active generally means you have real leverage — employers here are competing for the same welders. Browse every welding job in Chicago, or widen the search to Illinois.

The most active employers in Illinois at the moment, by number of open welding reqs, are Staff on Site (13), S&C Electric Company (12), and Gerber Collision & Glass (11). Volume like that usually means either a genuine expansion or a staffing agency working several client sites — worth knowing which before you apply.

Within Illinois, the best-paying metros we track by median hourly rate are Chicago at $38/hr, Itasca at $36/hr, and Downers Grove at $36/hr. Chicago is among them.

Similar openings near Chicago, IL

Pay figures are medians computed from live postings in the Welding Pros index, not from survey data, and they move as employers post. Principal Structural Engineer figures were last recalculated when this page was built.