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Principal Software Developer Jobs in Seattle, WA

Microsoft

Principal Software Engineers

Redmond, WA · On-site

$151K - $202K/yr

We're looking for Principal Software Engineers who want to make a meaningful impact and move ... Integrate security capabilities with developer tools and platforms such as GitHub, Visual Studio ...

Microsoft

Principal Software Engineer

Redmond, WA · On-site

$142K - $274K/yr

We want to reshape security and empower every user, customer, and developer with a security cloud ... We are looking for a Principal Software Engineer to help shape the future of intelligent ...

Microsoft

Principal Software Engineer

Redmond, WA · On-site

$188K - $304K/yr

As a Principal Software Engineer, you will lead the architecture and delivery of product ... Experience integrating with GitHub, Azure DevOps, CI/CD systems, code review workflows, issue ...

Hasbro

Principal Software Engineer

Renton, WA · On-site

$151K - $203K/yr

We are seeking a Principal Software Engineer who can guide product ideas through every stage with agentic AI - from defining the problem with business partners, to developing the system, to deploying ...

Microsoft

Principal Software Engineer

Redmond, WA · On-site

$220K - $331K/yr

Overview Are you passionate about Windows apps and the developer ecosystem? Do you have a deep ... The Microsoft Store team is seeking a Principal Software Engineer to grow the Windows developer ...

Microsoft

Principal Software Engineer

Redmond, WA · On-site

$188K - $304K/yr

We want to reshape security and empower every user, customer, and developer with a security cloud ... The team is looking for an action-oriented Principal Software Engineer who will expand the scope of ...

Microsoft

Principal Software Engineer

Redmond, WA · On-site

$188K - $304K/yr

We are hiring a Principal Software Engineer to set the technical direction for securing AI at Microsoft - both securing the agents we ship and using agents to secure our customers. It is a problem ...

Microsoft

Principal Software Engineer

Redmond, WA · On-site

$188K - $304K/yr

We are looking for Principal Software Engineer to join the team! Microsoft's mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. As employees we come together ...

Microsoft

Principal Software Engineer

Redmond, WA · On-site

$220K - $331K/yr

We are seeking a highly experienced and technically visionary Principal Software Engineer to shape the architecture and development of the next-generation agent runtime and features. This role is ...

Microsoft

Principal Software Engineer

Redmond, WA · On-site

$188K - $304K/yr

As a Principal Software Engineer, you will set the technical vision and architecture for the platform and experiences that power billing, cost management, and FinOps across Microsoft Security. You ...

Microsoft

Principal Software Engineer

Redmond, WA · On-site

$188K - $304K/yr

Overview The Data Management Platform (DMP) in Bing Ads, part of Microsoft AI (MAI) is hiring for a Principal Software Engineer in Redmond, WA or Mountain view, CA. The Data Management Platform (DMP ...

Microsoft

Principal Software Engineer

Redmond, WA · On-site

$151K - $202K/yr

We are looking for a Principal Software Engineer to provide technical leadership across complex, multi-team initiatives. You will establish architectural direction, identify foundational investments ...

Microsoft

Principal Software Engineer

Redmond, WA · On-site

$142K - $274K/yr

The Principal Software Engineer within OCTO will build AI-based systems to accelerate the deployment of OpenAI technology across Microsoft. They will collaborate with key technical teams, both at ...

Walmart

Principal, Software Engineer

Bellevue, WA · On-site

$152K - $204K/yr

As a Principal Software Engineer on the Marketplace Platform team, you will play a pivotal role in ... Exposure to developer productivity, observability, or DevOps tools. * Contributions to open-source ...

Microsoft

Principal Software Engineer

Redmond, WA · On-site

$188K - $304K/yr

We are looking for a passionate Principal Software Engineer with experiences working with all ... developer productivity. Qualifications Required Qualifications: * Bachelor's Degree in Computer ...

Microsoft

Principal Software Engineer

Redmond, WA · On-site

$151K - $202K/yr

They are seeking a Principal Software Engineer to serve as a senior technical architect, responsible for the architectural vision and strategy of the Copilot Discover platform, ensuring it is robust ...

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Showing results 41-60

All JobsPrincipal Software Developer JobsPrincipal Software Developer Jobs in Seattle, WA

Principal Software Developer information

See Seattle, WA salary details

$107.6K

$160.7K

$211.2K

How much do principal software developer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 13, 2026, the average yearly pay for principal software developer in Seattle, WA is $160,746.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $140,600.00 and $176,500.00 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 are popular job titles related to Principal Software Developer jobs in Seattle, WA? For Principal Software Developer jobs in Seattle, WA, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Principal Software Developer jobs in Seattle, WA look for? The top searched job categories for Principal Software Developer jobs in Seattle, WA are:
Principal Software Developer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Principal Software Developer job openings in Seattle, WA as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% Internship, 86% Full Time, 9% Part Time, and 4% Contract. Highlights an 88% Physical, 4% Hybrid, and 8% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $160,746 per year, or $77.3 per hour.

