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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$136K - $160K *

Contribute to innovative software solutions by collaborating with a dynamic team, solving customer challenges, and enhancing product functionality through effective coding and testing practices...

United StatesRemote

3 days ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$135K - $160K *

Innovate within the AI Platform team by designing and operating core components for AI-driven solutions, focusing on model serving, agentic infrastructure, or observability. Collaborate across teams t...

RemoteRemote

1 week ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$150K - $180K *

Transform the software development landscape by defining a cohesive end-to-end experience, integrating planning to verification workflows across teams. Lead product strategy and execution, influencing...

RemoteRemote

Reposted 3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$140K - $180K *

Join a team that's dedicated to developing scalable software solutions, designing responsive UIs, and optimizing backend services. Collaborate across functions to drive innovation and champion best pr...

United StatesRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Healthcare

$155K - $200K *

Engage as a Senior Backend Software Engineer, driving innovation in Go-based backend systems and contributing to the OpenTDF project, ensuring data security solutions for enterprise and federal client...

Washington, DCRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$140K - $185K *

Unlock potential by leading the architecture and development of scalable core platform systems that process transactions and integrate with financial institutions globally. Drive innovation and mentor...

CanadaRemote

Today

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$115K - $275K *

Manage the delivery of GPU clusters for AI workloads by coordinating teams across engineering, networking, and operations. Develop strategies, manage risks, and ensure timely, quality launches to scal...

United StatesRemote

Reposted yesterday

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$135K - $160K *

Lead innovative software solutions as a Technical Lead in a dynamic environment. Drive strategic technical vision, mentor developers, and deliver complex applications while addressing critical busines...

Birmingham, ALRemote

4 weeks ago

  •   11 - 15 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$100K - $180K *

Join a team that's shaping the future of server hardware validation. As a Lead Software Test Development Engineer, you'll design and develop test systems, ensuring quality and reliability in large-sca...

United StatesRemote

Today

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Consumer Technology

$154K - $260K *

Develop AI-driven workflows to enhance CI/CD systems, ensuring safe, efficient software delivery. Collaborate with teams to reduce tech debt and improve production reliability while scaling engineerin...

RemoteRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$150K - $160K *

Partner with us to shape the quality strategy for a leading exam development platform. Leverage your expertise to guide multiple Agile teams, enhance automation practices, and ensure high standards ac...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Education, Government & Non-Profit

$110K - $130K *

Lead the charge in software innovation while mentoring a high-performing engineering team. Drive technical solutions and ensure project success through hands-on involvement, fostering a culture of con...

United StatesRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Healthcare

$110K - $130K *

Innovate with us to advance our product API development team. Leverage your expertise in backend application development and REST APIs to create impactful solutions and collaborate with stakeholders i...

Kentucky, USRemote

Today

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Pharmaceuticals & Biotech

$135K - $160K *

Unlock potential by leading full-stack Java development teams to drive innovative AI solutions. Lead architecture and design while mentoring engineers, ensuring scalable and secure enterprise systems...

United StatesRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$110K - $120K *

Join us to lead a dynamic software engineering team, driving innovation in fleet management technology. You'll mentor developers, oversee the software delivery lifecycle, and contribute hands-on to co...

CanadaRemote

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$100K - $200K *

Partner with us to develop groundbreaking simulation products, focusing on AI and robotics. Engage with customers to shape product roadmaps, create prototypes, and enhance integration within the simul...

CanadaRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$100K - $300K *

Seeking a senior product software engineer to drive user-facing features in AI software development, enhancing tools like AI Agent, App Builder, and SDK for seamless app creation and deployment...

San Francisco, CARemote

2 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$120K - $145K *

Drive technical leadership in software development, ensuring high-quality design, testing, and modernization of enterprise applications while mentoring teams in Agile and DevSecOps environments...

Sterling, VARemote

3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$94K - $176K *

Drive innovation in document processing by leading high-impact projects, shaping architecture, and optimizing performance in a queue-driven pipeline. Collaborate across teams to enhance AI products an...

RemoteRemote

5 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Media

$130K - $170K *

Champion innovative solutions by designing and implementing core platform features, driving the transition to microservices, and collaborating across teams to enhance scalability and flexibility in Io...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Energy & Utilities

$162K - $290K *

Elevate your career by shaping the technical direction of our Developer Experience team. Collaborate on cutting-edge AI coding tools and scalable infrastructures that enhance productivity across the e...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 3 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$131K - $180K *

Lead transformative software engineering initiatives, guiding teams to develop robust, full-stack systems that enhance digital safety research and foster collaboration across projects while mentoring...

Washington, DCRemote

3 days ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Aerospace & Defense

$180K - $233K *

Elevate user experiences by enhancing native applications, collaborating cross-functionally to deliver innovative features and integrations, and leveraging your expertise in mobile development to impa...

RemoteRemote

Reposted 3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Business Services

$179K - $232K *

Shape the future of mobile engagement by enhancing consumer-facing applications. Collaborate cross-functionally to drive innovative features across both iOS and Android platforms, delivering tailored...

United StatesRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Business Services

$156K - $196K *

Develop and maintain scalable backend applications and data pipelines, leveraging cloud infrastructure and modern programming languages to enhance system performance and support data analytics, while...

RemoteRemote

3 days ago

  •   8 - 10 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.