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Principal Software Developer Jobs in Texas (NOW HIRING)

Mentor junior developers and drive modern software engineering practices like leveraging data/telemetry to make decisions, well-defined interfaces across components, design reviews, coding standards ...

Principal Software Engineer

Westlake, TX · On-site

$129K - $173K/yr

Principal Software Engineer Who We Are Solera is a global leader in data and software services that strives to transform every touchpoint of the vehicle lifecycle into a connected digital experience.

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Principal Software Developer information

See Texas salary details

$88K

$131.5K

$172.8K

How much do principal software developer jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 13, 2026, the average yearly pay for principal software developer in Texas is $131,522.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $115,100.00 and $144,400.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the difference between Principal Software Developer vs Senior Software Engineer?

AspectPrincipal Software DeveloperSenior Software Engineer
CredentialsBachelor's or Master’s in Computer Science; extensive experienceBachelor's or Master’s in Computer Science; 5+ years experience
Work EnvironmentLeads technical strategy, mentors teams, influences architectureDevelops features, writes code, mentors junior staff
Industry UsageUsed in large organizations, tech companies, and enterprise settingsCommon across startups, mid-sized, and large companies

The Principal Software Developer typically holds a higher-level role focused on technical leadership, architecture, and strategic planning, whereas the Senior Software Engineer primarily focuses on coding, feature development, and mentoring. Both roles require strong technical skills, but the Principal position involves broader responsibilities and influence within the organization.

How does a Principal Software Developer typically balance hands-on coding with leadership and mentorship responsibilities?

As a Principal Software Developer, you’ll often split your time between writing high-impact code and guiding technical direction for the team. While you remain involved in architecting and developing complex features, a significant portion of your role will also involve mentoring less-experienced developers, leading code reviews, and fostering best practices. You’ll collaborate closely with cross-functional teams to align technical solutions with business goals, and you’re expected to influence the overall engineering culture. This balance requires strong time management skills and a passion for both technical excellence and team development.

What engineer makes $500,000 a year?

Principal Software Developers in high-demand industries or senior leadership roles can earn $500,000 or more annually, especially with extensive experience, specialized skills, and stock options or bonuses. Compensation varies based on company size, location, and individual performance.

What engineers make $300,000 a year?

Principal Software Developers and senior engineers with extensive experience, specialized skills, and leadership responsibilities can earn $300,000 or more annually. High compensation often depends on factors such as industry, location, company size, and expertise in areas like cloud computing, machine learning, or distributed systems.

Can you make $500,000 as a software engineer?

Principal Software Developers and experienced software engineers in high-demand industries or senior roles can potentially earn $500,000 or more annually, especially with bonuses, stock options, or in high-cost-of-living areas. Achieving this level typically requires advanced skills, extensive experience, and often leadership responsibilities or specialized expertise in areas like cloud computing or AI.

What does a principal software developer do?

A principal software developer leads the design, development, and implementation of complex software systems, often providing technical guidance to teams. They analyze requirements, set technical standards, and ensure code quality, typically using programming languages, development tools, and version control systems. This role requires strong problem-solving skills and experience in software architecture and project management.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Principal Software Developer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Principal Software Developer, you need advanced expertise in software engineering, architecture design, and problem-solving, typically backed by a degree in computer science or a related field and extensive industry experience. Mastery of programming languages (such as Java, Python, or C#), software development frameworks, cloud platforms, and familiarity with tools like Git, Docker, and CI/CD systems is critical. Leadership, effective communication, and mentorship abilities are vital soft skills that set top performers apart in this role. These competencies ensure scalable solutions, effective project delivery, and the growth of high-performing development teams.
What are popular job titles related to Principal Software Developer jobs in Texas? For Principal Software Developer jobs in Texas, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What cities in Texas are hiring for Principal Software Developer jobs? Cities in Texas with the most Principal Software Developer job openings:
Infographic showing various Principal Software Developer job openings in Texas as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 85% Full Time, 4% Part Time, 1% Temporary, 9% Contract, and 1% Nights. Highlights an 82% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 15% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $131,522 per year, or $63.2 per hour.
Principal Software Engineer/Developer

