1

Principal Software Engineer Jobs in Boston, MA (NOW HIRING)

As a Principal Software Engineer, you will work across application code and infrastructure to collect, transform, and deliver structured threat data: tracking malware infrastructure, phishing ...

Principal Software Engineer - SRE, location is Remote (ET time zone; CT considered if working ET hours), with quarterly onsite travel to the Boston office. The start date is TBD for this permanent ...

Principal Software Engineer

Burlington, MA · On-site

$146K - $197K/yr

They are seeking a Principal Software Engineer to develop efficient software solutions, analyze algorithms, and collaborate on architectural projects. Responsibilities : • Develop Software ...

Principal Software Engineer

Boston, MA

$146K - $196K/yr

As a Principal Software Engineer, you will be responsible for leading engineering activities that support the development, optimization, and sustained performance of products produced across ...

Principal Software Engineer

Boston, MA · On-site

$146K - $196K/yr

As a Principal Software Engineer, you will be responsible for leading engineering activities that support the development, optimization, and sustained performance of products produced across ...

Principal Software Engineer

Boston, MA · On-site +1

$145K - $175K/yr

Principal Software Engineer Help expand access to high-quality behavioral health care for students and families. Our engineering team builds technology that drives clinical excellence and operational ...

Principal Software Engineer

Boston, MA · On-site

$152K - $228K/yr

As a Principal Software Engineer, you will work across application code and infrastructure to collect, transform, and deliver structured threat data: tracking malware infrastructure, phishing ...

Principal Software Engineer

Boston, MA · On-site

$146K - $196K/yr

Position Summary The Principal Software Engineer is a senior technical leader responsible for setting the technical vision, standards, and strategy for an entire division or for providing deep ...

We are looking for a collaborative, customer-focused, and creative principal software engineer to develop a high-performance mobile application framework that powers on-device machine learning models ...

Principal Software Engineer

Lowell, MA · On-site

$133K - $179K/yr

Principal Software Engineer Location: Lowell, MA Duration: 12 Months Rate: Open The product this design effort is required for is network infrastructure equipment for a major Telco provider. It ...

Principal Software Engineer

Cambridge, MA · On-site

$147K - $197K/yr

Prior experience operating at Principal Engineer / Staff+ scope at a highly technical company * Deep understanding of how enterprise software systems are built and evolved at scale, including ...

next page

Showing results 1-20

Principal Software Engineer information

See Boston, MA salary details

$65.7K

$174.8K

$250.9K

How much do principal software engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 5, 2026, the average yearly pay for principal software engineer in Boston, MA is $174,820.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $146,600.00 and $196,600.00 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.
What are popular job titles related to Principal Software Engineer jobs in Boston, MA? For Principal Software Engineer jobs in Boston, MA, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Principal Software Engineer jobs in Boston, MA look for? The top searched job categories for Principal Software Engineer jobs in Boston, MA are:
What cities near Boston, MA are hiring for Principal Software Engineer jobs? Cities near Boston, MA with the most Principal Software Engineer job openings:
Infographic showing various Principal Software Engineer job openings in Boston, MA as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 92% Full Time, 4% Part Time, and 4% Contract. Highlights an 88% Physical, 5% Hybrid, and 7% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $174,820 per year, or $84 per hour.

$152K - $228K/yr

Other

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement

Re-posted 6 days ago


Job description

Recorded Future is seeking a Principal Software Engineer to join our Engineering team, responsible for building and scaling the pipelines that power the Security Intelligence Graph. As a Principal Software Engineer, you will work across application code and infrastructure to collect, transform, and deliver structured threat data: tracking malware infrastructure, phishing campaigns, spam networks, command-and-control systems, and more. You will play a key role in driving architectural improvements and ensuring the platform scales effectively as it continues to grow.

What You'll Do:
  • Data Pipeline Ownership: Design, build, and maintain scalable data pipelines that collect, transform, and deliver structured threat intelligence data powering the Security Intelligence Graph.
  • Architecture & Scalability: Drive meaningful architectural improvements across data and platform systems to ensure long-term scalability, reliability, and performance.
  • Full-Stack Engineering: Work across both application code and infrastructure, contributing to backend services, data systems, and platform capabilities.
  • Data Processing & Analysis: Apply statistical techniques to large-scale datasets to generate accurate and impactful insights.
  • Reliability & Observability: Ensure production-grade pipeline reliability through strong observability, error handling, and failure recovery practices.
  • Infrastructure & Deployment: Build and maintain CI/CD pipelines and contribute to infrastructure-as-code practices to support efficient and repeatable deployments.
  • Cross-Team Collaboration: Communicate technical concepts clearly and collaborate effectively across teams, geographies, and varying levels of technical expertise.
  • Technical Leadership: Engage with technical leaders across teams and contribute to raising the engineering bar through knowledge sharing and best practices.
What You'll Bring:
  • At least 5 years of experience in end to end software engineering, with additional experience in data engineering or platform engineering.
  • Hands-on experience with message queues and pub/sub systems such as Kafka or RabbitMQ
  • Strong proficiency in Python, with experience in Go or Rust considered a plus.
  • Experience working with cloud infrastructure, including compute, storage, networking, and IAM fundamentals.
  • Experience developing REST APIs 
  • Proven experience architecting and delivering production-grade applications and ETL/ELT pipelines.
  • Strong understanding of building reliable data pipelines, including observability, error handling, and failure recovery.
  • Comfort working with high-volume, complex, and unstructured data.
  • Strong problem-solving skills, including the ability to debug both software and data issues.
  • Excellent attention to detail and ability to work independently while delivering high-quality results.
  • Interest in or familiarity with security data domains such as threat infrastructure, malware, or network telemetry.
  • Bachelor's and/or Master's degree in Computer Science, Mathematics, Statistics, Engineering, or equivalent experience.
Preferred Qualifications:
  • Familiarity with data lake storage frameworks such as Delta Lake and graph databases such as AWS Neptune or Neo4j.
  • Experience with SQL databases such as Postgres or AWS RDS, and NoSQL databases such as MongoDB or Elasticsearch.
  • Experience building and maintaining CI/CD pipelines; GitHub Actions experience
  • Familiarity with infrastructure-as-code tools; Terraform experience.
  • Experience or interest in cybersecurity data domains such as malware analysis, phishing detection, or network telemetry.
  • Experience working with graph-based data systems or security intelligence platforms.

The base salary range for this full-time position is $152,000-$228,500. Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. The salary displayed reflects the range for new hire salaries for the position across all US locations. Within the range, individual pay is determined by state, work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. This position may be eligible for incentive compensation, equity, and medical, dental, vision, life insurance and 401K. Your recruiter can share more about the specific details of the compensation and benefit package during the hiring process.