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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$148K - $190K *

Unlock your potential as you build and maintain integrations that connect security tools to enhance customer workflows. Collaborate with a dynamic team to design, deliver, and support reliable solutio...

United StatesRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$173K - $290K *

Champion innovation in product development platforms, driving strategy and execution for AI-first tools that enhance collaboration and efficiency across teams. Lead the evolution of platforms, ensurin...

United StatesRemote

2 days ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Real Estate & Construction

$120K - $145K *

Champion the development of impactful software solutions, collaborating across teams to enhance educational tools. Take ownership of code quality and performance, while mentoring peers and leveraging...

United StatesRemote

3 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Food & Beverages

$150K - $230K *

Unlock performance excellence by driving innovative testing strategies and optimizing system efficiency across diverse engineering teams. Leverage your expertise to ensure application responsiveness a...

Texas, USRemote

Reposted 1 month ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$80K - $120K *

Collaborate with cross-functional teams to design and develop user-centric web applications, integrating AI-driven insights for high-stakes decision-making workflows while ensuring performance and sec...

Virginia, USRemote

2 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$120K - $160K *

Join our dynamic team to design and develop cutting-edge AI platforms, enhancing decision-making workflows through innovative web applications and robust backend services. Collaborate across the full...

Virginia, USRemote

6 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$120K - $145K *

Join a dynamic team to design and develop a next-gen AI platform, focusing on intelligent agent frameworks and modern web applications. Collaborate across the full stack to enhance decision-making wor...

Virginia, USRemote

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$163K - $316K *

Engage in defining and owning business architecture, translating strategy into action. Collaborate with stakeholders to enhance organizational efficiency through innovative capability models and AI in...

Salt Lake City, UTRemote

Reposted 1 month ago

  •   11 - 15 years exp.  •   Healthcare

$145K - $165K *

Lead the charge in enhancing marketing technology platforms to optimize customer engagement and journey orchestration. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver reliable solutions and improve...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Healthcare

$196K - $309K *

Lead the design and implementation of advanced knowledge graph solutions, enhancing personal work contexts and integrations across teams, while delivering scalable, low-latency APIs. Mentor engineers...

RemoteRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$125K - $150K *

Empower your career by developing scalable data solutions using functional Scala. Join a dynamic team focused on innovative cloud-based applications, collaborating to create high-quality products that...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$180K - $200K *

Champion innovation by developing scalable backend solutions and troubleshooting complex issues within our Cyber-Physical Systems platform. Collaborate with global teams to enhance performance and ens...

New York, NYRemote

Yesterday

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$200K - $225K *

Drive the design and delivery of innovative AI-driven applications. Oversee the full development lifecycle, ensuring scalability and reliability in multi-tenant enterprise solutions while collaboratin...

RemoteRemote

Reposted 2 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Business Services

$190K - $200K *

Lead the charge in electrical engineering excellence across multiple campuses, ensuring robust design, validation, and energization of critical infrastructure while integrating onsite generation solut...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$125K - $150K *

Build high-performing software teams that drive critical project success while managing technical architecture and mentorship. Collaborate with leadership to align solutions with business needs and en...

Overland Park, KSRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Healthcare

$120K - $145K *

Inspire innovation by leading a dynamic engineering team to enhance our transfer platform. Drive technical direction, foster collaboration, and ensure scalable, reliable solutions that empower clients...

CanadaRemote

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$110K - $130K *

Lead software developers to drive technical direction, enhance team performance, and deliver reliable software that meets business goals. Collaborate cross-functionally to prioritize, remove barriers...

Alberta, CARemote

3 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Legal & Accounting

$135K - $160K *

Empower a talented engineering team to develop innovative airgap-native software solutions. Drive product success in National Defense by ensuring seamless integration with UDS, fostering collaboration...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$144K - $237K *

Shape the future of secure member authentication by leading a senior team in building innovative identity solutions. Drive technical decisions and design across the customer identity stack, ensuring r...

United StatesRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Healthcare

$135K - $160K *

Champion modernization initiatives by designing and overseeing transformation solutions, integrating cutting-edge GenAI technology, and ensuring alignment with business objectives to drive impactful m...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 2 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$250K - $349K *

Unlock potential by leading technical direction for Core DevOps, improving CI/CD systems while driving productivity, quality, and AI innovations in a fast-paced environment impacting millions of users...

RemoteRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$150K - $180K *

Lead and inspire a blended team of developers to enhance AI-driven legal automation platforms, ensuring technical excellence, delivery, and collaboration across functions while managing architecture...

United StatesRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Legal & Accounting

$140K - $175K *

Design scalable software solutions by transforming complex business needs into robust APIs and system architectures. Collaborate across teams to enhance reliability, mentor engineers, and drive techni...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$135K - $160K *

Unlock potential by joining a cross-functional team to design and implement scalable AI workflows on a multi-cloud data platform, ensuring secure data governance and integration for enterprise applica...

CanadaRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Consumer Technology

$145K - $175K *

Shape the future of AI engineering by leading technical solutions, mentoring teams, and driving production outcomes in a collaborative environment focused on innovation and operational excellence...

Florida, USRemote

2 days ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

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.