Principal software engineer demographics and statistics in the US
Principal software engineer demographics research summary. Zippia estimates principal software engineer demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our principal software engineer estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about principal software engineers after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 156,289 principal software engineers currently employed in the United States.
- 12.5% of all principal software engineers are women, while 87.5% are men.
- The average principal software engineer age is 39 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of principal software engineers is White (52.5%), followed by Asian (29.9%), Hispanic or Latino (8.2%) and Unknown (4.8%).
- Principal software engineers are most in-demand in Boston, MA.
- Seattle, WA pays an annual average wage of $178,152, the highest in the US.
- In 2022, women principal software engineers earned 93% of what men earned.
- Washington is the best state for principal software engineers to live.
- Principal software engineers are 56% more likely to work at public companies in comparison to private companies.
On this page
Principal software engineer demographics by:
Principal software engineer gender statistics
12.5% of principal software engineers are women and 87.5% of principal software engineers are men.
- Male, 87.5%
- Female, 12.5%
Principal software engineer gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 87.5% |
| Female | 12.5% |
Principal software engineer gender pay gap
Women earn 93¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$130,960
Female income
$122,299
Principal software engineer gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in principal software engineer positions over time. Currently, 12.5% of principal software engineers are female.
Principal software engineer gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 85.71% | 14.29% |
| 2011 | 85.55% | 14.45% |
| 2012 | 86.49% | 13.51% |
| 2013 | 86.42% | 13.58% |
| 2014 | 87.16% | 12.84% |
| 2015 | 86.96% | 13.04% |
| 2016 | 88.01% | 11.99% |
| 2017 | 87.65% | 12.35% |
| 2018 | 87.68% | 12.32% |
| 2019 | 87.50% | 12.50% |
| 2020 | 87.46% | 12.54% |
| 2021 | 87.53% | 12.47% |
Principal software engineer related jobs gender ratio
We compared principal software engineers with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, dell certified systems expert and software applications architect have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Informatics Nurse Specialist | 13% | 87% |
| Clinical Support Specialist | 22% | 78% |
| Clinic Administrator | 23% | 77% |
| Principal Software Engineer | 88% | 12% |
| Senior Data Center Engineer | 98% | 2% |
| Software Applications Architect | 98% | 2% |
| Dell Certified Systems Expert | 99% | 1% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Principal software engineer demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among principal software engineers is White, which makes up 52.5% of all principal software engineers. Comparatively, 29.9% of principal software engineers are Asian and 8.2% of principal software engineers are Hispanic or Latino.
- White, 52.5%
- Asian, 29.9%
- Hispanic or Latino, 8.2%
- Unknown, 4.8%
- Black or African American, 4.4%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
Principal software engineer race
| Principal software engineer race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 52.5% |
| Asian | 29.9% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 8.2% |
| Unknown | 4.8% |
| Black or African American | 4.4% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.2% |
Principal software engineer race and ethnicity over time
See how principal software engineer racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Principal software engineer race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 60.60% | 5.51% | 25.73% | 5.70% |
| 2011 | 61.07% | 5.74% | 25.23% | 5.41% |
| 2012 | 59.98% | 5.27% | 26.61% | 5.85% |
| 2013 | 60.37% | 4.80% | 26.43% | 5.66% |
| 2014 | 59.25% | 5.31% | 27.07% | 5.79% |
| 2015 | 58.42% | 5.12% | 27.20% | 6.37% |
| 2016 | 57.92% | 5.11% | 27.91% | 6.36% |
| 2017 | 56.50% | 4.99% | 28.46% | 6.73% |
| 2018 | 57.14% | 4.84% | 27.68% | 7.34% |
| 2019 | 56.31% | 4.93% | 28.88% | 6.97% |
| 2020 | 54.52% | 4.67% | 28.64% | 7.78% |
| 2021 | 52.50% | 4.43% | 29.94% | 8.17% |
Principal software engineer wage gap by race
According to our data, asian principal software engineers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american principal software engineers have the lowest average salary at $125,825.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $131,951 |
| White | $131,518 |
| Black or African American | $125,825 |
| Asian | $138,138 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $127,709 |
Average principal software engineer age
See how the average age of principal software engineers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Principal software engineer age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 37 | 46 |
| Unknown | 37 | 34 |
| Asian | 38 | 37 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 36 | 34 |
| White | 39 | 40 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 41 |
Principal software engineer age breakdown
The average age of principal software engineers is 40+ years years old, representing 45% of the principal software engineer population.
