Salaries//Principal Software Engineer

Principal Software Engineer salary in US

Average Base Salary in US

$168,664
$58,968
Additional Cash Compensation
$227,632
Total Compensation
Median: 158,000
Min: $86K
Max: $375K

How Much Does a Principal Software Engineer Make in US?

The average salary for a Principal Software Engineer in US is $168,664. The average additional cash compensation for a Principal Software Engineer in US is $58,968. The average total compensation for a Principal Software Engineer in US is $227,632. Principal Software Engineer salaries are based on responses gathered by Built In from anonymous Principal Software Engineer employees in US.

Principal Software Engineer
Account Executive Account Manager Accountant Aerospace Engineer AI Engineer Analytics Manager Android Developer App Developer Application Engineer Art Director Associate Product Manager Automation Engineer AWS Developer Back End Developer Big Data Engineer Blockchain Developer Brand Manager Budget Analyst Business Analyst Business Development Manager Business Development Representative Business Intelligence Analyst Business Intelligence Developer Business Intelligence Developer Business Intelligence Manager CCO (Chief Creative Officer) CFO (Chief Financial Officer) Chief Information Officer Chief People Officer CIO (Chief Information Officer) Client Success Manager Cloud Engineer Cloud Security Engineer CMO (Chief Marketing Officer) Community Manager Content Manager Content Marketing Manager Content Strategist Controller COO (Chief Operating Officer) Copywriter CPO (Chief Product Officer) Creative Chief Officer Creative Director CRO (Chief Revenue Officer) CTO (Chief Technology Officer) Customer Support Manager Customer Support Rep Cybersecurity Engineer Data Analyst Data Architect Data Engineer Data Engineering Manager Data Scientist Database Administrator Database Developer Design Director Design Engineer Desktop Support DevOps Engineer Digital Marketing Manager Director of Analytics Director of Customer Success Director of Marketing Director of Operations Director of Product Management Director of Product Marketing Director of Software Engineering Editor Email Marketing Manager Engineering Manager Event Planner Finance Director Financial Analyst Front End Developer Full Stack Developer Game Designer Game Developer Graphic Designer Hardware Engineer HR Coordinator HR Director HR Manager HR Specialist Implementation Manager Implementation Specialist Inside Sales Manager Inside Sales Representative Instructional Designer iOS Developer IT Engineer Java Developer Javascript Developer Junior Business Analyst Junior Data Analyst Junior Data Scientist Junior Software Developer Junior Software Engineer Junior Web Developer Lead Software Engineer Machine Learning Engineer Market Research Analyst Marketing Analyst Marketing Assistant Marketing Associate Marketing Coordinator Marketing Manager Marketing Operations Manager Marketing Project Manager Marketing Specialist Network Engineer Office Manager Operations Associate Operations Manager Power BI Developer Principal Software Engineer Product Analyst Product Designer Product Manager Product Marketing Manager Product Owner Project Coordinator Project Manager Public Relations Manager Public Relations Specialist Python Developer QA Analyst QA Engineer QA Manager Quant Developer React Developer Recruiter Robotics Engineer RPA Developer Sales Associate Sales Coordinator Sales Development Representative Sales Director Sales Engineer Sales Manager Sales Operations Analyst Sales Operations Manager Salesforce Developer Scrum Master Security Engineer Senior Accountant Senior Business Analyst Senior Data Analyst Senior Data Engineer Senior Data Scientist Senior Financial Analyst Senior Graphic Designer Senior Marketing Manager Senior Product Designer Senior Product Manager Senior Product Marketing Manager Senior Project Manager Senior Recruiter Senior Software Developer Senior Software Engineer Senior Systems Engineer Senior Technical Writer Senior UI Designer Senior UX Designer SEO Manager SEO Specialist Site Reliability Engineer Social Media Manager Software Developer Software Engineer Software Sales Representative Software Test Engineer SQL Developer Systems Engineer Tableau Developer Tech Sales Representative Technical Product Manager Technical Project Manager Technical Recruiter Technical Support Technical Writer Test Engineer UI Designer UX Designer UX Researcher Vice President of Care Vice President of Engineering Vice President of Finance Vice President of Human Resources Vice President of Marketing Vice President of Operations Vice President of People Vice President of Product Vice President of Sales Vice President of Talent Acquisition Visual Designer Web Designer Web Developer Wordpress Developer

best-paying cities for Principal Software Engineer

The metropolitan areas that pay the highest salaries for software engineers are Colorado Springs, San Francisco, Remote, Miami and Orange County.
City NameAverage SalaryCompared to National Average
Colorado Springs$213,000
+ 24% (161,297)
San Francisco, CA$211,380
+ 24% (161,297)
Remote$210,904
+ 24% (161,297)
Miami, FL$202,333
+ 20% (161,297)
Orange County$187,429
+ 14% (161,297)
Seattle, WA$180,926
+ 11% (161,297)
San Diego, CA$175,000
+ 8% (161,297)
New York City, NY$174,063
+ 7% (161,297)
Hartford, CT$173,286
+ 7% (161,297)
Colorado, CO$172,542
+ 7% (161,297)

