Explore senior software development engineer jobs with Ladders, where you can find vetted professional opportunities paying $100,000 or more. Senior software development engineers design, build, and maintain complex software systems while helping teams deliver reliable, scalable products. Browse roles across industries, technologies, and levels of technical leadership.
These experienced engineers translate product and business needs into robust technical solutions. Their work may include designing system architecture, writing and reviewing code, improving application performance, troubleshooting production issues, and guiding engineering teams through complex projects. Many roles also involve mentoring developers and partnering with product, design, security, and operations teams.
Employers commonly look for strong software design and programming experience, expertise in relevant languages and frameworks, and a record of delivering production systems. Depending on the role, useful qualifications may include cloud infrastructure, distributed systems, databases, API design, automated testing, DevOps practices, and security. Communication, technical judgment, and the ability to lead through influence are also important at the senior level.
Senior software development engineers work in technology, financial services, healthcare, e-commerce, media, and other sectors. Opportunities may focus on backend services, mobile or web applications, data platforms, infrastructure, machine learning systems, or developer tools. With experience, engineers can grow into staff or principal engineering roles, architecture positions, or engineering management.
Use Ladders to search vetted professional openings with salaries of $100,000 or more. Compare roles by technology, industry, location, and scope, then focus on opportunities that match your experience and career goals.
$110K - $130K *
Advance enterprise threat detection capabilities by developing high-fidelity detections across security platforms. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance defensive posture and mentor junio...
1 week ago
Staff Application Security Engineer
$182K - $215K *
Join our team to oversee application security, manage vulnerability pipelines, and collaborate with engineering teams to enhance security practices. Drive incident response and advocate for security a...
3 weeks ago
Senior .NET Engineer (Legacy Modernization & Backend Systems) (Remote)
$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...
Reposted 3 weeks ago
$110K - $130K *
Shape the future of innovative SaaS solutions by driving full stack development, integrating cutting-edge technologies, and delivering exceptional applications with a focus on scalability and performa...
Reposted 2 weeks ago
Sr. QA Test Engineer (Quality Assurance)
$95K - $130K *
Transform the quality assurance landscape by leading manual and automated testing efforts, ensuring enterprise applications meet high standards for reliability, usability, and performance while collab...
2 weeks ago
$100K - $120K *
Lead a dynamic engineering team in developing high-quality remote software solutions. Collaborate with product managers and designers to ensure scalable applications while embracing best practices and...
Reposted 2 weeks ago
$120K - $145K *
Transform the future of AI systems by building robust data pipelines and APIs. Collaborate with Product to refine specifications and enhance user experience, ensuring high-quality delivery and continu...
3 weeks ago
Senior Programmer & Systems Analyst
$98K - $131K *
Transform complex challenges into sustainable solutions as a Senior Programmer & Systems Analyst. Collaborate with diverse teams to enhance PeopleSoft environments, ensuring optimal performance, secur...
1 week ago
Staff Product Manager, Agentic Test Intelligence
$168K - $285K *
Lead the development of Test & Code Coverage capabilities, transforming complex challenges into actionable strategies. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance software quality and streamlin...
2 weeks ago
$176K - $243K *
Empower innovation by leading the design and delivery of AI/ML systems. Drive architectural decisions, optimize model development, and enhance system reliability while collaborating with cross-functio...
3 weeks ago
Contract Staff Software Engineer-FireFox Layout
$185K - $217K *
Manage ongoing maintenance and engineering in the Layout area for web browsers, ensuring code quality, debugging issues, and leading technical efforts for a smooth workflow across platforms while supp...
Reposted 3 weeks ago
$104K - $166K *
Optimize AWS cloud infrastructure by designing, implementing, and maintaining scalable solutions. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance performance and reliability while automating proces...
Today
$104K - $166K *
Elevate the performance and reliability of critical AWS cloud platforms. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to optimize infrastructure, automate processes, and ensure secure, scalable solutions t...
Today
$104K - $166K *
Join a team that's dedicated to optimizing AWS cloud infrastructure, ensuring performance and reliability. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver secure, scalable solutions while enhancing...
2 days ago
$125K - $150K *
Join our dynamic team as you lead Methods and Insights, driving engineering excellence through effective people management, operational delivery, and innovative system building. Empower engineers to t...
1 week ago
$130K - $150K *
Unlock your potential by developing customer-facing features across the full tech stack. Collaborate with cross-functional teams and enhance the Automox console, ensuring high performance and user sat...
3 weeks ago
$120K - $145K *
Drive mobile engineering excellence by leading app development, mentoring engineers, and integrating AI solutions to enhance user experiences across iOS and Android platforms while collaborating with...
Today
Lead Software Solutions Architect
$135K - $160K *
Engineer innovative cloud-native solutions by leading architecture design and implementation. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to drive technical strategies while mentoring talent, ensuring pro...
Reposted 3 weeks ago
$135K - $165K *
Inspire teams and drive innovative design solutions by managing complex projects, coaching designers, and fostering collaboration with stakeholders to elevate design quality and strategy, ensuring ali...
4 weeks ago
$80K - $100K *
Optimize software solutions by developing, integrating, and supporting applications within an ICAM workstream, ensuring high quality and security standards. Collaborate in CI/CD environments and provi...
1 month ago
Senior Engineering Manager - Containers, Kubernetes, and Confidential Computing
$272K - $431K *
Join a team that's redefining cloud-native technologies by managing innovative engineering efforts in container orchestration and GPU acceleration, ensuring seamless integration across platforms while...
Reposted today
Software Engineer III, Android - Cal AI
$135K - $165K *
Elevate user experiences by developing innovative iOS applications that enhance health and fitness journeys. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver high-quality features while mentoring ju...
1 week ago
Lead Backend Engineer (Modeling & Simulation)
$130K - $160K *
Drive innovation in backend and data engineering, leading a team to build robust Python services and APIs for a next-gen wargaming platform. Balance technical leadership with hands-on coding to delive...
3 weeks ago
$96K - $148K *
Join a team that's enhancing mission-critical IT services by managing and supporting UNIX/Linux systems in a dynamic environment. Leverage your expertise to implement improvements and ensure robust cy...
Today
Software Engineer II - Offboard Python Application
$150K - $225K *
Join a team that's transforming vehicle simulation workflows to enhance safety and performance. You'll develop cloud-based applications, optimize scalability, and engage with users to create intuitive...
1 week ago
What does a senior software development engineer do?
A senior software development engineer designs, builds, tests, and maintains software systems. They often make architecture decisions, solve complex technical problems, review code, mentor teammates, and coordinate with other departments to deliver reliable products.
What qualifications are typically required for senior software development engineer jobs?
Requirements vary, but employers generally seek substantial professional software engineering experience, proficiency in one or more programming languages, and a history of delivering production applications or systems. Familiarity with system design, cloud platforms, databases, testing, and technical leadership may also be expected.
How much do senior software development engineer jobs pay?
Compensation depends on factors such as location, industry, experience, and technical specialty. Ladders focuses on vetted professional jobs paying $100,000 or more, including senior software development engineer opportunities.
What is the difference between a senior software engineer and a senior software development engineer?
The titles often describe similar work, and employers may use them interchangeably. Responsibilities typically include designing and developing software, though the exact emphasis depends on the company and team.
What career paths can follow a senior software development engineer role?
Experienced engineers may advance to staff or principal engineer, software architect, or other technical leadership positions. Those interested in people management may move into engineering manager or director roles.