Principal software engineer age breakdown
| Principal Software Engineer Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 45% |
| 30-40 years | 36% |
| 20-30 years | 18% |
Principal software engineer educational attainment
The most common degree for principal software engineers is bachelor's degree, with 69% of principal software engineers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 24% and master's degree degree at 3%.
- Bachelor's, 69%
- Master's, 24%
- Associate, 3%
- Doctorate, 3%
- Other Degrees, 1%
Principal software engineers by degree level
| Principal software engineer degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 69% |
| Master's | 24% |
| Associate | 3% |
| Doctorate | 3% |
| Other Degrees | 1% |
Principal software engineer jobs you might like
Principal software engineer wage gap by degree level
According to the data, principal software engineers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $155,419 annually. With a Master's degree, principal software engineers earn a median annual income of $143,415 compared to $131,568 for principal software engineers with an Bachelor's degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $143,415 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $131,568 |
| Doctorate Degree | $155,419 |
Principal software engineer employment statistics
Most principal software engineers work for a public in the technology industry.
Company size where principal software engineers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where principal software engineers work.
Principal software engineer jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 2% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 8% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 13% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 10% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 39% |
| > 10,000 employees | 29% |
Principal software engineer jobs by company type
Employees with the principal software engineer job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most principal software engineers prefer to work at public companies over private companies.
Principal software engineer jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 2% |
| Public | 56% |
| Private | 42% |
Principal software engineer jobs by industry
The most common industries for principal software engineers are technology, telecommunication and finance.
Principal software engineer industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Technology | 35% |
| Fortune 500 | 13% |
| Telecommunication | 7% |
| Start-up | 7% |
| Finance | 5% |
| Media | 4% |
| Internet | 4% |
| Health Care | 4% |
| Professional | 4% |
| Hospitality | 3% |
| Manufacturing | 3% |
| Retail | 2% |
| Insurance | 2% |
| Pharmaceutical | 1% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Automotive | 1% |
| Non Profits | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Education | 1% |
Principal software engineer turnover and employment statistics
Principal software engineer unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for principal software engineers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Principal software engineer unemployment rate by year
| Year | Principal software engineer unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 4.56% |
| 2011 | 3.25% |
| 2012 | 2.64% |
| 2013 | 2.67% |
| 2014 | 2.07% |
| 2015 | 2.26% |
| 2016 | 2.33% |
| 2017 | 2.17% |
| 2018 | 1.80% |
| 2019 | 1.88% |
| 2020 | 2.40% |
| 2021 | 2.07% |
Average principal software engineer tenure
The average principal software engineer stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 4,441 principal software engineers resumes in Zippia's database.
Principal software engineer tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 11% |
| 1-2 years | 31% |
| 3-4 years | 16% |
| 5-7 years | 19% |
| 8-10 years | 8% |
| 11+ years | 15% |
Principal software engineer LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of principal software engineers that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Telecommunications Analyst | 7.31% | 10,486 |
| Senior Hris Analyst | 8.42% | 49,490 |
| Principal Software Engineer | 8.46% | - |
| Senior Information Assurance Engineer | 8.59% | 95,254 |
| Network Applications Specialist | 9.03% | 85,096 |
| Analytical Data Miner | 10.54% | 85,474 |
| Escalation Specialist | 10.88% | 67,740 |
Similar principal software engineer jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Telecommunications Analyst | 7.31% | 10,486 |
| Senior Hris Analyst | 8.42% | 49,490 |
| Senior Information Assurance Engineer | 8.59% | 95,254 |
| Network Applications Specialist | 9.03% | 85,096 |
| Analytical Data Miner | 10.54% | 85,474 |
| Escalation Specialist | 10.88% | 67,740 |
Foreign languages spoken by principal software engineers
The most common foreign language among principal software engineers is Spanish at 19.6%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is Chinese at 13.0% and German is the third-most popular at 13.0%.
- Spanish, 19.6%
- Chinese, 13.0%
- German, 13.0%
- French, 13.0%
- Mandarin, 8.7%
- Other, 32.7%
Principal software engineer languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 19.6% |
| Chinese | 13.0% |
| German | 13.0% |
| French | 13.0% |
| Mandarin | 8.7% |
| Other | 32.7% |
