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Principal Software Engineer Jobs in Bothell, WA (NOW HIRING)

Principal Software Engineer

Redmond, WA · On-site

$155K - $215K/yr

Principal Software Engineer Position Description: Protingent Staffing has an exciting direct-hire opportunity for a Principal Software Engineer. Job Responsibilities: • Elevate the technical ...

Principal Software Engineer

Seattle, WA · On-site

$153K - $206K/yr

We are looking for a Principal Software Development Engineer (IC4) who operates as an AI native builder. This is not a traditional software engineering role centered on manual coding. Engineers on ...

Principal Software Engineer

Redmond, WA · On-site

$151K - $202K/yr

Microsoft AI is seeking a Principal Software Engineer for their Edge Web Platform team, which builds foundational technologies for web and AI-powered computing. The role involves shaping web platform ...

Principal Software Engineer

Seattle, WA · On-site

$153K - $206K/yr

They are looking for a Principal Software Engineer to lead the technical vision behind AI-native systems that enhance how creative teams manage websites, focusing on generative AI and intelligent ...

Principal Software Engineer

Seattle, WA · On-site

$153K - $206K/yr

They are seeking a Principal Software Engineer to lead the architecture and technical vision behind AI-native systems that transform how creative teams build and update websites, collaborating ...

Principal Software Engineer

Seattle, WA · On-site

$153K - $206K/yr

They are seeking a Principal Software Engineer to lead the architecture and technical vision for AI-native systems that enhance how creative teams build and manage websites. Responsibilities : • ...

Principal Software Engineer

Redmond, WA · On-site

$151K - $202K/yr

The Principal Software Engineer will lead efforts to improve performance outcomes for Microsoft Edge, ensuring it remains fast and reliable for users while driving architectural changes and ...

The Role Gradial is seeking a Principal Software Engineer to drive the architecture and technical vision behind AI-native systems that transform how creative teams build and update websites. As a ...

Principal Software Engineer- Eng

Seattle, WA · On-site

$153K - $206K/yr

Principal Software Engineer-ENG: This Principal Software Engineer- Eng role serves as a technical authority and architectural leader for UKG's Pro Foundation team, which owns HCM-level platform ...

Principal Software Engineer

Redmond, WA · On-site

$151K - $202K/yr

Microsoft is seeking a Principal Software Engineer to join their Garage Team in building Innovation Studio, a product that integrates with Teams to enhance organizational creativity and business ...

Principal Software Engineer

Redmond, WA · On-site

$188K - $304K/yr

As a Principal Software Engineer Lead , you will design and build AI-native systems that go beyond supporting workflows-they intelligently transform them. You will work across data, systems, and ...

Principal Software Engineer

Bellevue, WA

$152K - $204K/yr

Salesforce is seeking a Principal Software Engineer (PMTS) to join the Tableau Agent Analytics Agentforce Process Intelligence team. You will act as a technical leader across one or more teams ...

Principal Software Engineer

Bellevue, WA

$152K - $204K/yr

Salesforce is seeking a Principal Software Engineer (PMTS) to join the Tableau Agent Analytics Agentforce Process Intelligence team. You will act as a technical leader across one or more teams ...

Principal Software Engineer

Redmond, WA · On-site

$188K - $304K/yr

As a Principal Software Engineer, you will lead the architecture and delivery of product capabilities across React, Azure Functions, Microsoft Teams, GitHub, Azure AI Foundry, secure identity, data ...

Principal Software Engineer

Renton, WA

$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 ...

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 ...

Principal Software Engineer

Redmond, WA · On-site

$188K - $304K/yr

Overview Join the "Microsoft AI Web Data Platform Team" as a Principal Software Engineer, in a technical leadership capacity,to architect platforms and deliver Internet scale web documents, with full ...

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 ...

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Showing results 1-20

Principal Software Engineer information

See Bothell, WA salary details

$68.5K

$182.3K

$261.7K

How much do principal software engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 24, 2026, the average yearly pay for principal software engineer in Bothell, WA is $182,316.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $152,900.00 and $205,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are Principal Software Engineers?

Principal Software Engineers are highly experienced technical leaders responsible for designing, developing, and overseeing complex software systems. They set technical direction, mentor engineering teams, and often collaborate with stakeholders to align technology solutions with business goals. In addition to coding, they play a key role in establishing best practices, reviewing architectural decisions, and ensuring high-quality software delivery. Their expertise and leadership are critical in driving innovation and maintaining technical excellence within an organization.

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 engineers make $300,000 a year?

