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Principal Software Developer Jobs in Minneapolis, MN

Principal Software Engineer

Fridley, MN

$139K - $186K/yr

Medtronic Pelvic Health As a Principal Software Engineer, you will design, develop, and verify web and mobile software solutions that advance Pelvic Health Therapies. Working in a highly regulated ...

Principal Software Engineer

Fridley, MN · On-site

$139K - $186K/yr

Medtronic Pelvic Health As a Principal Software Engineer, you will design, develop, and verify web and mobile software solutions that advance Pelvic Health Therapies. Working in a highly regulated ...

As a Principal Software Engineer, you will set the technical direction for the backend, AI orchestration, and identity systems that turn frontier models into reliable, secure, production-grade ...

As a Principal Software Engineer focused on Cloud Cost Optimization, you will be the embedded, go-to expert within [Product] engineering for how cloud and AI/model spend is tracked, forecast, and ...

Principal Software Engineer - CoCounsel CoCounsel is our most advanced AI offering to date - combining generative and agentic AI capabilities to help legal professionals move beyond prompting and ...

Sr. Principal Software Engineer

Fridley, MN · On-site

$129K - $178K/yr

Medtronic Pelvic Health As a Sr. Principal Software Engineer, you will design, develop, and verify web and mobile software solutions that advance Pelvic Health Therapies. Working in a highly ...

Sr. Principal Software Engineer

Fridley, MN · On-site

$129K - $178K/yr

Medtronic Pelvic Health As a Sr. Principal Software Engineer, you will design, develop, and verify web and mobile software solutions that advance Pelvic Health Therapies. Working in a highly ...

New

Sr. Principal Software Engineer

Fridley, MN · On-site

$129K - $178K/yr

Medtronic Pelvic Health As a Sr. Principal Software Engineer, you will design, develop, and verify web and mobile software solutions that advance Pelvic Health Therapies. Working in a highly ...

New

Sr. Principal Software Engineer

Fridley, MN · On-site

$129K - $178K/yr

Medtronic Pelvic Health As a Sr. Principal Software Engineer, you will design, develop, and verify web and mobile software solutions that advance Pelvic Health Therapies. Working in a highly ...

New

Showing results 21-40

Principal Software Developer information

See Minneapolis, MN salary details

$98.6K

$147.4K

$193.6K

How much do principal software developer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 17, 2026, the average yearly pay for principal software developer in Minneapolis, MN is $147,354.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $128,900.00 and $161,800.00 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 are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a principal software developer?

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 job categories do people searching Principal Software Developer jobs in Minneapolis, MN look for?

The top searched job categories for Principal Software Developer jobs in Minneapolis, MN are:

Infographic showing various Principal Software Developer job openings in Minneapolis, MN as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 67% Full Time, and 33% Contract. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution, with an average salary of $147,354 per year, or $70.8 per hour.

Principal Software Engineer (Corporate Systems)

Protolabs

Maple Plain, MN • On-site

$139K - $187K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted yesterday


Protolabs rating

9.1

Company rating: 9.1 out of 10

Based on 24 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

2nd of 84 rated plastic manufacturers


Job description

Be yourself at Protolabs
Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. We are an equal opportunity employer, and we are committed to building a diverse team that feels they are valued in the workplace. So do you feel you do not meet every single requirement but still intrigued? We encourage you to still apply! You can help make our company even better. We do not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, age, mental or physical ability, or any way you represent yourself. We strongly believe diversity makes for more successful teams.
Why Protolabs?
We are the leaders in digital manufacturing. We hire doers, makers, and creative thinkers who tackle our roles with an entrepreneurial spirit. Our culture is centered around meaningful work that brings new and innovative products to market at unprecedented speeds. We are a diverse team that comes from all walks of life and take pride in our team who is smart, genuine, humble, and passionate about what we do. It's our people who fuel our creativity and make our culture feel like home.
Join our team as a Principal Software Engineer (Corporate Systems)!
This is a fixed hybrid role on-site Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday at HQ in Maple Plain, MN
We are looking for a highly skilled Principal Software Engineer to join our Global Technology Services (GTS) team, where you will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of our finance and procurement platforms. This is an opportunity to make a meaningful impact at scale-designing and delivering modern, resilient applications that power critical business operations across the organization.
In this role, you will combine deep technical expertise with strong leadership, staying hands-on with development while guiding architecture, driving best practices, and influencing our long-term technology strategy. You'll partner with cross-functional stakeholders to translate complex business needs into elegant, scalable solutions and help elevate the engineering team through mentorship and technical coaching.
This position is ideal for an experienced engineer who thrives at the intersection of innovation, leadership, and execution, and enjoys working in a fast-paced, collaborative environment where your ideas and contributions truly matter.
What You'll Do
  • Design, develop, code, test, debug, implement, and document software applications
  • Guide team development efforts towards successful project delivery through Agile methodologies.
  • Provide technical leadership to teammates through coaching and mentoring.
  • Influence work direction that aligns with both engineer and company goals.
  • Maintain high standards of software quality within the team by establishing good practices and habits.
  • Identify and encourage areas for growth and improvement within the team.
  • Collaborate with other software engineers, technical product managers, and data architects to plan, design, develop, test, and maintain business applications.
  • Appropriately applying engineering principles and concepts to area of specialization.
  • Demonstrate creativity and ingenuity in applying engineering principles and practices
  • Draw solutions from a wider range of experience
  • Define technical approaches to project and act as lead on some projects and guide lower-level developers.
  • Participate in peer-reviews of solution designs and related code.
  • Analyze and resolve technical and application problems.
  • Assess opportunities for application and process improvement and prepare documentation of rationale to share with team members and other affected parties.
  • Adhere to high-quality development principles while delivering solutions on-time and in-budget.
  • Interview and onboard new team members.
  • Provide feedback on team members' performance.
  • Stay current on new technologies; research and evaluate a variety of software products.
  • Perform additional tasks as assigned.

