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Principal Software Engineer Jobs in Wisconsin (NOW HIRING)

Hired Recruiters

$136K - $182K/yr

About this Role Reporting to the Engineering Manager, the Principal Software Engineer works in a cross-ocean product team and serves as a technical leader for delivering the best web experience for ...

Kiongroup

Principal Software Engineer

Wauwatosa, WI · On-site

$82K - $166K/yr

SR Software Engineer position with project lead experience. We offer: What We Offer: * Career Development * Competitive Compensation and Benefits * Pay Transparency * Global Opportunities Learn More ...

Kiongroup

Principal Software Engineer

Wauwatosa, WI · On-site

$82K - $166K/yr

SR Software Engineer position with project lead experience. We offer: What We Offer: * Career Development * Competitive Compensation and Benefits * Pay Transparency * Global Opportunities Learn More ...

Lancesoft

Principal Engineer

Oshkosh, WI · On-site

$75/hr

Some travel required PRINCIPAL SOFTWARE ENGINEER -Autonomy & Active Safety ABOUT THE ROLE The Principal Software Engineer -Autonomy & Active Safety will contribute to the design, development and ...

Genesys

WI · On-site

$205.20 - $360.80/hr

Senior Principal, AI Software Engineer- Agentic & Industry SolutionsSkip to main contentThis site uses cookies and related technologies, as described in our privacy policy, for purposes that may ...

Genesys Cloud Services, Inc.

WI · On-site

$205.20 - $360.80/hr

Senior Principal, AI Software Engineer- Agentic & Industry SolutionsSkip to main contentThis site uses cookies and related technologies, as described in our privacy policy, for purposes that may ...

AdientOne LLC

Principal Systems Engineer

Oshkosh, WI · On-site

Oshkosh, WI Duration: 6 Months W2 Only The Principal Software Engineer - Autonomy & Active Safety will contribute to the design, development and testing of embedded software including real-time ...

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All JobsPrincipal Software Engineer JobsPrincipal Software Engineer Jobs in Wisconsin

Principal Software Engineer information

See Wisconsin salary details

$61.1K

$162.4K

$233.2K

How much do principal software engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 6, 2026, the average yearly pay for principal software engineer in Wisconsin is $162,442.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $136,300.00 and $182,700.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

How does a principal software engineer typically balance hands-on coding with leadership responsibilities?

Principal Software Engineers often split their time between technical contributions—such as designing system architecture and reviewing complex code—and guiding teams through mentorship, technical direction, and cross-functional collaboration. While they may not code as much as junior engineers, they remain highly involved in critical implementations and code reviews. Balancing these responsibilities requires strong time management, clear communication, and the ability to prioritize tasks that have the highest impact on project and team success.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a principal software engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Principal Software Engineer, you need deep expertise in software architecture, programming languages, and system design, often supported by a bachelor's or master's degree in computer science or a related field. Advanced proficiency with development frameworks, cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure), and familiarity with DevOps tools and agile methodologies are typically required. Exceptional leadership, mentorship, and communication skills help facilitate cross-functional collaboration and guide technical teams. These skills are crucial for driving technical vision, ensuring scalable solutions, and fostering innovation within complex projects.

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

AspectPrincipal Software EngineerSenior Software Engineer
Required CredentialsBachelor's or Master's in CS or related field; extensive experienceBachelor's or Master's in CS; several years of experience
Work EnvironmentLeadership roles, strategic planning, cross-team collaborationDesign, develop, and troubleshoot software; mentorship
Employer & Industry UsageTech companies, large enterprises, startupsMost industries, including tech, finance, healthcare

The main difference between a Principal Software Engineer and a Senior Software Engineer lies in their level of responsibility and scope. Principal Software Engineers typically lead technical strategy, influence architecture decisions, and mentor multiple teams, whereas Senior Software Engineers focus on coding, design, and individual project contributions. Both roles require strong technical skills, but the Principal role emphasizes leadership and strategic impact.

