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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$125K - $150K *

Launch a secure authentication layer for AI-to-enterprise connections, driving system-wide identity standardization. Collaborate with clients to meet complex security needs, ensuring seamless integrat...

New York, NYRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$130K - $155K *

Unlock potential by leading technical delivery on multiple projects while mentoring teams and driving innovative software solutions with AI tools, ensuring quality and efficiency across cloud architec...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$154K - $231K *

Transform the future of high-speed data communication by leading system architecture initiatives, engaging with customers, and driving innovative solutions in compute, AI, and networking to meet evolv...

California, USRemote

1 week ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$120K - $145K *

Join us to architect and automate cloud-native infrastructures while engaging directly with clients. Leverage your expertise in AI and DevOps to drive strategic solutions that align technology with bu...

Florida, USRemote

3 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$124K - $210K *

Drive customer success by leading a team of engineers to enhance GitLab adoption, develop scalable enablement programs, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to achieve measurable business outco...

United StatesRemote

6 days ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$120K - $145K *

Empower your career by enhancing our platform's scalability and reliability. As a Senior Platform Engineer, you'll lead infrastructure improvements, optimize performance, and ensure security while col...

United StatesRemote

6 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$110K - $130K *

Shape the future of education by owning content strategy for assessments. Collaborate with experts and district leaders to enhance quality and drive adoption, leveraging insights to inform product dir...

United StatesRemote

Today

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$110K - $130K *

Partner with us to expand our partner network and drive revenue growth by fostering strategic alliances. Utilize your expertise in SaaS and ECM to develop relationships and execute impactful go-to-mar...

United StatesRemote

4 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$160K - $235K *

Pioneer impactful change as you lead structured management initiatives, engaging clients with strategies that enhance technology and process adoption, while leveraging strong analytical skills and fos...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$120K - $145K *

Accelerate progress at transforming unstructured plan catalogs into structured data. Collaborate with teams to enhance analytical capabilities and ensure precise delivery of actionable insights for a...

RemoteRemote

Reposted 3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Real Estate & Construction

$130K - $160K *

Drive the customer experience for a leading finance app, ensuring intuitive, cohesive interactions across products. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance usability, retention, and long-te...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$173K - $233K *

Lead the charge in developing high-availability backend systems, collaborating with cross-functional teams to deliver impactful solutions while fostering a culture of quality and ownership within your...

United StatesRemote

2 days ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$153K - $213K *

Empower your career by leading the development of high-availability backend systems. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to drive innovation, solve complex problems, and foster a culture of qualit...

CanadaRemote

2 days ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$88K - $105K *

Drive successful AMI deployment projects by coordinating smart meter installations, software integration, and vendor partnerships. Ensure utility modernization through effective project management and...

RemoteRemote

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$173K - $313K *

Shape the future of customer-facing applications and APIs by leading engineering teams to enhance DNS and IP Acceleration services, ensuring performance, reliability, and usability at Internet scale...

Cambridge, MARemote

2 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$110K - $130K *

Lead the development of advanced simulation capabilities to validate technology and services, ensuring alignment with internal teams and managing customer requests while integrating external tools for...

Austin, TXRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Aerospace & Defense

$110K - $225K *

Champion data platform excellence by leading engineering initiatives, driving AI-assisted development, and guiding offshore teams to ensure seamless data onboarding and integration across enterprise s...

Virginia, USRemote

1 week ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$110K - $130K *

Lead a team of technical professionals to support mainframe and enterprise technology operations. Oversee workload coordination, issue resolution, and resource planning in a dynamic environment requir...

Columbia, SCRemote

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Staffing

$135K - $160K *

Lead the charge in optimizing cloud infrastructure and CI/CD processes, ensuring scalable, secure, and resilient systems. Collaborate with engineering teams to enhance deployment efficiency and drive...

Orlando, FLRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$217K - $298K *

Lead the charge in shaping Root's platform and AI engineering strategy, overseeing critical infrastructure and driving operational excellence across teams to deliver intelligent products at scale...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 2 days ago

  •   11 - 15 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$135K - $160K *

Drive the design and optimization of AWS cloud environments, leading migration strategies while fostering collaboration and technical excellence across DevOps teams. Shape the future of automation and...

RemoteRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$110K - $130K *

Grow your career as a Senior Software Engineer, creating scalable .NET solutions through collaboration in an Agile, DevOps environment. Drive the complete product lifecycle from design to deployment...

Oak Brook, ILRemote

Reposted 2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$150K - $180K *

Drive the evolution of our design system by building foundational infrastructure that empowers designers, engineers, and AI agents to create cohesive, high-quality experiences while leading a growing...

United StatesRemote

Today

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$150K - $180K *

Drive innovation by leading backend development for high-traffic APIs and microservices. Collaborate across teams to enhance system reliability, scalability, and performance while optimizing cloud cos...

San Francisco, CARemote

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Consumer Technology

$132K - $211K *

Unlock potential by serving as a key technical leader, bridging engineering and enterprise architecture to eliminate adoption friction and enhance cloud-native infrastructure and AI platform deploymen...

RemoteRemote

Reposted 2 weeks ago

  •   15+ years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

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.