Become A Principal Software Engineer

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Working As A Principal Software Engineer

Interacting With Computers
Thinking Creatively
Making Decisions and Solving Problems
Getting Information
Analyzing Data or Information

Mostly Sitting
$112,018
Average Salary

What Does A Principal Software Engineer Do

A Principal Software Engineer is responsible for the technical aspects of an organization's projects. They diagnose, document, and troubleshoot systems to resolve problems identified through testing, as well as implement strategies to improve integration and efficiency.

How To Become A Principal Software Engineer

Software developers usually have a bachelor’s degree in computer science and strong computer programming skills.

Education

Software developers usually have a bachelor’s degree, typically in computer science, software engineering, or a related field. A degree in mathematics is also acceptable. Computer science degree programs are the most common, because they tend to cover a broad range of topics. Students should focus on classes related to building software in order to better prepare themselves for work in the occupation. For some positions, employers may prefer a master’s degree.

Although writing code is not their first priority, developers must have a strong background in computer programming. They usually gain this experience in school. Throughout their career, developers must keep up to date on new tools and computer languages.

Software developers also need skills related to the industry in which they work. Developers working in a bank, for example, should have knowledge of finance so that they can understand a bank’s computing needs.

Other Experience

Many students gain experience in software development by completing an internship at a software company while in college.

Some software developers first work as computer programmers and then are given more responsibility as they gain experience. Eventually, they become developers.

Advancement

Software developers can advance to become information technology (IT) project managers, also called computer and information systems managers, a position in which they oversee the software development process.

Important Qualities

Analytical skills. Developers must analyze users’ needs and then design software to meet those needs.

Communication skills. Developers must be able to give clear instructions to others working on a project. They must also explain to their customers how the software works and answer any questions that arise.

Computer skills. Developers must understand computer capabilities and programming languages in order to design effective software.

Creativity. Developers are the creative minds behind new computer software.

Detail oriented. Developers often work on many parts of an application or system at the same time and must therefore be able to concentrate and pay attention to detail.

Interpersonal skills. Software developers must be able to work well with others who contribute to designing, developing, and programming successful software.

Problem-solving skills. Because developers are in charge of software from beginning to end, they must be able to solve problems that arise throughout the design process.

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Principal Software Engineer jobs

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Principal Software Engineer Career Paths

Principal Software Engineer

Software Architect Chief Technology Officer

Chief Information Officer

11 Yearsyrs

Software Engineering Manager Director Of Software Development

Chief Technology Officer

11 Yearsyrs

Software Development Manager Project Manager Information Technology Project Manager