Principal Software Engineers

Microsoft

Redmond, WA • On-site

$151K - $202K/yr

Full-time

Re-posted 25 days ago

Microsoft rating

8.5

Company rating: 8.5 out of 10

Based on 132 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

79th of 244 rated software companies

Job description

Overview
Do you see software development as both a craft and an art? Are you the kind of engineer who looks at a problem, sees a path forward, and wants to build it, fast, thoughtfully, and with quality? If so, keep reading...
We're looking for Principal Software Engineers who want to make a meaningful impact and move quickly alongside a collaborative team, building innovative agentic and software-security solutions, including Microsoft MDASH.
Here's what you'll be working on:
On one end of the development spectrum sits source code, the human-readable logic developers create, review, and commit. On the other end sits the runtime: compiled binaries, running processes, and applications executing in production.
Today, these worlds are largely disconnected. Security teams can identify vulnerabilities in running applications without a clear or fast path back to the code that caused them. Developers often lack real-time insight into how their code behaves under attack. Closing that gap is one of the most important unsolved challenges in security.
We're a new team forming now, building natively on Microsoft's tech stack, with deep integration across the tools developers already use and rely on, including GitHub, Visual Studio, Azure, and more. MDASH is our first step. There's much more ahead.
And to be clear, while we're helping shape the future of AI and security, this job description isn't AI-generated. It was written intentionally, because this work is about people. Great software is built by people, and it's people who make Microsoft a great place to work.
There are very few places where an individual engineer's code can directly impact customers. Defender is one of them.
If you enjoy building, care about solving meaningful problems, and want to work with people who are equally passionate, let's talk.
Responsibilities
  • Design, build, and improve systems that enhance security across software supply chains and open-source ecosystems (e.g., npm, PyPI, NuGet, Maven, Cargo).
  • Analyze dependencies, vulnerabilities, and potential malware to help ensure the integrity and safety of software components.
  • Apply program analysis techniques (static, dynamic, sandboxing/detonation, deobfuscation, behavioral analysis) to better understand and assess code behavior.
  • Develop and operate scalable cloud-based pipelines (Azure preferred) for large-scale scanning, detection, and data processing.
  • Contribute to and uphold supply chain integrity practices, including SBOM, SLSA, provenance, and artifact signing (e.g., Sigstore).
  • Collaborate on threat detection and security research, including malware and vulnerability analysis, within security-sensitive systems.
  • Integrate security capabilities with developer tools and platforms such as GitHub, Visual Studio, and CI/CD systems.
  • Partner cross-functionally with engineering, security, and product teams to improve secure development practices.
  • Continuously evaluate and improve detection methods, tooling, and processes to adapt to evolving security threats.

Qualifications
Required Qualifications
  • Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or related technical field AND 6+ years technical engineering experience with coding in languages including, but not limited to, C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python
    • OR equivalent experience

Other Requirements
Ability to meet Microsoft, customer, and/or government security screening requirements are required for this role. These requirements include but are not limited to the following specialized security screenings:
  • Microsoft Cloud Background Check: This position will be required to pass the Microsoft Cloud background check upon hire/transfer and every two years

Preferred Qualifications
  • Master's Degree in Computer Science or related technical field AND 8+ years technical engineering experience with coding in languages including, but not limited to, C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python
    • OR Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or related technical field AND 12+ years technical engineering experience with coding in languages including, but not limited to, C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python
    • OR equivalent experience.
  • 4+ years of experience designing, building, and shipping production backend services, platforms, or data pipelines.
  • 4+ years of experience with software supply chain security and open-source ecosystems (e.g., npm, PyPI, NuGet, Maven, Cargo), including dependency, vulnerability, or malware analysis.
  • 4+ years of experience with program analysis techniques (e.g., static/dynamic analysis, sandboxing, deobfuscation, behavioral analysis) to understand code behavior.
  • 4+ years of experience building or operating large-scale cloud-based scanning, detection, or data-processing pipelines (Azure preferred).
  • 4+ years of experience with supply chain security standards (e.g., SBOM, SLSA, provenance, artifact signing) and integrating with CI/CD systems.

Software Engineering IC5 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $142,800 - $274,800 per year. There is a different range applicable to specific work locations, within the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, and the base pay range for this role in those locations is USD $188,000 - $304,200 per year.
Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here:
https://careers.microsoft.com/us/en/us-corporate-pay
This position will be open for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.
Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran or military status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance with religious accommodations and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations.

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About Microsoft

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

Our infrastructure is comprised of a large global portfolio of more than 100 datacenters and 1 million servers. Our foundation is built upon and managed by a team of subject matter experts working to support services for more than 1 billion customers and 20 million businesses in over 90 countries worldwide. With environmental sustainability and optimization at the forefront of our datacenter design and operations, we continue to grow and evolve as we meet the ever-changing business demands that hold Microsoft as a world-class cloud provider.

Industry

Computer and computer peripheral equipment and software wholesalers

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

Redmond, WA, US

Year founded

1975

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