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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$186K - $218K *

Lead the charge in building resilient cryptographic infrastructure that secures customer assets and meets global regulatory standards, while mentoring a team and managing cross-functional collaboratio...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$150K - $200K *

Develop and maintain robust data pipelines and models, collaborating with cross-functional teams to enhance data practices and ensure quality. Drive modernization efforts in data engineering, optimizi...

United StatesRemote

Today

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$125K - $150K *

Lead the charge in managing and optimizing cloud infrastructure across multiple platforms. Collaborate with teams to enhance product reliability and streamline operations while ensuring security and c...

United StatesRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$110K - $130K *

Transform our insurance platform through scalable Ruby and Typescript applications. Lead engineering efforts, mentor junior engineers, and deliver impactful features in a dynamic, growing environment...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 3 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$160K - $215K *

Join a dynamic team to manage technology partner relationships, ensuring integration health and driving revenue growth. Collaborate with engineering and commercial teams to resolve issues and optimize...

United StatesRemote

6 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$120K - $145K *

Join a team that's shaping the future of maritime data management and AI. You'll develop cutting-edge applications and enhance warfighter capabilities through innovative data solutions...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 3 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Aerospace & Defense

$135K - $160K *

Join a dynamic team to design and implement AI workflows that integrate models, enterprise data, and business logic, delivering reliable production solutions and collaborating with various stakeholder...

RemoteRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$135K - $159K *

Optimize client partnerships by driving strategic outreach and proposals. Leverage AI tools to enhance sales cycles, mentor peers, and contribute to revenue growth through long-term relationships and...

United StatesRemote

6 days ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Technical Services

$190K - $304K *

Drive transformative onboarding experiences for restaurants by defining cohesive setup flows and feature adoption strategies. Collaborate across teams to enhance user journeys, leveraging systems thin...

United StatesRemote

2 days ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$218K - $256K *

Empower our engineering teams by owning core developer infrastructure tools and systems. Drive strategic initiatives, enhance CI/build processes, and ensure reliability while mentoring engineers and s...

United StatesRemote

2 days ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$110K - $130K *

Champion seamless technical integrations by leading end-to-end delivery, troubleshooting, and documentation. Collaborate with customer IT teams to ensure compliance and optimize data flows in a dynami...

United StatesRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$110K - $130K *

Innovate by building robust Go microservices for a multi-tenant AI platform. Collaborate with global teams to design API-first services, ensuring reliability and performance in production environments...

United StatesRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$100K - $300K *

Join a team that's embedding security into every software development phase, enhancing product safety and reliability while directly influencing our technology offerings. You'll collaborate with engin...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Technical Services

$120K - $150K *

Drive complex federal platform initiatives, enhancing security, compliance, and infrastructure through innovative engineering solutions and cross-functional leadership...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 2 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$238K - $365K *

Join a team that's redefining lidar technology for autonomy products. Lead the technical strategy, collaborate with experts, and drive innovations from concept to production, ensuring performance and...

RemoteRemote

1 week ago

  •   11 - 15 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$167K - $183K *

Lead the charge in optimizing G&A technology solutions, enhancing business processes through AI and automation. Collaborate with stakeholders to drive efficiency and compliance, ensuring scalable grow...

United StatesRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Pharmaceuticals & Biotech

$150K - $180K *

Join a team that's driving innovation in SOCOM's UxS and autonomy control systems. Lead growth initiatives, manage capture strategies, and build relationships across the special operations community t...

Florida, USRemote

2 days ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Aerospace & Defense

$175K - $215K *

Lead the charge in software engineering excellence by guiding teams, ensuring high code quality, and delivering complex features. Collaborate cross-functionally to solve challenges and mentor junior e...

New York, NYRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Healthcare

$150K - $250K *

Lead the charge in managing complex M&A projects and cross-functional initiatives, driving execution from planning to completion while fostering collaboration and alignment among diverse stakeholders...

United StatesRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$130K - $155K *

Lead the development of innovative Generative AI solutions, overseeing end-to-end processes from design to deployment. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance enterprise systems and ensure...

Florida, USRemote

3 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$90K - $110K *

Lead the charge in ensuring the quality and reliability of our SaaS cardiac device management platform. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to execute comprehensive testing and advocate for seamle...

United StatesRemote

6 days ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Healthcare

$104K - $153K *

Unlock your potential by leading the technical delivery of workforce applications. Collaborate with teams to enhance productivity through automation, AI, and integrations, ensuring secure and efficien...

United StatesRemote

2 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$200K - $205K *

Drive the expansion of our Data Services & Analytics practice by leading technical delivery, managing client relationships, and overseeing project execution. Empower teams to deliver innovative data i...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   11 - 15 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$85K - $145K *

Develop innovative full stack applications to enhance legal operations and compliance. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver secure, scalable solutions using modern technologies and cloud...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$134K - $199K *

Elevate your career as you design and operate large-scale cloud services for a cutting-edge scanning engine. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance performance and mentor engineers in a dy...

CanadaRemote

2 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.