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.
Principal Product Designer, Jira
$221K - $289K *
Join a dynamic team as a Principal Product Designer, leading innovative design initiatives for Jira. Drive user-centric experiences, mentor designers, and collaborate across teams to shape the future...
3 weeks ago
Staff Software Engineer, Maps Services
$162K - $290K *
Shape the technical direction of a geospatial platform, building scalable systems and APIs that enhance location-aware experiences across products, while collaborating with teams to drive innovation a...
1 week ago
Software Engineer, Design Systems
$130K - $170K *
Lead the evolution of our design system by building accessible, reusable components and collaborating with cross-functional teams to enhance user experiences and streamline adoption across products...
2 weeks ago
Senior Forward Deployed Engineer
$120K - $145K *
Lead customer engagement through technical discovery and deployment, integrating AI solutions while collaborating with Sales, Product, and Engineering teams. Drive implementation efficiency and bridge...
3 weeks ago
Principal Product Manager - Interview Innovation (United States)
$216K - $227K *
Advance product vision and strategy for AI-driven technical assessments, enhancing evaluation methods through collaboration and innovation across teams to transform candidate evaluation in software de...
4 weeks ago
Senior People Business Partner, Engineering
$115K - $194K *
Unlock your potential as a strategic partner to senior Engineering leaders, driving organizational change and fostering a high-performance culture across global teams in a fast-paced tech environment...
6 days ago
$87K - $160K *
Unlock potential by leading strategic PLM engagements, transforming systems, and guiding clients through complex landscapes. Collaborate across teams to design scalable architectures that align with e...
Today
Principal Product Manager, Platform and Shared Capabilities
$120K - $145K *
Transform product capabilities by leading strategy and execution for shared workflows, ensuring seamless integration and user experience across platforms. Drive measurable outcomes through customer in...
2 days ago
Senior Developer - Duck Creek Billing Lead
$140K - $160K *
Tackle complex application challenges by designing and enhancing business software solutions. Collaborate closely with stakeholders to ensure systems operate optimally, providing a top-tier customer e...
4 weeks ago
Staff Engineer, Software - GenAI
$126K - $215K *
Transform AI experiences by architecting LLM-based agents that integrate with real-world tools, orchestrate tasks, and scale in production. Collaborate across teams to drive innovation and ensure high...
1 week ago
Staff Software Engineer, Frontend
$100K - $300K *
Elevate your career as a staff frontend software engineer, driving innovative user experiences across AI applications, app builders, and marketing pages while collaborating in a fast-paced, excellence...
2 weeks ago
$157K - $174K *
Elevate technical execution in GMP manufacturing by leading complex workstreams for comparability strategies, tech transfers, and process improvements. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensur...
5 days ago
$110K - $130K *
Transform cloud platforms by enhancing capabilities and reducing technical debt. Contribute to full stack development using Python and Go, while building scalable solutions and maintaining cloud infra...
2 weeks ago
Software Engineer - Team Lead (Forward Deployed)
$125K - $150K *
Drive engineering excellence as a Software Engineer Team Lead, guiding a team while collaborating with enterprise clients to create innovative, scalable solutions. Balance hands-on coding and mentorin...
Reposted 6 days ago
Lead Engineer - Payments Platform
$186K - $236K *
Lead the design and development of scalable payment solutions, shaping the future of money movement for small businesses. Collaborate cross-functionally to deliver resilient engineering solutions whil...
2 weeks ago
$135K - $160K *
Join a team of expert engineers to innovate a Kubernetes resource management platform, enhancing DevOps productivity and addressing complex engineering problems in a dynamic environment...
Reposted 2 weeks ago
$135K - $160K *
Elevate the design and development of a robust replication engine for large-scale data systems, focusing on high-performance, secure, and resilient asynchronous replication capabilities to ensure reli...
3 weeks ago
$120K - $145K *
Unlock potential by transforming spatial AI research into practical solutions that enhance user experiences for homebuyers and builders, driving innovation in generative floor plan capabilities within...
3 weeks ago
Senior Software Engineer II, Ads Data Solutions Engineering
$196K - $207K *
Design scalable data solutions, enhance off-platform integrations, and lead cross-team collaborations. Drive architecture modernization and AI-first initiatives while mentoring engineers and optimizin...
Reposted 1 week ago
Senior Technical Program Manager
$130K - $150K *
Lead the charge in driving program delivery and portfolio management for a dynamic Security team, ensuring effective execution of enterprise initiatives while fostering cross-functional collaboration...
1 week ago
Senior Software Engineer - Maritime Optimization
$120K - $145K *
Innovate your career by developing advanced software for maritime route optimization, focusing on vessel performance, simulation, and algorithm enhancement for government defense applications. Collabo...
Reposted 2 days ago
Sr. Software Engineer, Data Platform (MANTL)
$132K - $165K *
Lead the charge in building cutting-edge data lakes and warehouses, guiding cross-functional teams to optimize data strategies, ensuring robust architecture, and mentoring junior engineers in a dynami...
3 weeks ago
Staff Software Engineer - Performance Advisor
$220K - $240K *
Shape the future of loyalty by leading the technical execution and innovation of AI-powered features in a rapidly evolving product landscape, driving cross-functional initiatives with a focus on archi...
Reposted 1 week ago
Engineering Manager - Member Experience
$179K - $224K *
Join a team that's dedicated to delivering high-quality member-facing systems. As an Engineering Manager, you'll lead a squad through the entire development lifecycle, ensuring accountability, quality...
2 weeks ago
Staff Software Engineer - Services Platform
$239K - $298K *
Drive the evolution of Mercury's services platform by defining standards for deployment, authentication, and observability. Collaborate across teams to enhance infrastructure while mentoring engineers...
1 week 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.