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.
Senior Software Engineer, Payments & Billing
$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...
3 days ago
$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...
1 week ago
Principal Product Manager, AI Software Factory
$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...
Reposted 3 weeks ago
$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...
2 weeks ago
$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...
3 weeks ago
$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...
Today
Senior Technical Program Manager
$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...
Reposted yesterday
Principal Orchestration Engineer
$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...
4 weeks ago
Lead Software Test Development Engineer
$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...
Today
Sr. Software Engineer II, DevEx
$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...
3 weeks ago
Lead Specialist, Technical Architect
$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...
1 week ago
Supervisor, Software Engineering
$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...
3 weeks ago
$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...
Today
$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...
3 weeks ago
$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...
1 week ago
$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...
3 weeks ago
Staff Software Engineer, Product
$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...
2 weeks ago
Senior Software Engineer- full stack Java
$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...
3 weeks ago
Senior Software Engineer- Rust / C++
$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...
5 days ago
$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...
1 week ago
Staff Software Engineer, DevEx
$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...
Reposted 3 weeks ago
Lead Software Engineer - Technical Track
$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...
3 days ago
Senior Native Engineer, Partnerships
$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...
Reposted 3 weeks ago
Senior Native Engineer, Partnerships
$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...
3 weeks ago
Staff Software Engineer - Onboarding and Migrations
$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...
3 days 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.