Principal Software Engineer Salary by gender

The average Principal Software Engineer salary for women is $181,278 and the average Principal Software Engineer salary for men is $178,405.

Principal Software Engineer Salary by Years of Experience

The average salary for a Principal Software Engineer with 7+ years of experience is $180,126.

Principal Software Engineer Salary ranges

The most common Principal Software Engineer salary in US is between $160k - $170k.

Average Dev + Engineer salaries in US

Job TitleAverage SalarySalary Range
Wordpress Developer$71,129
Min: $55K
Max: $96K
Junior Web Developer$75,699
Min: $64K
Max: $93K
Web Developer$78,608
Min: $72K
Max: $84K
Implementation Specialist$78,995
Min: $38K
Max: $235K
Junior Software Developer$82,749
Min: $77K
Max: $95K
QA Analyst$84,126
Min: $42K
Max: $175K
Network Engineer$86,626
Min: $78K
Max: $105K
App Developer$88,326
Min: $79K
Max: $120K
Test Engineer$88,826
Min: $81K
Max: $115K
RPA Developer$89,414
Min: $80K
Max: $127K
Junior Software Engineer$90,253
Min: $42K
Max: $165K
IT Engineer$90,499
Min: $75K
Max: $117K
Application Engineer$90,886
Min: $80K
Max: $121K
React Developer$93,048
Min: $85K
Max: $120K
Design Engineer$94,330
Min: $83K
Max: $116K
Tableau Developer$94,349
Min: $87K
Max: $121K
Full Stack Developer$94,361
Min: $85K
Max: $119K
Back End Developer$95,176
Min: $87K
Max: $104K
Java Developer$95,216
Min: $87K
Max: $116K
SQL Developer$96,485
Min: $89K
Max: $119K
Blockchain Developer$96,708
Min: $90K
Max: $122K
QA Engineer$98,305
Min: $40K
Max: $210K
Power BI Developer$100,015
Min: $95K
Max: $107K
Software Test Engineer$100,525
Min: $55K
Max: $175K
Robotics Engineer$100,526
Min: $89K
Max: $138K
AWS Developer$101,157
Min: $92K
Max: $132K
Javascript Developer$102,449
Min: $84K
Max: $119K
Python Developer$102,598
Min: $95K
Max: $117K
Database Developer$102,840
Min: $90K
Max: $150K
Aerospace Engineer$103,572
Min: $94K
Max: $120K
AI Engineer$106,407
Min: $80K
Max: $145K
Front End Developer$109,055
Min: $37K
Max: $330K
Cloud Engineer$109,862
Min: $102K
Max: $141K
Cloud Security Engineer$110,768
Min: $95K
Max: $144K
Cybersecurity Engineer$111,195
Min: $100K
Max: $127K
Automation Engineer$111,281
Min: $10K
Max: $240K
Android Developer$111,497
Min: $60K
Max: $310K
Salesforce Developer$113,227
Min: $55K
Max: $221K
Game Developer$116,715
Min: $65K
Max: $214K
iOS Developer$118,367
Min: $52K
Max: $391K
Senior Systems Engineer$120,524
Min: $110K
Max: $160K
Business Intelligence Developer$122,000
Min: $122K
Max: $122K
Systems Engineer$123,317
Min: $65K
Max: $221K
Data Engineer$124,138
Min: $50K
Max: $275K
Sales Engineer$125,498
Min: $55K
Max: $305K
Senior Software Developer$126,640
Min: $112K
Max: $150K
Software Developer$126,689
Min: $88K
Max: $246K
Security Engineer$126,836
Min: $61K
Max: $280K
Site Reliability Engineer$129,405
Min: $70K
Max: $300K
Quant Developer$130,909
Min: $127K
Max: $142K
Database Administrator$131,093
Min: $69K
Max: $260K
QA Manager$131,198
Min: $78K
Max: $260K
DevOps Engineer$132,824
Min: $50K
Max: $325K
Hardware Engineer$135,442
Min: $64K
Max: $253K
Senior Data Engineer$136,569
Min: $90K
Max: $254K
Software Engineer$140,052
Min: $60K
Max: $325K
Data Architect$145,235
Min: $70K
Max: $279K
Senior Software Engineer$150,688
Min: $70K
Max: $366K
Lead Software Engineer$152,541
Min: $44K
Max: $450K
Machine Learning Engineer$152,812
Min: $87K
Max: $278K
Data Engineering Manager$162,386
Min: $110K
Max: $279K
Engineering Manager$168,005
Min: $77K
Max: $531K
Principal Software Engineer$168,664
Min: $86K
Max: $375K
Director of Software Engineering$191,912
Min: $111K
Max: $420K
Vice President of Engineering$221,724
Min: $144K
Max: $500K
CTO (Chief Technology Officer)$222,266
Min: $80K
Max: $575K
CIO (Chief Information Officer)$226,216
Min: $96K
Max: $400K

