What is a Principal Software Engineer?

Are you the type of person who likes to analyze a problem and find a solution? That's just what you'll be doing if you become a principal software engineer. In this role, you will evaluate the end-user's needs and then develop the perfect software solution. More specifically, you'll look at a problem and the ultimate business goals. Based on these goals, you'll develop, document, and test software that meets those needs.

You'll also be expected to maintain and upgrade existing software or recommend new technologies that can help increase productivity. Since principal software engineers often oversee the technical aspects of the project, they are also asked to provide technical guidance to development teams.

To succeed in this field, you'll need to have basic programming knowledge, analytical skills, logical thinking, and specific knowledge of mathematics. Proven experience in software development methodologies along with high-level programming languages, like Java, is typically required as well.

To get into this field, principal software engineers most commonly study computer science, electrical engineering, or computer engineering. Must hold a bachelor's or master's degree

What Does a Principal Software Engineer Do

There are certain skills that many principal software engineers have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed analytical skills, communication skills and creativity.

Learn more about what a Principal Software Engineer does

How To Become a Principal Software Engineer

If you're interested in becoming a principal software engineer, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 68.9% of principal software engineers have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 24.4% of principal software engineers have master's degrees. Even though most principal software engineers have a college degree, it's impossible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.

Learn More About How To Become a Principal Software Engineer
Top Principal Software Engineer Jobs Near You

Principal Software Engineer Career Paths

As you move along in your career, you may start taking on more responsibilities or notice that you've taken on a leadership role. Using our career map, a principal software engineer can determine their career goals through the career progression. For example, they could start out with a role such as principal engineer, progress to a title such as project manager and then eventually end up with the title product director.

Principal Software Engineer

Average Salary for a Principal Software Engineer

Principal Software Engineers in America make an average salary of $134,230 per year or $65 per hour. The top 10 percent makes over $182,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent under $98,000 per year.
Average Principal Software Engineer Salary
$134,230 Yearly
$64.53 hourly
See More Salary Information

What Am I Worth?

salary-calculator

Roles and Types of Principal Software Engineer

The role of a principal software engineer includes a wide range of responsibilities. These responsibilities can vary based on an individual's specific job, company, or industry.Here are some general principal software engineer responsibilities:

  • Participating in the full software lifecycle development (requirements analysis, design, implementation
  • Design, write and deliver software to improve the availability, scalability, latency,
  • Building out a data science framework that allows clinicians, healthcare administrators, researchers,

There are several types of principal software engineer, including:

Software Engineer

Role:

Software Engineers get to apply lots of different areas of study into their everyday work. Whether it's science, engineering, mathematics, computer science, or even design, these engineers are able to use lots of different methods and techniques in their line of work.

Essentially, software engineers design, develop and test software applications for computers. They usually work in offices or labs during their average 40-hour workweek. Even though they use a wide range of study, typically software engineers only require a Bachelor's degree, although a Master's degree is appealing to most employers.

  • Average Salary: $100,260
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree

Software Test Engineer

Role:

Software test engineers are professionals who ensure that software is doing what it is designed to do consistently. From their title, one major duty of a software test engineer is to test out the software. They carry out a variety of both automated and manual tests to ensure the software is consistently producing the desired results. After tests have been carried out, you have to come up with reports about the outcome of the test, which will aid decision-making. You are also to collaborate with developers and other colleagues. Sometimes, you could be called to monitor the work of other testers.

Generally, software test engineers hold a bachelor's degree in software engineering or computer science. Having a master's degree gives you an edge and makes you eligible for leadership positions. Software test engineers are not only expected to be shrewd, but you have to be a great communicator. Paying attention to detail, the ability to handle stress well, and multitasking are some other skills you must possess. The median salary per year is $83,070.

  • Average Salary: $85,338
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree

Lead Engineer

Role:

A lead engineer is a professional who supervisors a team of engineers working on maintaining and streamlining corporate projects. As a lead engineer, your duties vary depending on the work industry of employment. Basically, your responsibility as a lead engineer is to ensure that the operations and performance of the workforce are progressive. Also, you are to ensure the smooth running of everything.

In addition, as a lead engineer, you are responsible for addressing concerns and issues monitoring budgets. Furthermore, coordinating with architects and clients, training workers, and assessing risks is also a part of your duties. As a lead engineer, it is important that you conduct inspections regularly. This is to ascertain the quality of work being done and to maintain a safe space for every worker.

