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.
Lead Platform Engineer/Architect - HPC, Kubernetes
$150K - $180K *
Accelerate progress at a high-growth infrastructure team managing Kubernetes platforms across multiple clouds. You'll enhance GPU resource efficiency and ensure system reliability while collaborating...
2 weeks ago
Lead Platform Engineer/Architect - HPC, Kubernetes
$150K - $180K *
Empower your career by joining a dynamic infrastructure team managing Kubernetes platforms across multiple clouds. You'll develop systems that safeguard GPU resources, ensuring optimal performance and...
2 weeks ago
$125K - $150K *
Empower your career by delivering reliable software solutions, mentoring peers, and influencing design across teams, all while driving modernization and supporting operational excellence in scalable a...
3 weeks ago
Principle Machine Learning Architect | Enterprise Agentic Search
$196K - $309K *
Oversee the architecture for enterprise search, guiding AI agents in effective information retrieval, query understanding, and context construction. Lead cross-team collaboration to enhance search qua...
3 weeks ago
$90K - $118K *
Elevate the quality of software by designing automated testing frameworks and integrating AI tools for enhanced efficiency and accuracy. Collaborate cross-functionally to ensure smooth delivery of hig...
3 weeks ago
Principal Product Manager - Content
$135K - $160K *
Transform the content landscape by spearheading product strategy and enhancing customer experiences. Leverage AI and market insights to innovate a comprehensive product portfolio while ensuring editor...
Reposted 3 weeks ago
Staff+ Software Engineer, Memory & Search
$405K - $485K *
Join us to design and build innovative memory and search experiences that enhance user interaction across platforms. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to create impactful products that prioritiz...
3 days ago
$155K - $173K *
Join a team that's driving engineering excellence by designing scalable systems, influencing cross-team initiatives, and delivering high-impact solutions while mentoring engineers and upholding high s...
3 weeks ago
Lead Director, Software Development Engineering
$144K - $288K *
Transform healthcare by leading a high-performing analytics engineering team. Drive innovation in software development, machine learning, and data analytics to enhance patient experiences and outcomes...
Reposted 2 weeks ago
$122K - $165K *
Lead the charge in shaping data engineering practices, enhancing quality and delivery standards for enterprise data products. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to drive scalable solutions and en...
4 weeks ago
Principal Product Designer, DX
$183K - $289K *
Drive innovative product design by shaping user experiences across complex engineering data. Collaborate closely with leaders and cross-functional teams to enhance product strategy, customer insights...
3 weeks ago
Staff Software Engineer, Platform Engineering
$184K - $276K *
Empower cross-team collaboration by defining technical direction and elevating engineering standards across the organization, ensuring scalable solutions that address customer needs and foster innovat...
4 weeks ago
Engineering Manager, Core Engineering
$171K - $248K *
Lead a dynamic engineering team to enhance infrastructure and networking, driving user-focused product development while fostering collaboration and operational excellence across the organization...
Today
Principal Engineer - Agentic AI Applications
$168K - $240K *
Join us to define and deploy autonomous AI agents at scale, transforming cutting-edge LLM capabilities into reliable, high-availability products while mentoring a team of engineers and setting industr...
1 week ago
Senior Product Manager- Core HR
$130K - $191K *
Lead product strategy and execution by driving cross-functional teams to deliver high-quality solutions. Own the product lifecycle, prioritize impactful features, and leverage customer insights to ali...
2 weeks ago
$135K - $160K *
Champion the delivery of innovative data solutions, leading cross-functional teams to modernize platforms and drive AI integration. Ensure project success through effective management of scope, qualit...
3 days ago
$135K - $160K *
Inspire delivery excellence by leading a diverse portfolio of 20+ Scrum teams across regions. Align engineering outcomes with client priorities, enhance AI adoption, and drive measurable value through...
1 week ago
Senior Manager Software Engineering
$128K - $252K *
Lead the charge in building and managing high-performing software engineering teams. Drive innovation, optimize processes, and deliver high-quality applications while fostering a culture of excellence...
2 weeks ago
Colleague Modernization Engineer
$110K - $130K *
Drive modernization initiatives by leveraging AI and automation to enhance SaaS delivery processes. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to streamline technical architecture and improve customer ou...
2 weeks ago
Senior Software Security Engineer
$130K - $160K *
Join a dynamic team to build and enhance security practices, ensuring robust protection of sensitive data. Collaborate across engineering to create secure frameworks, manage identities, and fortify cl...
1 week ago
Staff Software Development Engineer
$140K - $173K *
Innovate by solving complex problems and building cloud-native solutions. Collaborate in an agile environment, delivering impactful software while utilizing modern technologies related to AI, Java, AW...
3 weeks ago
Senior Architect - Data Platforms & Architecture
$136K - $204K *
Lead the charge in designing robust Azure architectures across large-scale programs. Influence and guide technical strategies to connect client objectives with impactful, scalable solutions while fost...
Reposted today
Software Engineer 4/5 - Data and Feature Infrastructure, AI Platform
$466K - $500K+*
Elevate your career by building a cutting-edge ML data platform that enhances productivity for ML practitioners. Collaborate with experts to create innovative solutions for feature computation and sha...
Yesterday
$90K - $180K *
Lead the charge in designing and delivering scalable software solutions, driving technical excellence, enhancing communication effectiveness through AI/ML, and collaborating across teams to impact ent...
Reposted 3 weeks ago
$117K - $157K *
Join a team that's transforming enterprise AI solutions through innovative design and deployment. Leverage your expertise to build secure, scalable AI platforms that enhance business processes and dri...
3 days 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.