Principal Software Engineers and senior technical leaders in high-demand industries such as technology, finance, and cloud computing often earn $300,000 or more annually, especially with extensive experience, advanced skills in areas like distributed systems or machine learning, and relevant certifications. Compensation can include base salary, bonuses, and stock options, particularly at large tech companies or startups with significant funding.

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 engineer makes $500,000 a year?

Principal Software Engineers at large technology companies or in specialized fields such as machine learning, cloud computing, or cybersecurity can earn $500,000 or more annually, often including bonuses and stock options. Achieving this level typically requires extensive experience, advanced skills, and leadership responsibilities within high-demand environments.

What Is 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 do principal software engineers get paid?

Principal software engineers typically earn between $120,000 and $180,000 annually, with total compensation often including bonuses and stock options. Salaries vary based on experience, location, industry, and company size, with some earning over $200,000 in high-demand markets.

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

Principal Software Engineers at senior levels in large companies or with specialized skills such as machine learning or cloud architecture can earn $500,000 or more annually, often including bonuses and stock options. However, such high compensation is typically reserved for experienced professionals in high-cost-of-living areas or executive-level roles, and not common for entry- or mid-level positions.
What are popular job titles related to Principal Software Engineer jobs in Bothell, WA? For Principal Software Engineer jobs in Bothell, WA, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Principal Software Engineer jobs in Bothell, WA look for? The top searched job categories for Principal Software Engineer jobs in Bothell, WA are:
What cities near Bothell, WA are hiring for Principal Software Engineer jobs? Cities near Bothell, WA with the most Principal Software Engineer job openings:
Infographic showing various Principal Software Engineer job openings in Bothell, WA as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 93% Full Time, 3% Part Time, and 4% Contract. Highlights an 89% Physical, 4% Hybrid, and 7% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $182,316 per year, or $87.7 per hour.
Principal Software Engineer

Principal Software Engineer

Protingent

Redmond, WA • On-site

$155K - $215K/yr

Full-time

Posted 2 days ago


Job description


Position Title: Principal Software Engineer
Position Description:
Protingent Staffing has an exciting direct-hire opportunity for a Principal Software Engineer.
Job Responsibilities:
• Elevate the technical judgment of engineers around you through design reviews, architectural guidance, and mentorship
• Troubleshoot and drive resolution of the hardest cross-system issues in our stack
• Participate in on-call rotation to ensure system reliability and rapid issue resolution
• Engage directly with product and executive stakeholders to assess feasibility, cost, and risk of strategic initiatives
• Drive architectural decisions and technical direction across multiple teams and systems
• Directly build and ship software that tackles the hardest, most ambiguous technical problems in our stack
• Set the engineering standard through your own code, design patterns, and technical approach
• Own cross-cutting concerns: scalability, reliability, security posture, and cloud cost efficiency
• Identify converging efforts across teams and consolidate before they become compounding tech debt
• Design and evolve system architectures for our B2B portals, collaboration tools, internal platforms, and customer-facing APIs
• Evaluate build-vs-buy decisions, technology bets, and system design tradeoffs with direct business impact
Job Qualifications:
• 10+ years of software development experience, having progressed from shipping great software to shaping how organizations approach building it
• Deep architectural experience designing systems that span multiple services, teams, or domains
• Exceptional hands-on engineering skills across the full stack, with the ability to go deep on the hardest problems in any part of the system
• Strong proficiency across multiple languages and comfortable ramping quickly on ones you haven't used before. Our stack includes Go, TypeScript, C#, and React
• Proven ability to own the full software development lifecycle, from requirements and design through construction, testing, deployment, and production operations
• Experience with cloud architecture and resource-efficient infrastructure design at scale
• Full ownership mentality that extends beyond your own code to the health of systems, culture, and teams around you
• Strong understanding of SQL databases, caching layers, event-driven architectures, and data pipeline design
• Pragmatic technical judgment that optimizes for the right solution given real constraints, not the theoretically perfect one
• Track record of driving technical alignment across teams with competing priorities
• Enthusiasm for leveraging AI-assisted development tools and emerging technologies
• Ability to translate between business language and technical language fluently, in both directions
• Must have permission to work in the US on a permanent basis
Ideally, you'll also have:
• Experience with healthcare data standards (HL7, FHIR) or regulated industry environments
• Experience with GraphQL, event-driven data pipelines, or healthcare integration patterns (EHR, PMS, PBM)
• Advanced DevOps and platform engineering experience including Infrastructure as Code, containerization, and observability at scale
Job Details:
• Job Type: Direct Placement
• Salary Range: $155,000 - $215,000
• Location: Redmond, WA / Remote
• Must be a US Citizen or Green Card holder
Meet Your Recruiter
Abhishek Singh