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.
$180K - $240K *
Join a team that's shaping the future of AI by architecting robust systems that integrate foundational models. Drive innovative solutions in a fast-paced lab, translating business needs into scalable...
Reposted 3 weeks ago
Product Manager - Enterprise Imaging
$115K - $150K *
Shape the future of healthcare connectivity by leading product strategy and delivery for advanced imaging solutions. Leverage your expertise in DICOM, FHIR, and cloud technologies to drive innovation...
2 weeks ago
$100K - $120K *
Lead the charge in delivering innovative civil engineering solutions for diverse land development projects. Collaborate with teams, mentor staff, and ensure high-quality design while promoting efficie...
2 weeks ago
Applied AI Senior Product Manager
$138K - $165K *
Shape the future of AI products by leading strategy, execution, and cross-functional collaboration. Drive innovation and deliver exceptional value through effective stakeholder influence and team lead...
2 weeks ago
$90K - $110K *
Shape the future of product quality by designing automated tests and performance evaluations, ensuring reliability and scalability in complex systems. Collaborate across teams to drive innovation and...
4 weeks ago
$126K - $188K *
Shape the future of security operations by leading SOC Engineering to enhance telemetry, detection, and automation capabilities. Drive technical excellence, scalability, and strategic initiatives whil...
Reposted 4 weeks ago
Product Development Senior Analyst
$72K - $99K *
Join a team that's dedicated to innovating insurance products, driving growth, and ensuring regulatory compliance. Collaborate with key stakeholders throughout the product lifecycle while contributing...
Reposted 3 weeks ago
$85K - $90K *
Join a team that's shaping the future of our Advisory platform. As a Product Manager, you'll drive product strategy, prioritize customer needs, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure su...
2 weeks ago
Senior Lead Electrical Engineer, Datacenter
$162K - $220K *
Drive innovation in electrical engineering for hyperscale data centers. Lead design activities, manage project teams, and ensure quality assurance while collaborating with stakeholders to deliver resi...
1 week ago
Principal Architect, Healthcare
$165K - $243K *
Deliver innovative disaster recovery solutions for healthcare systems, ensuring compliance and resilience for clinical workloads. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to address complex challenges...
3 days ago
Principal Enterprise Architect
$154K - $208K *
Unlock your potential as you shape the architecture for consumer-facing platforms, driving innovation in AI and DTC technology. Collaborate across teams to establish standards and governance, ensuring...
1 week ago
$140K - $200K *
Join a team that drives mission success in aerospace program management, overseeing the entire payload lifecycle from planning to execution. Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams and governm...
Reposted 3 weeks ago
$110K - $130K *
Join a team that's redefining energy solutions by architecting robust data pipelines. Collaborate with product teams to optimize data ingestion and ensure reliability, supporting analytics and AI init...
Today
Lead Technical Program Manager - Remote
$125K - $150K *
Join a team that's driving complex, cross-functional programs that enhance client engineering requests and ensure timely delivery. You'll shape processes, manage dependencies, and support Tier 1 clien...
Yesterday
$150K - $180K *
Engineer cutting-edge blockchain infrastructure for financial markets. Drive architecture, design proofs of concept, and ensure interoperability while collaborating with teams to meet institutional re...
1 week ago
Senior AI & Automation Engineer
$125K - $150K *
Join a team that's redefining operational efficiency through AI and automation. As a Senior AI & Automation Engineer, you'll develop intelligent solutions that enhance workflows and drive measurable i...
1 week ago
Principal Engineer, Mechanical Innovation
$130K - $155K *
Engineer innovative mechanical solutions by translating architectural concepts into practical designs. Collaborate across engineering disciplines while leading HVAC standards and ensuring effective ex...
Reposted 1 week ago
$120K - $145K *
Join a team that's building scalable cloud solutions on Microsoft Azure. Drive innovative AI-powered applications integrating M365, ensuring seamless interactions that enhance user experiences and dri...
3 weeks ago
Full Stack Engineer, Experimentation
$145K - $200K *
Reimagine the user experience by building scalable, data-driven solutions in a collaborative environment. Leverage your skills in full-stack development to enhance our experimentation platform while t...
Reposted 2 weeks ago
Virtual Platform Software Engineer, Annapurna Labs Machine Learning Accelerators, AWS
$143K - $223K *
Unlock your potential by building powerful models and infrastructure for high-performance virtual platforms critical for software development. Collaborate closely with engineering teams to enhance usa...
Reposted 3 weeks ago
Senior Strategic Program Manager
$110K - $130K *
Empower customer success as a Senior Strategic Program Manager, overseeing major contracts, driving growth strategies, and enhancing operational efficiency. Collaborate with teams to ensure excellence...
1 week ago
Principal Analog Layout Design Engineer/Lead
$150K - $180K *
Shape the future of high-speed analog design by leading layout development for complex analog and mixed-signal IP blocks. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure first-pass silicon success w...
Yesterday
Principal Analog Layout Design Engineer/Lead
$150K - $180K *
Lead the charge in high-speed analog layout design for cutting-edge optical communication systems. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure first-pass silicon success while mentoring junior e...
Yesterday
$125K - $150K *
Empower the development of innovative banking solutions by driving product strategy, collaborating across teams, and delivering scalable capabilities that enhance customer experiences and meet busines...
Reposted 2 weeks ago
$109K - $164K *
Drive advanced digital forensics and incident response initiatives while mentoring a skilled engineering team. Leverage deep technical knowledge to enhance operational capabilities and ensure exceptio...
Reposted 1 week 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.