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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$176K - $198K *

Join a team that's revolutionizing data solutions for impactful nonprofits. As a crucial member of our Engineering team, you'll enhance our data platform and drive analytics that support our mission...

RemoteRemote

Reposted 4 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$110K - $130K *

Drive innovative software solutions by designing, developing, and testing systems-level software. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to meet operational specifications and enhance SAP functionali...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Staffing

$150K - $170K *

Create robust digital privacy solutions as a Senior Full Stack Engineer. Take ownership of the code, lifecycle, and platform scalability to directly protect sensitive data for thousands of organizatio...

Washington, DCRemote

4 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$107K - $157K *

Join a team that's shaping the digital experience for customers by developing innovative applications. Collaborate closely with engineers to enhance customer journeys and forge lasting brand loyalty t...

RemoteRemote

Reposted 1 week ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$144K - $195K *

Innovate and lead the design of identity management solutions, ensuring security and integration across platforms. Collaborate with teams to enhance user experience and manage critical issues in a dyn...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Pharmaceuticals & Biotech

$125K - $150K *

Shape the future of backend development by independently delivering robust features and driving collaboration across teams while optimizing code for scale and performance...

San Francisco, CARemote

Reposted 4 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$116K - $150K *

Optimize SAP environments by leading migrations, ensuring system reliability, and implementing security measures. Contribute to project phases, from consulting to execution, while collaborating with d...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 1 week ago

  •   11 - 15 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$117K - $166K *

Join a team that's redefining eCommerce by building scalable backend services in a dynamic, AWS environment. Collaborate with engineers and product managers to enhance platform capabilities and improv...

United StatesRemote

4 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Retail & Consumer Goods

$216K - $240K *

Shape the future of grocery technology by leading the modernization of an on-demand ordering platform. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to create scalable, maintainable solutions, enhancing sys...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 3 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Consumer Technology

$110K - $130K *

Advance the design and implementation of electrical distribution systems for autonomous vehicles, ensuring robust architectures and seamless integration across teams from concept to production...

RemoteRemote

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Transportation

$90K - $125K *

Lead the charge in diverse control system projects, overseeing tasks and teams while ensuring successful project completion. Collaborate with stakeholders and provide engineering support, driving qual...

United StatesRemote

Today

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$171K - $288K *

Unlock potential by leading the modernization of major build systems for software-defined vehicles. Drive technical progress, influence team direction, and enhance engineering productivity through inn...

Milford, CTRemote

4 weeks ago

  •   11 - 15 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$272K - $320K *

Champion AI innovation by defining product strategy, conducting research, and enabling cross-portfolio collaboration to enhance observability and customer value in engineering workflows...

CanadaRemote

Today

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$160K - $180K *

Optimize system performance as a Senior Performance Engineer, focusing on latency and resource management. Collaborate with robotics teams to enhance high-throughput execution reliability and efficien...

Ann Arbor, MIRemote

Reposted 2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Transportation

$120K - $145K *

Drive product success with your AI expertise, guiding teams to deliver impactful solutions. Own product strategy from roadmap to metrics, aligning cross-functional efforts to meet customer needs and b...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$135K - $160K *

Lead and innovate within a high-impact engineering team, driving automation and transparency in customer assessments. Foster a culture of accountability while collaborating cross-functionally to deliv...

United StatesRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$130K - $160K *

Drive innovation in backend and data engineering, leading a team to build robust Python services and APIs for a next-gen wargaming platform. Balance technical leadership with hands-on coding to delive...

RemoteRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$110K - $177K *

Lead the charge in software development across a cross-functional team while ensuring quality and technical excellence. Balance hands-on coding with team leadership to deliver high-value applications...

Ohio, USRemote

Reposted 2 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Energy & Utilities

$110K - $130K *

Join our team to validate and enhance data migration processes through comprehensive testing, ensuring quality and performance in a dynamic Agile environment. Your expertise will drive successful syst...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$204K - $290K *

Lead the technical strategy of a dynamic team, ensuring high-quality project delivery while fostering collaboration across product development. Advocate for best practices in code and operational proc...

United StatesRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$125K - $150K *

Lead the evolution of cloud and DevOps solutions, driving automation and best practices while enhancing software delivery efficiency and reliability for impactful global initiatives...

CanadaRemote

4 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Pharmaceuticals & Biotech

$155K - $233K *

Shape the future of our infrastructure by architecting and building a hybrid Kubernetes platform. Lead hands-on initiatives across AWS, ensuring reliability and efficiency while collaborating with cro...

Washington, USRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$120K - $170K *

Develop and enhance Python services for pharmacy claims processing. Collaborate across teams to deliver high-quality solutions while gaining expertise in the pharmacy benefits domain. Embrace a hybrid...

United StatesRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Healthcare

$120K - $145K *

Empower a team of engineers by leading development, managing delivery, and driving process improvements. Collaborate across departments to ensure quality releases while maintaining a hands-on technica...

Alberta, CARemote

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$125K - $150K *

Champion the evolution of our Degree Progress product by leading a technical team to integrate advanced algorithms, ensuring reliability and scalability while delivering trusted outcomes for students...

San Mateo, CARemote

3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Education, Government & Non-Profit

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.