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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$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...

United StatesRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$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...

New York, NYRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$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...

United StatesRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$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...

Seattle, WARemote

3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$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...

Chicago, ILRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$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...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 3 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$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...

Seattle, WARemote

3 days ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$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...

United StatesRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Media

$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...

New York, USRemote

Reposted 2 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Pharmaceuticals & Biotech

$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...

RemoteRemote

4 weeks ago

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

$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...

Magna, UTRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$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...

Seattle, WARemote

4 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$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...

United StatesRemote

Today

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Hospitality & Recreation

$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...

Seattle, WARemote

1 week ago

  •   11 - 15 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$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...

United StatesRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Consumer Technology

$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...

United StatesRemote

3 days ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$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...

CanadaRemote

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$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...

United StatesRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$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...

United StatesRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$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...

San Francisco, CARemote

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$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...

RemoteRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$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...

United StatesRemote

Reposted today

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Energy & Utilities

$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...

United StatesRemote

Yesterday

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Hospitality & Recreation

$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...

Bentonville, ARRemote

Reposted 3 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Retail & Consumer Goods

$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...

United StatesRemote

3 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information 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.