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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$250K - $270K *

Lead the charge in enhancing the guest web ordering experience by managing a team of full-stack engineers. Drive product innovation, optimize conversion rates, and ensure engineering excellence across...

RemoteRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Consumer Technology

$150K - $180K *

Innovate a high-performance AI training platform, enhancing ML workflows for autonomous vehicles. Collaborate across teams to optimize model development, ensuring reliability and scalability while pro...

Pittsburgh, PARemote

3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Transportation

$120K - $145K *

Contribute to innovative digital solutions as a Staff Engineer, collaborating with a cross-functional team to enhance custom applications that serve hundreds of thousands. Your technical expertise wil...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 2 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$100K - $250K *

Accelerate your career in a fast-paced environment by driving innovative software solutions for restaurants, improving customer interactions, and fostering seamless operations through team collaborati...

San Mateo, CARemote

4 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Hospitality & Recreation

$80K - $110K *

Transform your career by developing innovative software solutions in a collaborative Agile environment. Engage in all phases of the software development lifecycle while enhancing cybersecurity and ide...

United StatesRemote

Yesterday

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Healthcare

$156K - $234K *

Innovate global partner enablement strategies by architecting cohesive, scalable curriculum programs. Collaborate cross-functionally to enhance onboarding and continuous learning experiences, ensuring...

RemoteRemote

Today

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Consumer Technology

$110K - $130K *

Build innovative technology solutions for Equity Portfolio Management. Collaborate with stakeholders to enhance functionality and maintain high software quality, while leveraging modern practices and...

United StatesRemote

Reposted yesterday

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$110K - $183K *

Innovate the future of healthcare technology by developing scalable applications that streamline specialty prescriptions. Collaborate with a skilled team to enhance user experience and drive efficienc...

United StatesRemote

3 days ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Pharmaceuticals & Biotech

$110K - $130K *

Lead the charge in developing robust ML infrastructure and scalable applications, driving solutions for large-scale challenges while ensuring high-quality software design and functionality in a fast-p...

United StatesRemote

4 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$135K - $160K *

Join a dynamic team to architect and implement innovative AI applications, collaborating with stakeholders to deliver scalable, efficient solutions, and mentor junior developers while staying at the f...

RemoteRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$150K - $175K *

Join us to develop scalable full-stack applications using React, TypeScript, and Java. Collaborate across teams to enhance user experience and contribute to best practices in a cloud-native microservi...

RemoteRemote

1 week ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$181K - $290K *

Take ownership of the end-to-end monthly release engine, ensuring platform readiness, coherence in go-to-market strategies, and building scalable operating mechanisms in collaboration with cross-funct...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 4 weeks ago

  •   11 - 15 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$110K - $130K *

Empower project success by managing financial coordination, stakeholder relationships, and full-lifecycle oversight. Drive effective communication and risk management while adapting to changing priori...

St. Louis, MORemote

2 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$140K - $165K *

Join a dynamic team as you lead the design and development of complex software systems. Drive technical direction, mentor peers, and ensure high-quality, scalable solutions that align with business go...

United StatesRemote

6 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$85K - $170K *

Optimize legacy systems by transforming monolithic Java/.NET services into cloud-native Python microservices. Collaborate with teams to design scalable REST APIs and ensure secure delivery through Dev...

Mclean, VARemote

4 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$135K - $160K *

Empower our data platform by designing, building, and operating core capabilities. Collaborate with teams to enhance ingestion, storage, and API functionalities, ensuring scalability and resilience wh...

RemoteRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$121K - $145K *

Champion innovative solutions by building custom software for partners, engaging stakeholders, and defining architectural roadmaps. Drive efficiency and customer success through collaborative developm...

RemoteRemote

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$132K - $173K *

Architect AI-driven solutions that enhance business processes and decision-making. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to design, develop, and deploy scalable applications, ensuring compliance wit...

Kentucky, USRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   11 - 15 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$135K - $150K *

Develop and expand advanced orbit design processes for satellite constellations, applying expertise in orbital mechanics. Collaborate with teams to enhance modeling tools and support mission planning...

Seattle, WARemote

4 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Aerospace & Defense

$12K - $150K *

Lead the charge in building and securing AWS infrastructures, driving operational excellence across scalable architectures. Enhance systems reliability and governance while mentoring teams and fosteri...

United StatesRemote

4 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Pharmaceuticals & Biotech

$84K - $90K *

Optimize product development by collaborating with cross-disciplinary teams to enhance embedded systems, design software components, and ensure robust operation while addressing technical challenges i...

United StatesRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Aerospace & Defense

$125K - $175K *

Lead and optimize project management efforts, ensuring safety and efficiency while fostering strong relationships with clients and teams. Drive strategic improvements and mentor diverse teams to achie...

New York, NYRemote

1 week ago

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

$125K - $175K *

Elevate project outcomes by leading diverse teams, ensuring safety, and driving effective communication. Leverage your expertise in construction management to enhance processes and foster strong clien...

Dallas, TXRemote

2 weeks ago

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

$129K - $177K *

Elevate your career by leading technical direction and hands-on development in a dynamic digital health platform. Collaborate with teams to shape product outcomes and drive AI coding practices while i...

Kentucky, USRemote

Yesterday

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Healthcare

$159K - $164K *

Join a team that's shaping the future of enterprise applications by designing and maintaining robust web solutions in Azure Government Cloud, leveraging full-stack technologies to enhance user experie...

Arlington, VARemote

3 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Business Services

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.