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Principal Software Engineer Salary

Updated on: Jan 7, 2026

How much does a Principal Software Engineer make?

The average Principal Software Engineer in the US makes $155,475. The average bonus for a Principal Software Engineer is $3 which represents 0% of their salary, with 5% of people reporting that they receive a bonus each year. Principal Software Engineers make the most in San Jose, CA at $306,967 averaging total compensation 97% greater than US average.

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Principal Software Engineer Salary Average

Filters
Experience
Any
0-1 Years
2-3 Years
4-5 Years
6-7 Years
8-9 Years
10-14 Years
15-19 Years
20-29 Years
30+ Years
Ethnicity
Any
Caucasian
Hispanic Or Latino
African American
Asian Or Pacific Islander
Native American
Other
Gender
Any
Male
Female
Non Binary
Company Size
Any
1-10 employees
11-50 employees
51-200 employees
201-500 employees
501-1,000 employees
1,001-5,000 employees
5,001-10,000 employees
10,000+ employees
Company Stage
Any
Under One Year
1-3 Years
3-6 Years
6-10 Years
10+ Years
Money Raised
Any
Under 1M
1M - 3M
3M - 10M
10M - 30M
30M +
Public Company
Not Applicable
Education
Any
High School
Some College
Associate's degree
Bachelor's degree
Master's degree
Doctoral or Professional degree
Filters
Years of Experience
Any
0-1 Years
2-3 Years
4-5 Years
6-7 Years
8-9 Years
10-14 Years
15-19 Years
20-29 Years
30+ Years
Education Level
Any
High School
Some College
Associate's degree
Bachelor's degree
Master's degree
Doctoral or Professional degree
Company Size
Any
1-10 employees
11-50 employees
51-200 employees
201-500 employees
501-1,000 employees
1,001-5,000 employees
5,001-10,000 employees
10,000+ employees
Company Stage
Any
Under One Year
1-3 Years
3-6 Years
6-10 Years
10+ Years
Money Raised
Any
Under 1M
1M - 3M
3M - 10M
10M - 30M
30M +
Public Company
Not Applicable
Gender
Any
Male
Female
Non Binary
Ethnicity
Any
Caucasian
Hispanic Or Latino
African American
Asian Or Pacific Islander
Native American
Other

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Base Salary

Compare salary averages by location

Explore and compare salaries based on different locations to gain valuable insights and make informed decisions.

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Principal Software Engineer Culture Ratings

How do Principal Software Engineer feel about their workplace? See how Principal Software Engineer feel about the compensation, managers, and more.

Culture Insights
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On a scale from 0-10, how likely are you to recommend working at your company to a friend?

The majority of people who work as Principal Software Engineer say “8” when asked the question “On a scale from 0-10, how likely are you to recommend working at your company to a friend?”

Equity Compensation & Stock Options

See how much equity / stock options you can expect as a Principal Software Engineer.

See Equity Data

See salaries for related job titles

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Senior Software Engineer
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Staff Engineer
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Network Engineer
Principal Consultant
.net Software Developer

*Data is estimated and depends on the generous anonymous contributions of individuals

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