Principal Software Engineer Jobs

Explore Principal Software Engineer jobs for experienced technologists ready to shape architecture, guide engineering teams, and solve complex technical challenges. Ladders features vetted professional opportunities with salaries of $100,000 or more, helping you find senior roles that match your expertise and career goals.

What Does a Principal Software Engineer Do?

Principal Software Engineers provide technical leadership across products, platforms, or engineering organizations. They design scalable systems, establish engineering standards, evaluate architectural tradeoffs, and partner with product, security, and operations teams. Depending on the organization, the role may involve mentoring engineers and influencing roadmaps without direct people-management responsibilities.

Skills and Qualifications

Employers commonly seek deep software development experience, strong system design and architecture skills, and expertise in one or more programming languages or technology domains. Successful candidates communicate clearly, make sound decisions amid ambiguity, and build alignment across teams. Experience with cloud infrastructure, distributed systems, reliability, security, or data platforms may be valuable depending on the role.

Career Opportunities and Compensation

Principal-level positions are available across industries, including technology, finance, healthcare, retail, and business services. Compensation varies by employer, location, scope, and specialization. Browse Ladders for vetted opportunities paying $100,000 or more, and review each listing for its stated salary range, responsibilities, and requirements.

Find Your Next Principal Software Engineer Role

Use Ladders to discover senior engineering opportunities aligned with your experience. Compare roles by industry, location, and technical focus, then tailor your application to highlight measurable impact, architectural leadership, and the systems you have helped deliver.

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$110K - $130K *

Lead network engineering efforts to enhance tactical capabilities in air defense systems. Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to ensure secure information exchange and compliance across all phase...

Huntsville, ALRemote

1 week ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Aerospace & Defense

$225K - $338K *

Transform the future of AI security by leading the development of high-performance, low-latency applications in a multi-tenant B2B SaaS environment, while mentoring junior developers and driving innov...

California, USRemote

1 week ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$225K - $338K *

Transform cloud infrastructure for a cutting-edge AI security platform. Architect scalable solutions, optimize CI/CD pipelines, and ensure system reliability while leveraging serverless technologies a...

California, USRemote

1 week ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$206K - $310K *

Join us to lead the development of high-performance, low-latency applications in a multi-tenant B2B SaaS environment, enhancing security and efficiency through innovative AI tools and collaborative ar...

Seattle, WARemote

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$140K - $180K *

Take ownership of complex software and DevOps engagements, leading multi-team efforts and ensuring successful delivery and commercial outcomes. Collaborate with clients and guide teams to achieve proj...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Energy & Utilities

$154K - $260K *

Join an innovative team to lead and evolve critical Core Infrastructure. Oversee infrastructure strategy, improve operational health, and drive automation to boost performance across a globally distri...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 3 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$141K - $177K *

Join us to shape the future of cybersecurity by leading product vision and strategy for our innovative Autonomous and Continuous pentesting platform, driving impactful solutions that enhance security...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Consumer Technology

$179K - $232K *

Deliver innovative solutions by optimizing developer infrastructures, enhancing integration of hybrid tools, and streamlining workflows for improved productivity across diverse engineering teams and p...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 3 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Business Services

$163K - $224K *

Help us lead and develop a senior Cloud Engineering team focused on operational excellence, infrastructure stability, and impactful migration programs that drive growth and efficiency within our cloud...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 2 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$135K - $160K *

Join a team that's shaping the future of security by leading software projects, mentoring engineers, and driving innovation in critical systems to support our rapid growth and enhance our product offe...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 3 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$149K - $235K *

Lead complex backend projects from design to launch, tackling architecture challenges and mentoring junior developers. Collaborate across teams to drive initiatives and ensure high-quality code throug...

San Francisco, CARemote

2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$285K - $320K *

Lead the charge in delivering Honeycomb Private Cloud, driving product growth, and collaborating across teams to enhance operational processes while building a high-performing engineering team to supp...

