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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
$165K - $228K *
Join us to lead the architectural design of complex, multi-domain systems across cloud, data, and AI. Drive technical strategy, mentor engineers, and shape the future of innovative solutions in a coll...
1 week ago
Senior Program Manager, Leader Enablement & Development
$110K - $130K *
Transform frontline manager development by leading strategic programs that enhance coaching, deal inspection, and pipeline management. Collaborate cross-functionally to drive consistent team performan...
2 weeks ago
$120K - $145K *
Take ownership of the software development lifecycle, designing and implementing innovative solutions that enhance global health and environmental outcomes while collaborating with cross-functional te...
Today
Senior Software Engineer, Query
$185K - $255K *
Elevate data management by designing scalable storage solutions and ingestion pipelines. Lead technical direction, optimize performance, and ensure reliable access to historical data for product teams...
6 days ago
$125K - $150K *
Elevate your career by driving data engineering excellence in Palantir Foundry, transforming legacy systems into robust pipelines and applications while collaborating with cross-functional teams to de...
1 week ago
$115K - $130K *
Join a team that's dedicated to developing innovative web and cloud applications. In this role, you'll lead projects, mentor junior engineers, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver hi...
Reposted yesterday
$153K - $166K *
Empower the future of education by developing scalable web applications and cloud services. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance digital assessment experiences, ensuring reliability and...
Today
Manager - Software Development Engineering S 4D
$80K - $100K *
Unlock potential by leading a dynamic team of developers to deliver high-quality software solutions, collaborating with stakeholders, and driving strategic project initiatives while fostering a cultur...
2 days ago
Senior Software Engineering Architect - Investment Technologies
$150K - $224K *
Help us transform investment technologies by architecting solutions across full stacks in agile teams. Drive innovation and mentor engineers while ensuring compliance in a dynamic, regulated environme...
Reposted 4 weeks ago
Software Engineering Manager, Billing
$150K - $180K *
Champion the evolution of our billing systems by leading a dynamic engineering team. Drive strategy, ensure accuracy, and collaborate across departments to enhance customer trust as we scale our usage...
2 days ago
Senior Forward Deployed Engineer
$120K - $145K *
Shape the future of customer relationships by driving value and retention for large organizations, collaborating closely with sales and product teams to ensure success and growth through data-driven i...
4 weeks ago
$130K - $160K *
Create seamless user experiences by developing robust APIs and integrating third-party software. Collaborate with teams to design systems that prioritize performance and maintainability while tackling...
2 weeks ago
Director Software Engineering - Central Security
$180K - $220K *
Drive the development of innovative security systems using AI/ML, managing risk across identity and access management. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance security while maintaining ope...
Today
$110K - $130K *
Elevate user experience by designing and implementing high-performance UIs. Engage in collaborative architecture decisions while developing scalable, visually stunning applications that empower users...
4 weeks ago
Senior Electrical Design Engineer
$135K - $180K *
Drive innovative electrical design solutions for high-density compute environments. Collaborate across teams to ensure compliance with industry standards while mentoring junior engineers. Make a signi...
Yesterday
Senior Software Engineer - Tooling & Automation
$125K - $135K *
Architect a unified operational dashboard connecting diverse alert systems to streamline monitoring and enhance triage efficiency, ensuring critical alerts are prioritized and effectively routed...
Reposted 3 weeks ago
$125K - $150K *
Innovate core infrastructure and systems for agent-native applications, ensuring high availability and performance while enabling a culture of developer efficiency and confidence in delivery...
Reposted 3 weeks ago
$96K - $145K *
Accelerate your career by supporting critical mainframe applications, collaborating with cross-functional teams to enhance system performance and resolve complex issues, while driving continuous impro...
Today
Senior Software Engineer (Remote)
$135K - $160K *
Shape the future of geospatial science by leading the design and development of innovative data processing pipelines and APIs, while mentoring engineers and setting technical direction in a dynamic, m...
Yesterday
$125K - $150K *
Take ownership of shaping the future of Enterprise Customer Education by defining strategies, leveraging data, and leading teams to drive impactful outcomes that transform client engagement and enable...
Reposted 3 weeks ago
$120K - $145K *
Play a key role in designing and optimizing enterprise-scale cloud environments and CI/CD pipelines, collaborating cross-functionally to enhance operations, automate processes, and support mission-cri...
4 weeks ago
Senior Software Engineer II - Agentic SDLC
$170K - $185K *
Champion innovative software solutions by leading complex projects, mentoring engineers, and driving technical excellence across teams. Collaborate on strategic initiatives to enhance reliability and...
Today
$150K - $165K *
Transform your career by leading technical direction and architecture for complex systems. Collaborate across teams to drive innovation, establish standards, and mentor engineers while ensuring alignm...
2 days ago
Technical / Methodology Lead Engineer
$110K - $130K *
Partner with us to lead analytical quality in consulting engagements, developing research approaches and guiding teams. You'll ensure sound methodologies, oversee data analysis, and translate findings...
3 weeks ago
Senior Developer, Business Systems
$102K - $142K *
Transform Salesforce systems by enhancing integrations and configurations. Collaborate with a dynamic team to support professional services and streamline project management, ensuring seamless operati...
2 weeks ago
What does a Principal Software Engineer do?
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?
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?
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?
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?
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.