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What is a principle software engineer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted experts
Frank McCown Ph.D.,
Kevin Treu Ph.D.
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a principle software engineer. For example, did you know that they make an average of $63.34 an hour? That's $131,742 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 21% and produce 284,100 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a principle software engineer?

Frank McCown Ph.D.Frank McCown Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Associate Professor, Harding University

The market is stable for software developers, despite the economic challenges created by the pandemic. Before accepting a job offer, talk to the company's employees through online meetings or email, and see what they think of the company. Do they enjoy their work? Are there opportunities to learn new technologies? How does the company treat their employees? There's a good chance you will be working remotely in your first job, so you will need to exercise a lot of self-discipline, be punctual for online meetings, do the work you've been assigned, and know when to ask questions when you get stuck. Expect a steeper-than-normal learning curve if you are working remotely instead of in an office.
ScorePrinciple Software EngineerUS Average
Salary
8.4

Avg. Salary $131,742

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
4.0

Growth rate 21%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
4.0
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.17%

Asian 29.82%

Black or African American 4.57%

Hispanic or Latino 8.33%

Unknown 4.84%

White 52.28%

Gender

female 11.68%

male 88.32%

Age - 38
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 38
Stress level
4.0

Stress level is moderate

7.1 - high

Complexity level
8.1

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance
6.6

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Principle software engineer career paths

Key steps to become a principle software engineer

  1. Explore principle software engineer education requirements

    Most common principle software engineer degrees

    Bachelor's

    68.6 %

    Master's

    23.4 %

    Associate

    4.7 %
  2. Start to develop specific principle software engineer skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Java13.80%
    Python11.08%
    Software Development7.36%
    Cloud4.36%
    JavaScript3.78%
  3. Complete relevant principle software engineer training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New principle software engineers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a principle software engineer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real principle software engineer resumes.
  4. Research principle software engineer duties and responsibilities

    • Coordinate creation of database that manage test requests and function as results repository, accessible company-wide handling 5K+ requests.
    • Partner with QA to implement automate QA testing framework in python.
    • Create front-end interfaces for new and existing tools utilizing HTML, and Perl GTK.
    • Perform software integration and debugging tasks encompassing all aspects of handset software from device drivers to UI.
  5. Get principle software engineer experience

    Generally, it takes 2-4 years to become a principle software engineer. The most common roles before becoming a principle software engineer include senior software engineer, software engineer team lead and consultant.
  6. Prepare your principle software engineer resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your principle software engineer resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a principle software engineer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable principle software engineer resume templates

    Build a professional principle software engineer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your principle software engineer resume.
    Principle Software Engineer Resume
    Principle Software Engineer Resume
    Principle Software Engineer Resume
    Principle Software Engineer Resume
    Principle Software Engineer Resume
    Principle Software Engineer Resume
    Principle Software Engineer Resume
    Principle Software Engineer Resume
    Principle Software Engineer Resume
  7. Apply for principle software engineer jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a principle software engineer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first principle software engineer job

Zippi

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Average principle software engineer salary

The average principle software engineer salary in the United States is $131,742 per year or $63 per hour. Principle software engineer salaries range between $98,000 and $176,000 per year.

Average principle software engineer salary
$131,742 Yearly
$63.34 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do principle software engineers rate their job?

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Principle software engineer reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2023
Pros

Problem solving and cutting edge technology - always learning and evolving my skill set

Cons

Still have to deal with people :)


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A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2020
Pros

I enjoyed working on creative problems that dealt with the user interface

Cons

I didn't like how technical it could become


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A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2019
Pros

Designing a new system or making changes to an old one.

Cons

Compensation. Pay and Benefits do not match the time spent on a project. Alabama is the Worst state to live in for SOFTWARE ENGINEER Salaries. 40 to 50 percent less than our peer States.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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