CanadaRemote

1 week ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$150K - $185K *

Champion the development of high-trust engineering teams while managing intake, capacity planning, and operational excellence. Drive delivery and foster collaboration across functions to meet evolving...

CanadaRemote

Yesterday

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$120K - $195K *

Join a team that's at the forefront of PCIe technology, enhancing high-speed communication between hardware components. Collaborate with engineers to optimize performance and reliability in cutting-ed...

Vancouver, BCRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Telecommunications & Hardware

$170K - $200K *

Shape the future of financial technology by developing seamless web applications. Collaborate with a dynamic team to create high-quality software that enhances user experience and drives strategic inn...

United StatesRemote

6 days ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Education, Government & Non-Profit

$120K - $145K *

Drive innovation in insurance technology by transforming Gosu customizations into Java. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to design scalable backend services and APIs, enhancing the Guidewire Cl...

California, USRemote

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$164K - $240K *

Collaborate with cross-functional teams to build AI infrastructure, ensure reliability and security, and guide technical direction while fostering engineer development. Lead innovative projects that e...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 2 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$110K - $130K *

Champion the maintenance and support of existing software products while ensuring stability and responsiveness to customer needs. Collaborate across teams to enhance features and contribute to future...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Pharmaceuticals & Biotech

$132K - $264K *

Optimize platform engineering by delivering scalable, cloud-native solutions and AI/ML frameworks. Lead cross-functional teams through the software development lifecycle, ensuring high availability an...

Bellevue, WARemote

2 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Retail & Consumer Goods

$150K - $180K *

Lead the charge in designing and implementing innovative software systems for cutting-edge healthcare SaaS platforms, driving technical excellence and strategic collaboration across teams to achieve i...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 4 days ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Business Services

$250K - $275K *

Drive the transformation of banking by guiding product strategies for an innovative Banking as a Service platform, ensuring alignment across teams to deliver impactful financial solutions...

RemoteRemote

Reposted 3 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$175K - $200K *

Optimize our data infrastructure platform by enhancing automation, observability, and stability. Drive architectural changes to support long-term service requirements while ensuring high throughput an...

United StatesRemote

2 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$140K - $200K *

Transform backend systems by leveraging Java and Kotlin to enhance patch management capabilities for millions of endpoints. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver scalable, high-quality so...

Texas, USRemote

1 week ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$160K - $190K *

Join a team that's driving architectural excellence and AI adoption. You'll optimize cloud systems, enhance data processing, and lead engineering teams to innovate and scale efficiently, ensuring robu...

United StatesRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   11 - 15 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$150K - $180K *

Join us in shaping the future of enterprise compliance! As a key engineer, you'll design and deliver a robust org model that empowers complex security structures, ensuring seamless integration for our...

CanadaRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

  • What does a Principal Software Engineer do?question toggle

    A Principal Software Engineer leads technical direction across significant systems or teams, making architecture decisions, solving complex engineering problems, and helping establish standards. The role is often an individual-contributor position, though responsibilities differ by company.

  • What qualifications are needed for Principal Software Engineer jobs?question toggle

    Employers typically look for extensive software engineering experience, advanced system design skills, proficiency in relevant technologies, and a record of delivering reliable, scalable systems. Communication, mentoring, and cross-functional influence are also commonly important.

  • How much do Principal Software Engineers earn?question toggle

    Pay varies based on location, industry, employer, specialization, and role scope. Ladders focuses on vetted professional jobs paying $100,000 or more; check individual listings for compensation details.

  • Are Principal Software Engineer roles management positions?question toggle

    Not necessarily. Many Principal Software Engineers are senior individual contributors who influence technical strategy and mentor colleagues without managing direct reports. Some companies combine technical leadership with management duties.

  • Where can I find Principal Software Engineer jobs paying $100,000 or more?question toggle

    Browse Principal Software Engineer listings on Ladders to explore vetted opportunities with salaries of $100,000 or more and compare roles by their requirements, responsibilities, and location.