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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$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

$83K - $155K *

Explore a dynamic role combining application engineering with hands-on field support. Collaborate with customers and teams to troubleshoot and optimize solutions, ensuring successful installations and...

RemoteRemote

1 week ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$135K - $160K *

Unlock the potential of enterprise systems by leading the design and architecture of innovative Java full-stack solutions integrated with AI. Collaborate with clients to translate technical constraint...

United StatesRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$100K - $120K *

Champion project excellence by managing multiple global implementations, ensuring timely delivery and customer satisfaction while promoting best practices and continuous improvement throughout the pro...

United StatesRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$220K - $290K *

Join a team that's redefining Chaos Engineering by creating innovative tooling to enhance internet reliability. Collaborate with talented peers to solve complex technical challenges that impact a dive...

United StatesRemote

4 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$80K - $95K *

Drive your career with impactful identity and access management solutions. Collaborate with teams and clients to enhance security and efficiency through innovative technology implementations and opera...

Tampa, FLRemote

Reposted 3 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$95K - $115K *

Unlock your potential as a Senior VDC Engineer, driving innovative design solutions and enhancing project delivery through advanced BIM technologies and collaboration with diverse teams in a dynamic e...

St. Louis, MORemote

3 days ago

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

$154K - $193K *

Drive AI transformation by building client relationships, leading engagements, and delivering results. Own the sales process from prospecting to execution, ensuring successful integration of AI soluti...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Business Services

$132K - $165K *

Lead the charge in AI transformation by building client trust, driving business development, and delivering impactful solutions. Own the entire engagement process from sales to execution, guiding team...

CanadaRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Business Services

$143K - $200K *

Innovate solutions as a Senior Appian Developer, tackling complex BPM challenges. Collaborate with teams to design, implement, and optimize high-performance applications while mentoring junior develop...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$110K - $130K *

Unlock your potential by driving talent acquisition and people operations in a fast-paced, remote-centric environment. Lead initiatives that shape organizational culture and foster employee engagement...

CanadaRemote

Reposted yesterday

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Education, Government & Non-Profit

$150K - $180K *

Drive engineering excellence by leading a multidisciplinary team to design, develop, and scale integrated hardware and software systems, ensuring reliability, quality, and operational effectiveness in...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 3 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Transportation

$110K - $130K *

Elevate client success by managing complex projects, ensuring timely delivery, and maintaining budget integrity. Collaborate with diverse teams to drive engagement and optimize project outcomes from i...

United StatesRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$125K - $150K *

Empower enterprise modernization by designing innovative solutions using Microsoft Power Platform. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to develop secure, scalable applications in government and de...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$170K - $210K *

Empower Federal agencies by architecting and delivering AI-assisted software solutions. Responsible for client engagement, technology integration, and ensuring that production-ready solutions meet ope...

United StatesRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Business Services

$135K - $160K *

Elevate mobile security by building native Android apps that empower users to monitor and manage their data seamlessly. Collaborate across teams to enhance performance and ensure a secure, user-friend...

RemoteRemote

5 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$110K - $170K *

Unlock your potential as a Senior DevOps Engineer, driving architectural excellence and automation across agile teams. Collaborate with cross-functional partners to enhance delivery platforms, ensurin...

Pennsylvania, USRemote

Yesterday

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$110K - $170K *

Join us to shape the future of DevOps by providing technical leadership and architectural direction across agile teams. Drive automation, enhance developer experience, and champion a culture of contin...

Massachusetts, USRemote

2 days ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$150K - $200K *

Champion the evolution of DevOps practices by providing technical leadership and architectural direction across agile teams, enhancing software delivery speed and reliability while fostering a culture...

RemoteRemote

1 week ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$110K - $130K *

Shape the future of healthcare by leading cross-functional teams to deliver high-quality software solutions. As a Senior Product Owner, you'll align product strategy with execution, ensuring clarity a...

United StatesRemote

4 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Healthcare

$125K - $150K *

Lead the charge in building a secure, self-service developer sandbox on Azure, delivering non-persistent desktops and managing the entire stack from landing zone to golden image while ensuring complia...

RemoteRemote

Yesterday

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$120K - $150K *

Empower a cross-functional team by owning the end-to-end design experience for a key product area, enhancing communication for families and educators while mentoring fellow designers and leveraging AI...

United StatesRemote

Yesterday

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Education, Government & Non-Profit

$110K - $130K *

Inspire and elevate design excellence as you lead a talented team, setting and maintaining visual standards, driving innovative campaigns, and partnering cross-functionally to advance Dandy's brand an...

United StatesRemote

Reposted yesterday

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Healthcare

$150K - $180K *

Join a team that's designing and optimizing scalable infrastructure for GenAI and LLM workloads. Leverage your expertise in GPU profiling and distributed training to support cutting-edge AI solutions...

RemoteRemote

1 week ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$143K - $286K *

Take ownership of large-scale AI and technology programs, leading cross-functional teams to drive execution and align strategies. Utilize strong analytical and communication skills to enhance delivery...

Sunnyvale, CARemote

1 week ago

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

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.