How much does a Principal Software Engineer make?
Experience
- All years of Experience
- 0-1 Years
- 1-3 Years
- 4-6 Years
- 7-9 Years
- 10-14 Years
- 15+ Years
Industry
- All industries
- Legal
- Aerospace & Defense
- Agriculture
- Arts, Entertainment & Recreation
- Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology
- Management & Consulting
- Construction, Repair & Maintenance Services
- Personal Consumer Services
- Education
- Financial Services
- Government & Public Administration
- Healthcare
- Information Technology
- Insurance
- Manufacturing
- Media & Communication
- Nonprofit & NGO
- Energy, Mining & Utilities
- Real Estate
- Restaurants & Food Service
- Retail & Wholesale
- Telecommunications
- Transportation & Logistics
- Hotels & Travel Accommodation
- Human Resources & Staffing
$264K
/yrThe estimated total pay for a Principal Software Engineer is $264,352 per year in the United States area, with an average salary of $179,687 per year. These numbers represent the median, which is the midpoint of the ranges from our proprietary Total Pay Estimate model and based on salaries collected from our users. The estimated additional pay is $84,665 per year. Additional pay could include cash bonus, commission, tips, and profit sharing. The "Most Likely Range" represents values that exist within the 25th and 75th percentile of all pay data available for this role.
How accurate is this most likely Total Pay range (base + additional) of $220K-$325K/yr?
For Principal Software Engineer
Download as data table
What is the total pay trajectory for Principal Software Engineer?
| Job Title | Salary |
|---|---|
| Principal Software Engineer | $264,352 /yr |
| Senior Principal Software Engineer | $269,127 /yr |
| Assistant Vice President of Software Engineering | $279,954 /yr |
Top Paying Companies
For a Principal Software Engineer in United States
Below is the total pay for the top 10 highest paying companies for a Principal Software Engineer in United States. Employers include Google, Meta and Roblox.
For Principal Software Engineer
Download as data table
What is the total pay trajectory for Principal Software Engineer?
| Job Title | Salary |
|---|---|
| Principal Software Engineer | $264,352 /yr |
| Senior Principal Software Engineer | $269,127 /yr |
| Assistant Vice President of Software Engineering | $279,954 /yr |
What are total pay estimates for a Principal Software Engineer at different companies?
- Popular
- Most Reports
- Salary: high to low
- Salary: low to high
$192,571
/ yr
$258,697
/ yr
$232,295
/ yr
$320,287
/ yr$214,068
/ yr
$226,499
/ yr
$259,333
/ yrIs this salary info helpful?
Let’s pay it forward! The Glassdoor community relies on people like you to share accurate salary info to promote fair compensation everywhere
$151,025
/ yr
$288,874
/ yr
$254,742
/ yr
$172,614
/ yr
$255,724
/ yr
$327,320
/ yr
$283,343
/ yr
$164,751
/ yr
$250,212
/ yr
$292,302
/ yr
$213,645
/ yr
$262,059
/ yrPrincipal Software Engineer Salaries
Top Paying Industries
For a Principal Software Engineer in United States
The top 5 paying industries for a Principal Software Engineer in United States are Retail & Wholesale with a median total pay of $235,301, Information Technology with a median total pay of $228,016, Arts, Entertainment & Recreation with a median total pay of $224,995, Agriculture with a median total pay of $215,709, and Media & Communication with a median total pay of $214,026.
- Arts, Entertainment & RecreationArts, Entertainment & Recreation$224,995
7% Higher than other industries
Retail & Wholesale
Top paying companies in Retail & Wholesale for Principal Software Engineer are Stitch Fix, REI, and Walmart.
Glassdoor Economist Pay Overview
What is the pay outlook for Engineering?
Engineering jobs are in high demand with workers receiving generous compensation packages and bonuses. Engineering offers ample opportunity for growth and development with transferable skills across an array of fields from software, supply chain and logistics to aerospace. Most roles require at least a bachelor’s degree. To remain competitive, job-seekers should consider specialization or skill-specific programs such as coding boot-camps or certifications.
Principal Software Engineer pay FAQ
The average salary for a Principal Software Engineer is $264,352 per year in United States. Salaries estimates are based on 18767 salaries submitted anonymously to Glassdoor by a Principal Software Engineer employees in United States.
The highest salary for a Principal Software Engineer in United States is $324,530 per year.
The lowest salary for a Principal Software Engineer in United States is $220,235 per year.
If you are thinking of becoming a Principal Software Engineer or planning the next step in your career, find details about the role, the career path and salary trajectory of a Principal Software Engineer.
Anonymous Glassdoor ratings indicate that around 74% of principal software engineers are happy with what they're earning. A principal software engineer's salary can benefit from about $84,653.18 in additional pay, which come primarily from bonuses and profit sharing.
Your salary as a principal software engineer will depend on your qualifications, the amount of work experience you have, and company policies. Following the typical software engineer career path can lead to earning a total pay ranging between $187,689.46 to $387,855.14. As you gain experience, a promotion to a more senior position with an even higher total pay becomes possible.
Improved qualifications, certifications, and in-demand skills can help you earn more from your career as a principal software engineer. The better your credentials, the more valuable you'll be to your current or future employer. If you've completed your bachelor's degree, a master's degree in software engineering would be the next step, especially if you've got your eye on a promotion.
Learn new in-demand skills, such as cloud computing, React, Node.js, JavaScript, Linux, etc. No skill is ever wasted, and at the rate technology is progressing, there is always more to learn. Consider obtaining certifications such as Certified Software Development Professional, ICCP Certified Software Engineer or CIW Web Development Professional.
If you're applying for a new principal software engineer job, use your qualifications, in-demand skills, certifications, and any previous experience as bargaining chips to negotiate a good starting salary.
To negotiate a higher salary in you current job, start by asking for an increase. A good time would be around the anniversary of your job or during performance reviews, especially if you're convinced you've been doing outstanding work. Other times to justify a raise would be when you've added to your qualifications, your workload has increased exponentially, or you've had another job offer. Though many companies offer annual increases of 3%-5%, don't be afraid to ask for 10%-20%.