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.
$119K - $180K *
Lead the development of innovative web platforms, collaborating with cross-functional teams to enhance content management systems. Drive technical decisions and foster a culture of growth while ensuri...
1 week ago
Technical Program Manager-Flight Software
$151K - $251K *
Drive the planning and execution of Flight Software development programs, ensuring seamless coordination between engineering and program management for timely delivery of spacecraft software systems...
Reposted 1 week ago
Senior Electrical Application Engineer
$125K - $160K *
Elevate your career by owning electrical application engineering for prefabricated platforms. Collaborate across disciplines to deliver scalable solutions, ensuring design integrity and execution read...
2 weeks ago
$100K - $125K *
Champion the development of healthcare marketing tools by guiding cross-functional teams through the product lifecycle, driving innovative features and optimizing user experiences to enhance HCP engag...
Reposted 6 days ago
Senior Software Engineer, Backend (Consumer Data Platform)
$153K - $213K *
Elevate your career by designing scalable backend systems that enhance customer engagement and streamline growth. Leverage your expertise to shape impactful solutions in a collaborative, remote-first...
Reposted 2 weeks ago
$155K - $180K *
Drive the evolution of cloud-native infrastructure, leading initiatives in AWS, Kubernetes, and Terraform. Enhance automation, optimize costs, and enforce security while mentoring teams to elevate Dev...
Reposted 3 weeks ago
Lead Mechanical Product Engineer
$110K - $130K *
Join a dynamic team as you lead mechanical design and performance, bridging engineering and product teams. Drive innovation in HVAC and cooling solutions, ensuring optimal integration and customer sat...
2 weeks ago
$131K - $205K *
Engage in the design and evaluation of electric power generation projects. Provide technical support and owner’s engineering services, focusing on thermal power systems. Collaborate on project develop...
2 weeks ago
Senior Software Engineer, Python
$120K - $145K *
Join a team dedicated to building innovative backend solutions in Python. Take ownership of features, optimize data flows, and contribute to architectural decisions that enhance a powerful platform, a...
Reposted 4 weeks ago
Senior Operations Engineering Program Manager
$120K - $145K *
Shape the future of operational excellence by leading engineering initiatives, driving program execution, and fostering cross-functional collaboration to enhance performance and deliver key operationa...
2 weeks ago
Principal Group Product Manager- AL Labs
$170K - $243K *
Transform product innovation by leading AI-driven strategies and experiments, collaborating across teams to enhance software solutions and improve employee experiences in a dynamic, fast-paced environ...
2 days ago
Senior Virtualization & Orchestration Engineer
$135K - $160K *
Transform infrastructure by designing and building scalable GPU systems for AI cloud platforms, focusing on virtualization, Kubernetes, and automation to enhance performance and reliability across mul...
2 weeks ago
Director and Practice Lead, Data Engineering
$150K - $180K *
Drive the vision for a high-impact Data Engineering Practice, leading strategy, P&L, talent, and client engagement to transform enterprise data into strategic assets and AI-ready infrastructure...
Reposted 1 week ago
$135K - $160K *
Transform product security by leading strategy, conducting threat modeling, and collaborating across teams to ensure secure design and compliance. Drive innovation in security practices while mentorin...
1 week ago
Senior Software Engineer, Fullstack (App Experience)
$173K - $233K *
Unlock innovative solutions as you collaborate across teams to enhance user experiences on mobile and web platforms. Drive impactful projects, support product development, and contribute to a thriving...
1 week ago
Salesforce Lead Developer-Application Development
$130K - $153K *
Unlock potential by driving the development and integration of Salesforce solutions, managing technical aspects across multi-cloud environments, and ensuring quality through hands-on coding and mentor...
Reposted 3 weeks ago
$150K - $180K *
Shape the future of product management by leading complex engagements, defining vision, and ensuring seamless collaboration across teams to deliver exceptional results and drive product success...
2 weeks ago
Senior Manager, Product Enablement
$115K - $130K *
Champion the enablement engine for Cloud Compute and GPU products, transforming complex technical capabilities into actionable training and tools for sales teams, ensuring alignment with product relea...
4 weeks ago
Software Engineer II, Core Edge Processing
$92K - $116K *
Empower progress at the core of payment processing by developing and deploying production code. Collaborate with senior engineers to enhance transaction routing systems and gain hands-on experience in...
2 weeks ago
Senior Software Engineer, Backend (Lakehouse Infra)
$173K - $255K *
Champion the future of data infrastructure by leading a team to deliver scalable, reliable solutions for data access and processing, ensuring high availability and supporting critical business operati...
1 week ago
Senior Software Development Engineer - Verity Solutions - Remote
$130K - $217K *
Lead the charge in designing innovative, scalable software solutions that transform complex processes into actionable insights, partnering with diverse teams to deliver high-performance applications f...
Reposted 1 week ago
Site Reliability Engineering Lead
$118K - $219K *
Transform the future of cloud infrastructure by leading a dynamic SRE team, driving automation, and enhancing operational excellence across scalable platforms while fostering collaboration and continu...
3 weeks ago
Site Reliability Engineering Lead
$118K - $219K *
Shape the future of Site Reliability Engineering by leading top-tier engineers to elevate operational excellence and drive cloud modernization across critical platforms in a collaborative environment...
4 weeks ago
$120K - $145K *
Empower clinical trial design by architecting robust data infrastructures that streamline insights extraction from diverse clinical documents, enhancing decision-making through advanced data pipelines...
Today
$110K - $130K *
Engage in the design and management of enterprise endpoint technologies, ensuring security and efficiency across over 1,000 devices. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance endpoint perform...
2 weeks 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.