What is a principal software engineer?

A principal software engineer is in charge of software development. In this career, you guide the software design process and inspect software programs to make suggestions for improvements. Principal software engineers also process complex data and may need to enforce software design, development, and maintenance requirements. Your job requires a high level of technical knowledge and skills and a thorough understanding of the software development process. Your employer may require you to have a bachelor’s or master’s degree in software development. Similar job titles include software architect and principal software developer.

How much does a principal software engineer get paid?

A principal software engineer typically earns between $120,000 and $180,000 annually in the United States, with salaries varying based on experience, location, and company size. They often have advanced skills in software architecture, leadership, and technical expertise in programming languages and tools.
More about Principal Software Engineer jobs
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What job categories do people searching Principal Software Engineer jobs in Wisconsin look for? The top searched job categories for Principal Software Engineer jobs in Wisconsin are:
What cities in Wisconsin are hiring for Principal Software Engineer jobs? Cities in Wisconsin with the most Principal Software Engineer job openings:
What are popular job titles related to Principal Software Engineer jobs in WI? For Principal Software Engineer jobs in WI, the most frequently searched job titles are:
Principal Software Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Principal Software Engineer job openings in Wisconsin as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 88% Full Time, 8% Part Time, and 4% Contract. Highlights an 88% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 9% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $162,442 per year, or $78.1 per hour.

Principal Software Engineer

Hired Recruiters

On-site, Remote

$136K - $182K/yr

Full-time

Re-posted 16 days ago

Job description

JOB DESCRIPTION
About this Role
Reporting to the Engineering Manager, the Principal Software Engineer works in a cross-ocean product team and serves as a technical leader for delivering the best web experience for millions of Fandom's Tabletop users. You will help us scale and improve our products by creating multiple features to allow users to power their gaming experience. This is part of an autonomous, experienced team, involved in all steps of our development process, and allows this role to contribute their own ideas and improvements to our platform.
You Will...
  • Have a Broad Technical Impact
    • You will own this technical area from an architectural and systems design perspective, leading other engineers, and working side-by-side with them to discover and implement solutions.
    • This role will be a top technical leader throughout all of Fandom and will need to communicate across a variety of audiences is imperative.
  • Execute with the Future in Mind
    • Think about the future, not overbuilding for it, and finding that right balance of developing solutions for current needs while not over-optimizing for issues we're not sure we'll need to solve.
    • Always have a plan for potential future issues and growth opportunities.
    • Stay abreast of applicable new technology innovations happening in the industry, knows when is the right time to bring new thoughts and potential architectural changes into discussions with an understanding of the trade-offs and potential impact on overall tech-debt.
  • Be Accountable
    • Provide technical leadership for impactful projects that involve multiple teams and span multiple technologies and systems
    • Lead large projects or large significant pieces of projects depending on the project scale
    • Identify risks and opportunities to improve the organization's methods and technologies
    • Influence other senior leaders on engineering strategy
  • Lead Key Initiatives
    • Work with the Data Science team to build out and scale our Tabletop platform for millions of users worldwide.
    • Work with our engineering teams to continue our migration from a monolithic stack to a microservice-based architecture.
You Have...
  • 10+ years of Consumer Web software engineering experience with a track-record of growth in development, design, and architecture
  • Recent experience building and migrating to a modern front-end tech-stack JAMstack, Raect.js, Redux, typescript, express.js
  • Practical usage of scaled-up DBMS based platforms (DynamoDB, MongoDB), with expertise in both relational and nonrelational systems and when it is necessary to choose each one
  • Strong API integration skills with experience in cloud architecture using tools such as AWS, Elastic Search, GraphQL (Apollo) and Cognito
  • A high degree of proficiency in building full-stack web systems, in both dynamic and highly cached environment using one or more of the following C#, Node.js, Python
Bonus Points if You Have...
  • A passion for fandoms and an interest in building products for fan communities around the world.
  • Contributed to open-source projects

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