FAQ

Q:

What is a principal software engineer?

A.
A principal software engineer leads engineering teams in developing and testing software projects, working to guarantee software projects meet quality standards and are completed on time.
Q:

How to become a principal software engineer?

A.
To become a principal software engineer, you will likely need at least 10 years of software development experience as well as a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field like computer science. Preparation for this position includes extensive coding and programming expertise, as well as management experience.
Q:

How much does a principal software engineer make?

A.

The salary range for a principal software engineer is $55K-$305K. The average salary for a Principal Software Engineer in US is $168,664.

Career Info

Principal Software Engineer jobs in US

Principal Software Engineer, Telecom

Remote
3 days ago
Ready to be a Titan?ServiceTitan is looking for a Principal Software Engineer to help us build the next generation of our platform. This is an exciting role for an engineer to work on the voice and messaging components of our product. We build for product excellence, use the most modern tools on Microsoft .NET platform, have an amazing culture, and love to solve complex problems. If you share the same values, you might find yourself in perfect

Principal Software Engineer

Seattle, WA
5 days ago
$253,880
Annually
P5 - Principal Software Engineer SUMMARYThe Disney content catalog is one of the largest in the world. A lot goes into creating it. Our content delivery systems are excellent at presenting the catalog to our viewers reliably and speedily. The Content & Experience Delivery (CXD) team builds systems that provide data at scale to viewers across Hulu, Disney+, ESPN+, and Star+ (DSS). We build and operate low latency, high availability services that

Principal Software Engineer

Santa Monica
1 week ago
$180,646 - $242,330
Annually
The Disney Media Engineering's Content Management Platform is responsible for the end-to-end technology needed to acquire content from over 500 partners and deliver the highest quality video to hundreds of millions of users. We're changing the world of streaming video and looking for a talented Principal Software Engineer who will be an exceptional addition to our team. As part of the team you are a key contributor in driving the technical

Principal Software Engineer

Santa Monica
1 week ago
$180,646 - $242,330
Annually
The Disney Media Engineering's Content Management Platform is responsible for the end-to-end technology needed to acquire content from over 500 partners and deliver the highest quality video to hundreds of millions of users. We're changing the world of streaming video and looking for a talented Principal Software Engineer who will be an exceptional addition to our team. As part of the team you are a key contributor in driving the technical

Principal Software Engineer

Remote
2 weeks ago
$182,000 - $262,000
Annually
What you'll do: Own: Own from end to end the short and long term technical vision of your team Design & Revamp: Design, implement and improve critical systems and components powering ServiceTitan stack; improve the security, availability, reliability, and performance of our products; drive/participate in all major architectural and strategic decisions especially those relating to scale Improve Efficiency: Build tools to increase efficiency of all

Sr Manager, POS Transformation Tech Lead

Chicago, IL
2 days ago
Job DescriptionCompany Description:McDonald's evolving Accelerating the Arches growth strategy puts our customers and people first, and leverages our competitive advantages to strengthen our brand. We are recognized on lists like Fortune's Most Admired Companies and Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies.Doubling Down on the 4Ds (Delivery, Digital, Drive Thru, and Development) Our growth pillars emphasize the important role technology plays as

Sr Director - Tech Lead (Digital Channels)

Chicago, IL
1 week ago
Job DescriptionCompany Description:McDonald's evolving Accelerating the Arches growth strategy puts our customers and people first, and leverages our competitive advantages to strengthen our brand. We are recognized on lists like Fortune's Most Admired Companies and Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies. Doubling Down on the 4Ds (Delivery, Digital, Drive Thru, and Development) Our growth pillars emphasize the important role technology plays as