Mostly, lead engineers study computer science, electrical engineering, or mechanical engineering. To qualify for this role, you must possess at least a bachelor's degree in any of these relevant fields. Lead engineers earn at least an average salary of $70,536 per year.

  • Average Salary: $84,927
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree
View More

States With The Most Principal Software Engineer Jobs

Mouse over a state to see the number of active principal software engineer jobs in each state. The darker areas on the map show where principal software engineers earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.

Average Salary: Job Openings:

Number Of Principal Software Engineer Jobs By State

RankStateNumber of JobsAverage Salary
1California19,860$163,134
2Texas8,428$115,396
3Washington7,149$173,680
4Virginia6,161$118,546
5New York5,864$127,303
6Florida4,794$114,835
7Illinois4,752$111,733
8Massachusetts4,437$119,020
9Pennsylvania4,247$117,419
10New Jersey3,962$118,099
11Maryland3,779$117,625
12North Carolina3,718$107,269
13Georgia3,300$108,659
14Colorado2,970$108,768
15Oregon2,958$157,990
16Ohio2,849$110,197
17Minnesota2,644$112,977
18Arizona2,406$127,980
19Michigan2,216$113,386
20Indiana1,950$100,946
21Utah1,758$116,639
22Missouri1,507$105,371
23Wisconsin1,487$107,866
24Connecticut1,245$120,751
25Tennessee1,192$109,164
26Alabama1,165$101,234
27Kansas921$101,774
28South Carolina839$103,780
29Iowa836$108,412
30Kentucky834$104,744
31Arkansas819$112,295
32Nebraska773$107,138
33New Hampshire765$114,214
34Nevada710$139,113
35Rhode Island700$111,501
36Idaho694$134,309
37Delaware644$125,866
38New Mexico602$127,267
39Louisiana558$103,418
40Montana553$116,746
41Oklahoma496$97,936
42Vermont395$108,799
43Maine370$105,801
44West Virginia302$110,714
45Mississippi302$109,832
46North Dakota282$114,467
47South Dakota278$113,490
48Wyoming245$123,883
49Hawaii226$191,424
50Alaska220$182,325

Principal Software Engineer Education

Principal Software Engineer Majors

Computer Science
40.5 %
Electrical Engineering
19.2 %
Computer Engineering
10.0 %

Principal Software Engineer Degrees

Bachelors

68.9 %

Masters

24.4 %

Associate

2.8 %

Top Colleges for Principal Software Engineers

1. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-State Tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

4. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-State Tuition

$9,992

Enrollment

33,495

5. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-State Tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

6. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-State Tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

7. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$7,353

Enrollment

24,841

8. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-State Tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

9. Minnesota State University - Mankato

Mankato, MN • Private

In-State Tuition

$8,184

Enrollment

11,675

10. Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, NC • Private

In-State Tuition

$3,926

Enrollment

9,835

Top Skills For a Principal Software Engineer

The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 16.4% of principal software engineers listed java on their resume, but soft skills such as analytical skills and communication skills are important as well.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Principal Software Engineer Resume templates

Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Principal Software Engineer templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Principal Software Engineer resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.

Principal Software Engineer Resume
Principal Software Engineer Resume
Principal Software Engineer Resume
Principal Software Engineer Resume
Principal Software Engineer Resume
Principal Software Engineer Resume
Principal Software Engineer Resume
Principal Software Engineer Resume
Principal Software Engineer Resume
Principal Software Engineer Resume
Principal Software Engineer Resume
Principal Software Engineer Resume
Principal Software Engineer Resume
Principal Software Engineer Resume
Principal Software Engineer Resume
Principal Software Engineer Resume

Principal Software Engineer diversity

Principal Software Engineer Gender Distribution

Male
Male
88%
Female
Female
13%

After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:

  • Among principal software engineers, 12.5% of them are women, while 87.5% are men.

  • The most common race/ethnicity among principal software engineers is White, which makes up 52.5% of all principal software engineers.

  • The most common foreign language among principal software engineers is Spanish at 19.6%.

