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.

Remote
caret down
Compensation
caret down
Position Level
caret down
Time Posted
caret down
Industries
caret down
More
1
caret down

$122K - $218K *

Transform R&D Enablement by defining strategies and creating scalable learning products that enhance team capabilities, drive performance, and leverage emerging technologies to support technical teams...

United StatesRemote

2 days ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$220K - $265K *

Lead the charge in building a high-performing mobile engineering team, driving technical execution and culture. Oversee multi-persona mobile experiences, architecture, and release operations, shaping...

United StatesRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$143K - $286K *

Join a dynamic team as you lead engineering efforts in backend technologies and AI-native applications, driving innovation and operational excellence while mentoring top talent and fostering a culture...

Sunnyvale, CARemote

2 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Retail & Consumer Goods

$143K - $286K *

Drive platform-level execution of software and AI/ML systems, ensuring alignment with strategic priorities. Lead cross-functional teams, mentor engineers, and champion DevOps practices to enhance inno...

Sunnyvale, CARemote

6 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Retail & Consumer Goods

$150K - $200K *

Lead the charge in shaping the technical strategy for cloud services, driving complex initiatives that enhance reliability, scalability, and security across multiple systems while collaborating with c...

United StatesRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$110K - $130K *

Lead the delivery of complex projects across multifaceted industries by managing teams, budgets, and schedules while ensuring quality, safety, and client satisfaction in regulated environments...

RemoteRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   11 - 15 years exp.  •   Real Estate & Construction

$155K - $209K *

Drive the future of device software as a hands-on technical lead, overseeing architecture and delivery for a team of firmware engineers. Own critical subsystems, ensuring safety and performance while...

Philadelphia, PARemote

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Energy & Utilities

$265K - $290K *

Shape the future of software development by leading an innovative AI-native platform that revolutionizes code generation and review, enabling engineers to build efficiently and collaboratively in a hi...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Consumer Technology

$120K - $145K *

Optimize runtime authorization strategies across diverse segments, driving technical wins and enabling Sales Engineers. Leverage deep IAM and PAM expertise to deliver impactful solutions, ensuring com...

United StatesRemote

3 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$160K - $180K *

Empower your career by delivering AI observability solutions end-to-end. Collaborate with a cross-functional team to enhance user experiences and drive insights into AI systems, shaping the future of...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$103K - $138K *

Unlock potential by designing and automating secure, scalable AWS cloud platforms. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance infrastructure reliability and streamline software delivery throug...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Staffing

$120K - $145K *

Shape the future of Agentic Banking by leading product strategy and execution. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver innovative solutions that enhance back-office operations and drive fin...

CanadaRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$100K - $120K *

Join a team that's dedicated to enhancing integration features across modern and legacy systems. You'll design APIs, deliver high-quality integrations, and collaborate with experienced engineers to dr...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$110K - $130K *

Design and engineer solutions that empower retail enterprises to integrate seamlessly with our platform, enhancing delivery operations and driving product excellence through proactive ownership and in...

CanadaRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Transportation

$100K - $120K *

Lead the charge in managing complex projects that drive strategic goals. Oversee project lifecycles, ensuring timely delivery, compliance, and stakeholder engagement while fostering collaboration acro...

St. Louis, MORemote

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$180K - $200K *

Shape the future of cloud infrastructure by leading a team to design, manage, and enhance developer tools and platform products that empower users to seamlessly provision and govern their infrastructu...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$125K - $150K *

Unlock your potential as you empower deployment and automation solutions in high-security environments. Leverage your expertise in DevOps and platform engineering to ensure robust operations across fe...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$90K - $110K *

Elevate the quality assurance process by managing UAT, bug triage, and CI/CD systems. Collaborate with engineering teams to ensure seamless communication and proactive quality management throughout th...

Toronto, ONRemote

1 month ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$96K - $154K *

Develop and maintain quality software for internal stakeholders, focusing on Python and AWS. Collaborate in an Agile environment, define architecture, and mentor junior developers while enhancing lega...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 6 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$200K - $235K *

Engineer innovative AI/ML solutions by collaborating with teams to design, deploy, and manage scalable models. Drive impactful insights through seamless API integration and advanced training resources...

RemoteRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$165K - $220K *

Unlock potential by leading airworthiness and certification efforts for complex aerospace programs. Collaborate with regulatory authorities, mentor engineers, and drive compliance activities across mi...

United StatesRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Aerospace & Defense

$150K - $180K *

Lead the design and management of robust and scalable network infrastructure for hyperscale data centers. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure high performance and reliability in support...

United StatesRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$164K - $197K *

Advance innovation by designing and operating next-gen storage solutions, driving projects from ideation to customer delivery, and collaborating in a remote-first environment focused on user-centric d...

CanadaRemote

Yesterday

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$150K - $300K *

Transform enterprise operations by developing AI solutions tailored to customer needs. Engage directly with clients, manage the full technical lifecycle, and drive measurable improvements in AI perfor...

United StatesRemote

Today

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$110K - $130K *

Join a team that's shaping database strategies and standards. In this role, you'll enhance database performance, ensure data integrity, and collaborate with engineering teams to optimize our database...

United StatesRemote

Yesterday

  •   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.