Vice President; Principal Engineer

Greater NYC Area
1 week ago
$229,000 - $239,000
Annually
Job Description:At Bank of America, we are guided by a common purpose to help make financial lives better through the power of every connection. Responsible Growth is how we run our company and how we deliver for our clients, teammates, communities and shareholders every day.One of the keys to driving Responsible Growth is being a great place to work for our teammates around the world. We're devoted to being a diverse and inclusive workplace for

Vice President; Principal Engineer

Greater NYC Area
1 week ago
$229,000 - $239,000
Annually
Job Description:At Bank of America, we are guided by a common purpose to help make financial lives better through the power of every connection. Responsible Growth is how we run our company and how we deliver for our clients, teammates, communities and shareholders every day.One of the keys to driving Responsible Growth is being a great place to work for our teammates around the world. We're devoted to being a diverse and inclusive workplace for

Principal Software Engineer

New York City, NY
2 hours ago
$222,000 - $241,000
Annually
Our Mission Healthcare should work for patients, but it doesn’t. In their time of need, they call down outdated insurance directories. Then wait on hold. Then wait weeks for the privilege of a visit. Then wait in a room solely designed for waiting. Then wait for a surprise bill. In any other consumer industry, the companies delivering such a poor customer experience would not survive. But in healthcare, patients lack market power. Which means they

Associate Principal, Software Engineering

Dallas-Fort Worth, TX
4 days ago
$134,992 - $141,400
Annually
Name of Employer:The Options Clearing CorporationJob Title:Associate Principal, Software EngineeringLocation:9111 Cypress Waters Blvd, Suite 400, Dallas, Texas 75019Duties:As a member of the software integration team, is responsible for integrating and validating large cloud-based data systems that will serve as the backbone for promoting any releases into the production instances. Design, develop, and implement solutions for data requirements

Principal Software Engineer

Los Angeles, CA
6 days ago
$160,000 - $230,000
Annually
Company DescriptionNBCUniversal owns and operates over 20 different businesses across 30 countries including a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment television networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, world-renowned theme parks and a premium ad-supported streaming service.Here you can be your authentic self. As a company uniquely positioned to educate

Skills that affect Principal Software Engineer salaries in US

1
Java
1% have this skill
2
.NET
1% have this skill
3
Javascript
1% have this skill
4
Python
0% have this skill
5
SQL
0% have this skill
6
C#
0% have this skill

Average Principal Software Engineer Salary by Company Size

People with the job title Principal Software Engineer make the most at companies with 1-10 employees, earning $169,097 on average.

Recent Principal Software Engineer salaries in US

$156,000
Yearly Salary
A Software Architect reported a yearly salary of $156,000 with +$30,000 in additional cash compensation
7+ Years of Experience
Male
201-500 Employees
New Orleans, LA
$145,000
Yearly Salary
A Principal Software Engineer reported a yearly salary of $145,000 with +$18,000 in additional cash compensation
7+ Years of Experience
Male
1,000+ Employees
Remote
$160,000
Yearly Salary
A Principal Software Engineer reported a yearly salary of $160,000 with +$8,000 in additional cash compensation
7+ Years of Experience
Male
1,000+ Employees
Atlanta, GA
$140,000
Yearly Salary
A Principal Software Engineer reported a yearly salary of $140,000 with +$5,000 in additional cash compensation
7+ Years of Experience
Male
501-1,000 Employees
Philadelphia, PA
$186,000
Yearly Salary
A Principal Software Engineer reported a yearly salary of $186,000
7+ Years of Experience
Male
1,000+ Employees
Remote
$174,000
Yearly Salary
A Principal Software Engineer reported a yearly salary of $174,000 with +$122,000 in additional cash compensation
7+ Years of Experience
Male
501-1,000 Employees
Boston, MA
$146,000
Yearly Salary
A Principal Software Engineer reported a yearly salary of $146,000
7+ Years of Experience
Male
1,000+ Employees
Washington DC
$250,000
Yearly Salary
A Principal Software Engineer reported a yearly salary of $250,000 with +$500,000 in additional cash compensation
7+ Years of Experience
Male
1,000+ Employees
San Diego, CA
$225,000
Yearly Salary
A Principal Software Engineer reported a yearly salary of $225,000 with +$60,000 in additional cash compensation
7+ Years of Experience
Male
201-500 Employees
Remote
$250,000
Yearly Salary
A Principal Engineer reported a yearly salary of $250,000
7+ Years of Experience
Male
11-50 Employees
Los Angeles, CA