Online Courses For Principal Software Engineer That You May Like

Advertising Disclosure  

1. Software Engineering Immersive (Full-time)

general_assembly

Meet the global demand for technical problem-solvers by developing your coding skills to create full-stack web applications across multiple frameworks, incorporating functionality from third-party APIs, executing software engineering projects in an Agile development workflow, and more...

2. Data Science Immersive (Full-time)

general_assembly

Harness the power of data science to solve the world’s most challenging problems by developing your skills in predictive modeling, pattern recognition, data visualization, wrangling massive data sets, forecasting trends, and informing strategy across diverse industries like public policy, robotics, and FinTech...

3. Intro to HTML and CSS

udacity

Throughout this course, you'll learn about the underlying structure of the web - HTML. You'll learn how to use this tree-like structure to create websites. You'll also learn how to apply styling to a website through CSS. You'll learn about CSS syntax, selectors, and units. Along the way, you'll also learn about code editors and a browser's Developer Tools...

Show More Online Courses For Principal Software Engineer
Job type you want
Full Time
Part Time
Internship
Temporary

Best States For a Principal Software Engineer

Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as a principal software engineer. The best states for people in this position are Hawaii, Alaska, Washington, and California. Principal software engineers make the most in Hawaii with an average salary of $191,424. Whereas in Alaska and Washington, they would average $182,325 and $173,680, respectively. While principal software engineers would only make an average of $163,134 in California, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.

1. Washington

Total Principal Software Engineer Jobs: 7,149
Highest 10% Earn:
$238,000
Location Quotient:
2.3

$173,680

Avg. Salary

View 7,149 Principal Software Engineer Jobs In WA

2. Oregon

Total Principal Software Engineer Jobs: 2,958
Highest 10% Earn:
$220,000
Location Quotient:
1.68

$157,990

Avg. Salary

View 2,958 Principal Software Engineer Jobs In OR

3. California

Total Principal Software Engineer Jobs: 19,860
Highest 10% Earn:
$224,000
Location Quotient:
1.6

$163,134

Avg. Salary

View 19,860 Principal Software Engineer Jobs In CA
Full List Of Best States For Principal Software Engineers

How Do Principal Software Engineers Rate Their Jobs?

Working as a Principal Software Engineer? Share your experience anonymously.
Overall Rating*
Career Growth
Work/Life balance
Pay/Salary

Top Principal Software Engineer Employers

We've made finding a great employer to work for easy by doing the hard work for you. We looked into employers that employ principal software engineers and discovered their number of principal software engineer opportunities and average salary. Through our research, we concluded that Fidelity Technologies was the best, especially with an average salary of $125,126. EMC follows up with an average salary of $135,808, and then comes Oracle with an average of $98,856. In addition, we know most people would rather work from home. So instead of having to change careers, we identified the best employers for remote work as a principal software engineer. The employers include NextEra Energy, Microsoft, and Salesforce

Most Common Employers For Principal Software Engineer

RankCompanyAverage SalaryHourly RateJob Openings
1Walmart$194,894$93.70233
2Microsoft$186,106$89.47495
3Palo Alto Networks$169,485$81.48124
4Yahoo$158,220$76.07139
5Broadcom$153,705$73.90165
6Cadence Design Systems$152,390$73.26245
7Salesforce$148,174$71.24180
8Nisum$145,167$69.79169
9Splunk$142,691$68.60158
10T-Mobile$141,353$67.96104
Show More

Principal Software Engineer Videos

Work at LinkedIn: Mohak Shroff, Principal Software Engineer
Work at LinkedIn: Sanjay Dubey, Principal Software Engineer
How to Become a Successful Software Engineer

Becoming a Principal Software Engineer FAQs

Do Principal Engineers Write Code?

No, principal engineers do not write code typically. The software programming that they develop is given to programmers who write code.

It is the responsibility of the principal engineer to assess company needs and design software to address those needs. These individuals will oversee teams of programmers and instruct them during the code writing process.

How Long Does It Take To Become A Principal Software Engineer?

It takes approximately six to eight years after graduation from college to become a principal software engineer. After earning the appropriate degree, candidates for this position must amass several years of relevant work experience.

Have more questions? See all answers to common computer and mathematical questions.

Search For Principal Software Engineer Jobs

Principal Software Engineer Related Careers

Principal Software Engineer Related Jobs

Principal Software Engineer Jobs By Location

Principal Software Engineer Jobs By Company

Updated April 6, 2023