Director Of Information

10 Yearsyrs

Project Manager Development Manager Software Development Manager

Director Of Software Development

12 Yearsyrs

Chief Technology Officer Management Consultant Senior Product Manager

Principal Product Manager

10 Yearsyrs

Principal Engineer Senior Project Manager Senior Product Manager

Product Management Director

12 Yearsyrs

Architect And Developer Solutions Architect Product Manager

Product Manager, Mobile

10 Yearsyrs

Chief Technology Officer Technical Consultant Business Analyst

Product Owner

9 Yearsyrs

Engineering Director Consulting Engineer Senior Software Engineer

Senior .NET Developer

6 Yearsyrs

Director Of Software Development Engineering Director

Senior Director Of Engineering

15 Yearsyrs

Architect And Developer Project Manager Information Technology Project Manager

Senior Information Technology Manager

10 Yearsyrs

Project Manager Consultant Senior Software Engineer

Senior Java Developer

6 Yearsyrs

Principal Engineer Program Manager

Senior Project Manager

12 Yearsyrs

Software Development Manager Senior Project Manager Contractor/Consultant

Senior Software Engineer

6 Yearsyrs

Software Architect Solutions Architect Senior Project Manager

Senior Technical Program Manager

12 Yearsyrs

Software Engineering Manager Program Manager Engineering Director

Vice President Of Engineering

13 Yearsyrs

Engineering Manager Development Manager Director Of Software Development

Vice President, Software Development

11 Yearsyrs

Director Of Software Development Chief Technology Officer Senior Project Manager

Vice President, Technology

11 Yearsyrs

Engineering Director Business Developer Product Management Director

Vice President-Products

13 Yearsyrs

Average Length of Employment

Advisory Software Engineer 7.4 years
Staff Software Engineer 5.3 years
Principle Software Engineer 5.2 years
Senior Software Engineer Manager 5.0 years
Principal Software Engineer 5.0 years
Senior Systems Software Engineer 4.2 years
Software Systems Engineer 4.2 years
Software Design Engineer 4.1 years
Senior Software Development Engineer 4.0 years
Software Engineer/Architect 3.9 years
Senior Software Engineer 3.9 years
Software Engineer/Technical Lead 3.9 years
Senior Software Engineer/Architect 3.7 years
Software Engineer-Team Lead 3.6 years
Software Engineer Lead 3.4 years
Senior Software Engineer Lead 3.4 years
Software Applications Engineer 3.4 years
Software Development Engineer 3.3 years
Software Engineer 3.2 years
Software Architect 3.2 years
Software Designer 3.0 years
Lead Software Architect 3.0 years
Software Consultant 2.8 years
Software Engineer-Consultant 2.8 years
Software Developer 2.7 years
Contract Software Developer 2.7 years
Contract Software Engineer 2.6 years

Top Careers Before Principal Software Engineer

Top Careers After Principal Software Engineer

Principal Software Engineer Demographics

Gender

Male
82.7%
Female
12.3%
Unknown
4.9%

Ethnicity

White
65.7%
Asian
23.8%
Hispanic or Latino
6.5%
Unknown
3.3%
Black or African American
0.7%

Languages Spoken

Spanish
17.4%
Chinese
13.0%
French
13.0%
German
10.9%
Mandarin
8.7%
Italian
8.7%
Japanese
6.5%
Russian
6.5%
Portuguese
2.2%
Bulgarian
2.2%
Hawaiian
2.2%
Hebrew
2.2%
Cantonese
2.2%
Carrier
2.2%
Korean
2.2%

Principal Software Engineer

Unfortunately we don’t have enough data for this section.

Principal Software Engineer Education

Schools

Northeastern University
11.2%
University of Massachusetts - Lowell
10.4%
Boston University
7.8%
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
7.3%
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
6.5%
Johns Hopkins University
6.3%
University of Southern California
4.4%
George Mason University
4.4%
University of Massachusetts Amherst
4.4%
University of Texas at Austin
4.2%
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
4.2%
University of California - Irvine
3.9%
University of California - Berkeley
3.4%
University of New Hampshire
3.1%
Illinois Institute of Technology
3.1%
Pennsylvania State University
3.1%
Carnegie Mellon University
3.1%
Cornell University
3.1%
National University
2.9%
Rochester Institute of Technology
2.9%

Majors

Computer Science 43.3%
Electrical Engineering 14.0%
Computer Engineering 11.1%
Business 5.8%
Mathematics 4.3%
Engineering 2.7%
Computer Information Systems 2.6%
Physics 2.6%
Information Systems 1.9%
Information Technology 1.6%
Mechanical Engineering 1.5%
Project Management 1.5%
Finance 1.4%
Computer Applications 1.4%
Management 1.1%
Management Information Systems 0.9%
Electrical Engineering Technology 0.8%
Education 0.5%
Engineering And Industrial Management 0.5%
Chemistry 0.5%

Degrees

Masters
42.7%
Bachelors
40.1%
Other
8.3%
Doctorate
5.9%
Certificate
1.9%
Associate
0.9%
Diploma
0.2%
License
0.1%

Principal Software Engineer

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Real Principal Software Engineer Salaries

