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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$125K - $150K *

Empower a dynamic team of engineers to innovate e-commerce solutions, driving growth through collaboration with product managers and stakeholders while leveraging AI to enhance development processes a...

Houston, TXRemote

3 days ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$150K - $180K *

Empower engineering teams to innovate and deliver high-quality SaaS products. Lead technical direction, enhance system architecture, and foster collaboration across teams to drive user-centric solutio...

RemoteRemote

1 week ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Legal & Accounting

$85K - $120K *

Elevate your career by joining our Innovation team as a Software Engineer. Collaborate on Proofs-of-Concept and drive features through the full software development lifecycle, from design to deploymen...

United StatesRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Consumer Technology

$85K - $120K *

Join a team that's focused on innovative software development, tackling various layers of the tech stack. You'll engage in documentation, automated testing, and debugging, while optimizing performance...

United StatesRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Consumer Technology

$120K - $150K *

Lead cross-functional efforts to drive execution in a fast-paced remote environment, overseeing key product initiatives and customer issues in our Privileged Access Management portfolio, while ensurin...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$120K - $145K *

Empower cutting-edge data solutions by leveraging Python expertise and collaboration. Contribute to building high-performance data platforms that drive innovation across various investment functions w...

RemoteRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$150K - $200K *

Engage in hands-on security initiatives across the platform, collaborating with engineering and product teams to identify vulnerabilities, develop security tools, and enhance secure development practi...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$156K - $262K *

Join a dynamic team to design and optimize scalable data pipelines and infrastructure, enabling analytics and AI-driven capabilities. Collaborate across functions to deliver high-quality data solution...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

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

$185K *

Accelerate software development by leading a team of engineers, driving technical strategy, and ensuring delivery of scalable, customer-focused solutions with operational excellence...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 2 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$105K - $165K *

Drive the design and management of AWS EKS Kubernetes clusters, ensuring high availability and security. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to optimize cloud infrastructure and automate processes...

Des Moines, IARemote

Today

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$110K - $130K *

Elevate the quality assurance landscape by building robust test automation frameworks, driving efficient testing practices, and partnering with cross-functional teams to ensure excellence in software...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$220K - $240K *

Elevate your career by leading strategic customer relationships in data security. Drive enterprise-wide programs, influence executive stakeholders, and ensure value realization through effective gover...

Dallas, TXRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$95K - $115K *

Optimize CI/CD pipelines and improve Azure infrastructure to enhance deployment and observability. Collaborate with teams, addressing performance issues while deploying critical products that elevate...

United StatesRemote

1 month ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$100K - $120K *

Join a team that's revolutionizing pharmacy operations with AI. As a Software Engineer, you'll independently ship impactful features and fixes, collaborating closely with experienced engineers in a fa...

Orlando, FLRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Healthcare

$125K - $150K *

Unlock your potential as you design and implement cutting-edge protective relay systems, ensuring safety and efficiency across multiple projects while collaborating with engineers and clients to deliv...

Tennessee, USRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   11 - 15 years exp.  •   Energy & Utilities

$171K - $190K *

Unlock potential by leading the design and implementation of scalable data platforms. Drive innovation in cloud data architecture and pipeline automation, collaborating across teams to deliver impactf...

United StatesRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$140K - $180K *

Lead the charge in driving innovative solutions as a Principal Solutions Engineer, collaborating with sales teams to deliver tailored technical proposals and enhance customer success through expert gu...

United StatesRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$116K - $194K *

Engineer cloud-based data platforms that drive AI insights for applications. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure reliable, scalable, and high-quality data management, leading design disc...

San Diego, CARemote

Reposted 1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Healthcare

$180K - $195K *

Drive the development of the Hypori app for Windows while enhancing iOS and Android functionalities. Collaborate in an agile environment, focusing on secure software practices, troubleshooting, and de...

Austin, TXRemote

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$135K - $160K *

Elevate healthcare outcomes by designing scalable web applications that enhance radiology workflows. Collaborate with a dynamic team to develop robust backend services and mentor fellow engineers in a...

San Francisco, CARemote

3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Healthcare

$110K - $130K *

Engage in innovative software solutions as a Senior Software Engineer, balancing technical priorities while mentoring a distributed team. Collaborate on designing, testing, and delivering quality prod...

Nashville, TNRemote

Reposted 3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Food & Beverages

$110K - $130K *

Lead large-scale engineering projects by overseeing design tasks, ensuring compliance, and mentoring team members. Collaborate with project managers to deliver high-quality solutions that meet client...

RemoteRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$230K - $275K *

Join a team that's committed to enhancing cloud reliability through innovative software and infrastructure solutions. Impact lives by maintaining scalable and secure systems supporting thousands of dr...

San Mateo, CARemote

3 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Consumer Technology

$103K - $153K *

Deliver a robust frontend architecture for a mature web UI, enhancing performance and usability. Collaborate with UX designers and set coding standards while ensuring security and analytics integratio...

CanadaRemote

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$154K - $232K *

Drive successful global deployments by leveraging your expertise in Workday methodology. Collaborate with clients and internal teams to ensure timely project delivery while enhancing customer experien...

RemoteRemote

Today

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Consumer Technology

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.