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.
$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...
3 days ago
$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...
1 week ago
Senior Technical Program Manager
$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...
Today
$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...
2 weeks ago
$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...
3 weeks ago
$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...
1 week ago
$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...
3 days ago
Engineering Manager, Provider Ecosystem
$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...
3 weeks ago
$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...
3 days ago
Salesforce Technical Lead / Sr. Developer
$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...
Reposted 1 week ago
$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...
1 week ago
$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...
3 weeks ago
Software Engineering Manager - Enterprise Tools - (Remote)
$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...
3 days ago
Senior Java Developer - Enterprise API Integrations
$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...
Reposted 2 weeks ago
Engineering Manager - GRC Reporting
$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...
3 weeks ago
Principle Machine Learning Engineer
$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...
4 days ago
Senior Software Engineer II- AI Platform
$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...
2 days ago
$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...
1 week ago
Senior Software Engineer - REMOTE
$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...
2 days ago
$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...
3 weeks ago
Senior Partner Solutions Architect, Strategic Partnerships
$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...
1 week ago
$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...
Reposted 1 week ago
$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...
1 month ago
Staff Software Engineer, Fullstack
$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...
2 weeks ago
Senior Backend Engineer - AI Platform
$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...
Reposted 3 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.