Principal Software Engineer/Developer

Fidelity Investments

Westlake, TX • On-site

Full-time

Re-posted 7 days ago


Fidelity Investments rating

8.7

Company rating: 8.7 out of 10

Based on 266 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

17th of 148 rated financial services


Job description


Position Description:
Develops REST services and works with enterprise messaging systems -- ActiveMQ and Kafka. Works with Docker, cloud-computing, and cloud services platforms (Azure) to build, deploy, run, control, and update applications. Builds and deploys applications using Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) tools -- Jenkins, Maven, and uDeploy. Runs and tests applications and ensure functionality, using JUnit, Cucumber, and Karate. Performs complex queries using PL/SQL. Uses business knowledge to translate the vision for divisional initiatives into business solutions by developing complex or multiple software applications and conducting studies of alternatives. Analyzes and recommends changes in project development policies, procedures, standards, and strategies to development experts and management.
Primary Responsibilities:
  • Participates in architecture design teams.
  • Defines and implements application-level architecture.
  • Develops applications on complex projects, components, and subsystems for the division.
  • Recommends development testing tools and methodologies and reviews and validates test plans.
  • Responsible for QA readiness of software deliverables.
  • Develops comprehensive documentation for multiple applications or subsystems.
  • Establishes full project life cycle plans for complex projects across multiple platforms.
  • Responsible for meeting project goals on-time and on-budget.
  • Advises on risk assessment and risk management strategies for projects.
  • Plans and coordinates project schedules and assignments for multiple projects.
  • Acts as a primary liaison for business units to resolve various project/technology issues.
  • Provides technology solutions to daily issues and technical evaluation estimates on technology initiatives.
  • Advises senior management on technical strategy.
  • Mentors junior team members.
  • Performs independent and complex technical and functional analysis for multiple projects supporting several divisional initiatives.
  • Develops original and creative technical solutions to on-going development efforts.

Education and Experience:
Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Technology, Information Systems, or a closely related field (or foreign education equivalent) and five (5) years of experience as a Principal Software Engineer/Developer (or closely related occupation) designing and developing Cloud-native business critical applications according to event-driven and micro-service architecture, in a financial or brokerage domain.
Or, alternatively, Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Technology, Information Systems, or a closely related field (or foreign education equivalent) and three (3) years of experience as a Principal Software Engineer/Developer (or closely related occupation) designing and developing Cloud-native business critical applications according to event-driven and micro-service architecture, in a financial or brokerage domain.
Skills and Knowledge:
Candidate must also possess:
  • Demonstrated Expertise ("DE") analyzing, designing, coding, debugging, writing unit tests, automating testing, and releasing scalable JEE/J2EE applications; delivering Web applications using Object Oriented (OO) principles and design patterns to develop performant and large scale distributed enterprise applications that increase while delivering business requirements; and building highly scalable Spring Boot Microservices with RESTful architecture, using JSON data interchange format and Spring Data (for persistence).

  • DE performing DevOps engineering -- CI/CD (using Jenkins and uDeploy), version control (using Git), and writing automated tests (using Cucumber or Karate) to build and deploy seamless application processes by running automation tests to validate software functionality.

  • DE developing Azure cloud components -- Azure Functions, Azure Service Bus, Azure Blob Storage, Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS), SQL Database in Azure, Cache for Redis, and Azure SDK's - to perform event-driven, serverless platforms, faster application development and scaling application performance simply and cost-efficient.

  • DE performing database design and development using relational and NoSQL (Cassandra and MongoDB) databases; developing Java middleware applications using data integration tools -- ActiveMQ, Kafka and RESTful Web services for message driven microservices architecture that process changing un-structured data across multiple platforms; writing database schemas using SQL; writing database stored procedures using PL/SQL; and performing database operations using persistence frameworks -- JPA and Hibernate.

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Certifications:
Category:
Information Technology
Please be advised that Fidelity's business is governed by the provisions of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, the Investment Company Act of 1940, ERISA, numerous state laws governing securities, investment and retirement-related financial activities and the rules and regulations of numerous self-regulatory organizations, including FINRA, among others. Those laws and regulations may restrict Fidelity from hiring and/or associating with individuals with certain Criminal Histories.

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