Job Title	Company	Location	Start Date	Salary
Principal Software Engineer	Twitter, Inc.	New York, NY	Jan 01, 2016	$265,000
Principal Software Engineer	Microsoft Corporation	Redmond, WA	Nov 10, 2016	$231,000
Principal MTS, Software Engineer	Paypal, Inc.	San Jose, CA	Mar 12, 2015	$220,474
Principal Software Engineer	ETSY, Inc.	New York, NY	Jun 15, 2016	$215,000
Principal Software Engineer	VEVO LLC	San Francisco, CA	Nov 21, 2016	$215,000
Principal Software Engineer	Microsoft Corporation	Redmond, WA	Oct 31, 2016	$213,675 - $233,675
Principal Software Engineer	Microsoft Corporation	Redmond, WA	Jul 19, 2016	$213,675
Principal Software Engineer	Microsoft Corporation	Sunnyvale, CA	Feb 23, 2015	$211,595
Principal Software Engineer	Qualcomm Atheros, Inc.	San Jose, CA	Nov 19, 2015	$210,662
Principal Software Engineer	JD.Com American Technologies Corporation	Santa Clara, CA	Sep 17, 2016	$200,000 - $225,000
Principal Software Engineer	SONY Interactive Entertainment Network America LLC	San Francisco, CA	Nov 28, 2016	$200,000
SR. Principal Software Engineer Handset	Asurion LLC	San Mateo, CA	Sep 03, 2015	$200,000
Principal Software Engineer	Cadence Design Systems, Inc.	San Jose, CA	Nov 23, 2016	$143,126 - $180,700
Principal Software Engineer	Cadence Design Systems, Inc.	San Jose, CA	Jun 07, 2016	$143,100 - $163,100
Principal Software Engineer	Informatica LLC	Redwood City, CA	Jul 11, 2016	$143,000
Principal Software Engineer	Informatica Corporation	Redwood City, CA	Oct 27, 2015	$143,000
Senior Principal Software Engineer	Minio Inc.	Palo Alto, CA	May 10, 2016	$142,938 - $150,000
Principal Software Engineer	Heat Software USA Inc.	Milpitas, CA	Sep 26, 2016	$142,938 - $165,000
Principal Software Engineer	Cadence Design Systems, Inc.	San Jose, CA	Oct 31, 2016	$142,596 - $180,700
Principal Software Engineer	Cadence Design Systems, Inc.	San Jose, CA	Nov 14, 2016	$142,596 - $180,700
Principal Software Engineer	Nisum Technologies Inc.	San Francisco, CA	May 13, 2016	$123,970
Principal Software Engineer	Rei Systems Inc.	Sterling, VA	Sep 16, 2016	$123,964
Principal Software Engineer	Perceptive Informatics, Inc.	Billerica, MA	Nov 30, 2015	$123,903
Principal Software Engineer	EMC Corporation	Nashua, NH	Jul 25, 2016	$123,843 - $155,250
Principal Software Engineer	EMC Corporation	Parkton, NC	Sep 05, 2016	$123,843 - $155,250
Principal Software Engineer	EMC Corporation	Parkton, NC	Apr 18, 2016	$123,843 - $152,000
Principal Software Engineer	EMC Corporation	Parksville, SC	Sep 05, 2016	$123,843 - $155,250
Principal Software Engineer	Cvent, Inc.	Los Angeles, CA	Oct 01, 2015	$123,825

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Top Skills for A Principal Software Engineer

Top Principal Software Engineer Skills

C/C++
Web Services
Windows NT

You can check out examples of real life uses of top skills on resumes here:

Code was written in C/C++ and Perl.
Architected and contributed to full stack data dissemination software for real time mission data via web services.
Designed and consulted on all matters related to Windows NT kernel level development.
Defined and developed software architecture, numerous system algorithms and GUI of monitor submitted for FDA approval.
Used PL/SQL Stored Procedures to query both the Planning and Finance databases.