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.
Software Engineering Technical Leader
$177K - $257K *
Advance internal AI platforms, enabling efficient engineering workflows for scalable AI agents. Collaborate with teams to build and enhance tools that increase productivity and reduce toil across the...
Reposted today
Software Engineering Technical Leader
$166K - $238K *
Transform high-volume DNS resolver systems as a key engineer, driving exceptional performance in mission-critical environments. Collaborate with teams to develop services on AWS and OpenStack, ensurin...
Reposted 3 weeks ago
$120K - $145K *
Champion a high-performing engineering team, guiding their growth while actively contributing to software development. Collaborate across functions to align goals and foster an inclusive culture, driv...
Today
Global Product Owner Autonomous Coding
$143K - $196K *
Champion innovative solutions in healthcare coding by leading cross-functional teams, optimizing product strategies, and enhancing customer experiences through data-driven insights and agile methodolo...
2 weeks ago
$110K - $130K *
Manage and optimize cloud infrastructure solutions on Azure, focusing on Kubernetes and CI/CD pipelines. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance production services, ensuring high availabil...
2 weeks ago
$120K - $145K *
Empower data-driven insights by architecting robust data platforms, overseeing ingestion and transformation across diverse customers, and mentoring a growing team while ensuring data integrity and per...
Reposted 3 weeks ago
Lead Software Solutions Architect
$135K - $160K *
Engineer innovative cloud-native solutions by leading architecture design and implementation. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to drive technical strategies while mentoring talent, ensuring pro...
Reposted 3 weeks ago
$129K - $193K *
Innovate exceptional customer experiences by managing complex global deployments, leveraging expertise in HCM, Payroll, and Financial solutions while enhancing methodologies through effective stakehol...
Reposted today
$140K - $180K *
Innovate with us as you lead technical delivery for enterprise data integration and migration projects, focusing on Higher Education and Salesforce ecosystems. Drive solution architecture, manage team...
1 week ago
Senior Data Integration Engineer
$120K - $145K *
Lead the design and optimization of scalable ETL/ELT pipelines while enhancing data integration and quality. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to drive architectural decisions and automate workf...
3 weeks ago
Staff Software Engineer, Mobile (App Infrastructure)
$181K - $241K *
Advance the technical strategy for mobile app infrastructure, collaborating across teams to enhance operations and ensure sustainability, while mentoring talent and promoting quality standards in a dy...
Reposted 2 weeks ago
$125K - $150K *
Join a dynamic team to bridge design and engineering, enhancing UI systems and creating reusable components that elevate product quality and speed. Collaborate across teams to build, evolve, and maint...
2 weeks ago
$125K - $187K *
Transform energy efficiency initiatives by leading a skilled engineering team. Drive project execution, mentor talent, and enhance program delivery across multiple states, ensuring impactful cost savi...
Today
Senior Software Development Engineer
$101K - $203K *
Drive operational excellence by providing technical support and enhancing application performance. Collaborate across teams to ensure reliability, implement SRE practices, and contribute to continuous...
Today
Senior Software Development Engineer
$92K - $185K *
Unlock your potential by leading the design and development of innovative cloud-native applications. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to drive technical direction and enhance member experiences...
1 week ago
$110K - $130K *
Lead the charge in managing high-impact data center construction projects, overseeing timelines, budgets, and stakeholder collaboration to ensure operational success from inception to completion...
Reposted 1 week ago
$176K - $243K *
Empower innovation by leading the design and delivery of AI/ML systems. Drive architectural decisions, optimize model development, and enhance system reliability while collaborating with cross-functio...
2 weeks ago
$160K - $200K *
Shape the future of creative leadership by setting visionary strategies, driving distinctive brand expressions, and empowering a talented team to deliver integrated, high-impact marketing campaigns th...
Reposted 5 days ago
Senior Engineer - AI Test Automation
$110K - $130K *
Empower your career by developing AI-driven test automation solutions for airline APIs. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance testing workflows and ensure high-quality software delivery i...
2 days ago
Application Development Engineer
$124K - $195K *
Transform systems integration by designing and maintaining APIs, automating workflows, and optimizing SaaS tools. Collaborate across teams to streamline processes and provide technical support for com...
Reposted 2 weeks ago
Staff Developer Experience Engineer
$199K - $270K *
Shape the future of software development by enhancing tooling, CI/CD, and operational workflows, ensuring teams can seamlessly transition code changes into production with improved speed, quality, and...
3 weeks ago
Senior Software Safety Engineer
$135K - $175K *
Engineer your career with a Senior Software Safety Engineer role focused on developing safety-critical autonomous systems. Collaborate with a multi-disciplinary team to enhance software safety process...
1 week ago
Senior Software Engineer, Platform Engineering
$152K - $228K *
Lead the charge in system-level design and engineer solutions crossing team boundaries. Empower those around you through coaching while maintaining hands-on involvement. Drive innovation in data engin...
4 weeks ago
Software Engineer - Development
$63K - $114K *
Join a dynamic team focused on designing and implementing innovative software solutions. Utilize your coding skills to address complex challenges, contributing to robust product development and ensuri...
Reposted 1 month ago
Senior Manager, Database Platform
$242K - $275K *
Lead and elevate the Database Platform team, driving data architecture, reliability, and team culture for scalable data solutions. Collaborate cross-functionally to ensure data integrity and operation...
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.