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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$145K - $175K *

Join a team that's redefining AI-driven solutions by leading product development for an innovative tech concierge. Drive the evolution of agent capabilities, ensuring quality and reliability while col...

United StatesRemote

3 days ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$185K - $225K *

Join a team that's at the forefront of innovative project management, collaborating with scientists and engineers to drive complex client engagements. Your expertise will ensure successful delivery an...

Redwood City, CARemote

1 week ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Energy & Utilities

$138K - $165K *

Drive end-to-end program management for large-scale ML initiatives, ensuring alignment across engineering, data science, and product teams. Own roadmaps and metrics while fostering collaboration to de...

Toronto, ONRemote

Today

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Media

$85K - $120K *

Unlock innovation as a hands-on Software Engineer, driving Proofs-of-Concept and full software development cycles. Collaborate with senior engineers to explore emerging technologies while ensuring pro...

United StatesRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Real Estate & Construction

$85K - $120K *

Optimize the software development process by contributing to product-focused projects, addressing coding, debugging, automated testing, and performance enhancement to ensure scalable and efficient sof...

United StatesRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Real Estate & Construction

$72K - $100K *

Join our dynamic team as a Sr. Credit Analyst, owning the underwriting cycle from application review to decision-making. Leverage your analytical skills to enhance credit processes and contribute to a...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$150K - $180K *

Optimize engagement and monetization strategies for an AI-driven product, transforming customer interactions into measurable growth. Lead cross-functional teams to innovate and implement effective use...

United StatesRemote

3 days ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$150K - $180K *

Grow a dynamic team driving OpenRouter’s provider ecosystem, managing innovations across diverse models and endpoints, ensuring quality and efficiency in inference services for millions of requests da...

United StatesRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$155K - $170K *

Join a dynamic team to drive OEM integrations, ensuring technical excellence and partner success. Collaborate cross-functionally to deliver scalable solutions and enhance product alignment, while mana...

United StatesRemote

3 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$150K - $200K *

Join a team that's delivering high-quality Salesforce solutions, translating complex business needs into technology. Leverage your expertise in development, integration, and project management to enha...

Mclean, VARemote

Reposted 1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$127K - $160K *

Engineer scalable cloud platforms by automating processes and enhancing reliability. Collaborate with teams to streamline deployments and ensure secure, resilient infrastructure that meets evolving bu...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Telecommunications & Hardware

$80K - $95K *

Help us deliver innovative environmental design projects by leading cross-functional teams through all phases from planning to implementation, ensuring alignment, managing risks, and achieving client...

United StatesRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$141K - $262K *

Empower your career by leading a dynamic team in software development, ensuring best practices and innovative solutions. Collaborate with stakeholders to drive project success and foster a high-perfor...

Reston, VARemote

3 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Healthcare

$140K - $150K *

Transform integrations as a Senior Developer, focusing on reliable APIs that connect with customers and partners. Collaborate across teams to engineer secure, scalable solutions, tackling production c...

Seattle, WARemote

Reposted 2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Legal & Accounting

$129K - $210K *

Tackle complex engineering challenges by leading a talented team, shaping innovative reporting solutions for GRC insights while driving quality and collaboration across cross-functional teams to meet...

United StatesRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Consumer Technology

$160K - $200K *

Lead the technical direction for AI agent quality, defining metrics and evaluation systems. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance agent performance and ensure quality in production enviro...

RemoteRemote

4 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$130K - $155K *

Engineer scalable AI platform solutions, collaborating across teams to enhance infrastructure for secure model access and observability. Drive technical roadmaps and mentor junior engineers while ensu...

United StatesRemote

2 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Healthcare

$100K - $120K *

Drive innovative structural design solutions for utility projects, ensuring quality and compliance. Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams while mentoring junior engineers in a fast-paced environmen...

RemoteRemote

1 week ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Energy & Utilities

$120K - $170K *

Lead the development of scalable systems, balancing individual contributions with technical guidance. Collaborate across teams to tackle complex engineering challenges in security and AI, while evolvi...

United StatesRemote

2 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$95K - $115K *

Deliver innovative warehousing solutions while optimizing processes and pricing strategies. Leverage extensive engineering experience to enhance product storage efficiency and support operational audi...

Tennessee, USRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Transportation

$115K - $194K *

Lead the technical strategy for strategic partnerships, transforming partner needs into integrations and influencing product design. Collaborate with R&D to evaluate AI models and enhance GitLab's off...

RemoteRemote

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$136K - $160K *

Elevate operations through AI-driven automation to enhance incident management, streamline ticket resolution, and optimize service health with self-healing observability, all while collaborating acros...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 1 week ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Hospitality & Recreation

$85K - $100K *

Lead the charge in managing complex underground storage tank projects, coordinating with diverse stakeholders to ensure compliance, safety, and timely completion across multiple sites while overseeing...

United StatesRemote

1 month ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Energy & Utilities

$160K - $225K *

Architect innovative solutions that drive Member Growth's systems evolution. Lead technical direction, tackle complex challenges, and elevate team performance through clear communication and strategic...

Playa Vista, CARemote

2 weeks ago

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

$121K - $145K *

Lead the design and development of high-performance web applications, integrating with backend services to enhance customer experiences and streamline operations across various platforms, focusing on...

RemoteRemote

Reposted 3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

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.