What It Takes
  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field or comparable professional experience in these fields
  • 10+ years of professional software development experience
  • Experience mentoring engineers of varying experience levels from intern to senior
  • Experience providing work direction to others by aligning tasks to skillsets and company objectives
  • Experience working with engineers to estimate tasks, plan projects, and schedule releases
  • Experience with software development focused on Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
  • Experience with Microsoft AX and Dynamics 365 ERP ecosystems
  • Knowledge of software design principles and patterns with experience coaching others in their use
  • Internally motivated, able to work proficiently both independently and in a team environment
  • Strong communication skills with both internal team members and external business stakeholders
  • Strong initiative to find ways to improve solutions, systems, and processes
  • Ability to be or become the technical expert for multiple projects
  • Ability to successfully work under minimal supervision

What Makes You Standout
  • Strong experience and understanding of Agile methodologies
  • Experience with continuous integration and deployment strategies
  • Experience with software best practices like code reviews, issue tracking systems, and version control systems with experience teaching developers to use them
  • Expertise in automated testing, coupled with the ability to lead, coach, and influence teams to embed testing best practices into the development lifecycle
  • Proven ability to keep up to date with advancements in your development domain
  • History of expanding your skills in technical leadership

What's In It For You?
  • We offer a competitive salary and annual bonus opportunity
  • In addition, we offer amazing benefits including but not limited to:
    • Health Insurance: Traditional OR High Deductible plan
    • Flexible Spending Accounts
    • Health Savings Account (including employer contributions)
    • Dental and Vision
    • Basic and Supplemental Life Insurance
    • Short-Term and Long-Term Disability
  • Paid caregiver leave
  • You will receive PTO + Holiday Pay + Wellness Hours + Volunteer Hours
  • 401k with company match and immediate vest
  • Employee Stock Purchase Program at a 15% discounted rate
  • Matching grants through Protolabs foundation
  • And More!

$131,500 - $197,300 a year
Protolabs offers a competitive total rewards package, and compensation mix vary based on position, such as base wage, as well as other earnings including incentives and commissions. Actual pay offered will vary depending on multiple factors which may include, without limitation, job function, work experience, specialized skills, training, education, and certifications.
Proto Labs maintains ITAR-compliant operations in all of our United States based facilities. Due to ITAR regulations, this role is only open to U.S. Citizens, lawful permanent residents (green card holders) or foreign nationals granted refugee or asylee status. Individuals with temporary visas (e.g. E, F-1, H-1, H-2, L, B, J, TN or OPT) are not eligible for hire in this role.
Proto Labs, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer
Physical Demands:
While performing the essential duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; use a computer keyboard, monitor and mouse, telephone and printer; reach with hands, and arms, talk, see and hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, stoop or kneel and must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.
Work Environment:
Indoors (A/C); nonsmoking; the majority of this job function is performed in an office setting requiring normal safety precautions. However, there may be job duties that require the employee to spend time in the manufacturing areas exposed to machinery and noise; eye protection occasionally required. Occasionally works in outside weather conditions. Occasionally works near moving mechanical parts and in high, precarious places and is occasionally exposed to wet and/or humid conditions, fumes or airborne particles, toxic or caustic chemicals, risk of electrical shock and vibration. The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet to moderate.

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