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Principal Software Engineer Jobs in Lehi, UT (NOW HIRING)

BambooHR

Principal Software Architect

Draper, UT · Remote

Looking for a role where you can engineer and architect a product but still have a life outside of that? Well, keep reading. As a Principal Software Architect at BambooHR you will work with an ...

Raytheon

Principal Real-time Software Engineer

Provo, UT · On-site

$127K - $171K/yr

Our Principal Embedded Real-Time Software Developer/Integrator is a technical position that works in an Integrated Product Team (IPT) environment to architect, design, implement, test, debug, and ...

Raytheon

Principal Real-time Software Engineer

Provo, UT

$127K - $171K/yr

Our Principal Embedded Real-Time Software Developer/Integrator is a technical position that works in an Integrated Product Team (IPT) environment to architect, design, implement, test, debug, and ...

Pattern

Staff Software Engineer, Predict

Lehi, UT · On-site

Lead software engineers to deliver innovative, high-quality products on a foundation of architectural and engineering excellence. * Design and write elegant, high-quality code to solve complex ...

Raytheon

Principal HWIL Software Engineer

Provo, UT

$127K - $171K/yr

May train software developers in the use of configuration management tools and the implementation of software quality standards. Includes control modeling (model based design) Qualifications You Must ...

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All JobsPrincipal Software Engineer JobsPrincipal Software Engineer Jobs in Lehi, UT

Principal Software Engineer information

See Lehi, UT salary details

$56.8K

$151.1K

$216.8K

How much do principal software engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 7, 2026, the average yearly pay for principal software engineer in Lehi, UT is $151,072.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $126,700.00 and $169,900.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

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.

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.

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 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.

How much does a principal software engineer get paid?

A principal software engineer typically earns between $120,000 and $180,000 annually, depending 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

What are popular job titles related to Principal Software Engineer jobs in Lehi, UT?

For Principal Software Engineer jobs in Lehi, UT, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Principal Software Engineer jobs in Lehi, UT look for?

The top searched job categories for Principal Software Engineer jobs in Lehi, UT are:

Principal Software Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Principal Software Engineer job openings in Lehi, UT as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 86% Full Time, 11% Part Time, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 89% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 8% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $151,072 per year, or $72.6 per hour.

Principal Software Engineer

Western Governors University

Salt Lake City, UT

$180K - $279K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted 17 days ago

Western Governors University rating

8.5

Company rating: 8.5 out of 10

Based on 44 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

82nd of 631 rated colleges and universities

Job description

If you're passionate about building a better future for individuals, communities, and our country-and you're committed to working hard to play your part in building that future-consider WGU as the next step in your career.

Driven by a mission to expand access to higher education through online, competency-based degree programs, WGU is also committed to being a great place to work for a diverse workforce of student-focused professionals. The university has pioneered a new way to learn in the 21st century, one that has received praise from academic, industry, government, and media leaders. Whatever your role, working for WGU gives you a part to play in helping students graduate, creating a better tomorrow for themselves and their families.

The salary range for this position takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets; experience and training; licensure and certifications; and other business and organizational needs.

At WGU, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their position, and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current range is:

Grade: Technical 412Pay Range: $180,300.00 - $279,500.00

Job Description

The Principal Software Engineer is the primary technical leader of the department. This is a practitioner who ships production software, earns credibility through results, and sets the standard others follow. The Principal works inside the systems they influence, understands their limitations from firsthand experience, and translates that into action that resolves problems rather than merely identifying them.
This role demands expertise in AI-assisted development, agentic engineering, cloud-native architecture, and platform thinking. The Principal evaluates every technical decision through the build, buy, borrow, or bot lens, understanding what is fiscally responsible, operationally sustainable, and fastest to value.
The Principal holds the trust of engineering teams, product partners, and executive leadership. They influence through example: building prototypes, delivering working software, and taking ownership when critical issues arise. This person must be fluent in business fundamentals (P&L, cost of delay, unit economics) and connect engineering decisions to business results. The ideal candidate brings a track record of delivering at scale within large enterprise environments, ideally across more than one industry vertical. They maintain a culture of accountability, velocity, and quality grounded in the WGU Leadership Principles. Success in this role is defined by delivery: what ships, what improves, and what problems get solved.

Job Duties

  • Partner with engineering and product leadership to define technical strategy and delivery roadmaps that improve the student experience at scale

  • Build and ship production-grade software while establishing engineering standards others follow

  • Lead Agile delivery practices that balance rigorous planning with rapid execution and predictable outcomes

  • Design and evolve cloud-native architectures with strong emphasis on scalability, observability, reliability, security, and operational supportability

  • Evaluate technical decisions through a build, buy, borrow, or bot lens with focus on speed-to-value, sustainability, and fiscal responsibility

  • Mentor engineers on modern software engineering practices, AI-assisted development workflows, and emerging technologies

  • Prototype new tools, frameworks, and architectural patterns through proof-of-value initiatives

  • Drive engineering excellence across multiple teams by establishing repeatable delivery patterns and operational standards

  • Partner closely with infrastructure, cloud, security, architecture, and product teams as a peer technical leader

  • Identify architectural inefficiencies and technical debt, proposing practical and cost-effective solutions grounded in data

  • Communicate technical strategy, dependencies, tradeoffs, and risks clearly to executive leadership

  • Support operational readiness, incident response, and day-2 supportability across enterprise systems

  • Lead through accountability, urgency, ownership, and attention to detail

  • Participate in critical operational events and provide leadership during high-impact incidents when needed

Minimum Qualifications

  • Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Software Engineering, or related field

  • 12+ years of progressive software engineering experience including architecture, delivery leadership, and technical mentorship across multiple teams

  • Experience building and operating web applications using Java, REST APIs, SQL, and Git in enterprise environments

  • Experience designing and delivering system integrations with third-party and internal platforms

  • Track record in large-scale enterprise IT organizations with established operational processes

  • Equivalent relevant experience may substitute for education (1 year experience per 1 year education, at hiring manager discretion)

Preferred Qualifications

  • Master's Degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field

  • Experience with Kafka/Confluent and integration middleware (Apache Camel, MuleSoft, or similar)

  • Hands-on AWS experience: ECS/EKS, Lambda, SNS/SQS, API Gateway, Terraform

  • Spring Boot, Kubernetes, and container orchestration in production

  • Observability stacks (Dynatrace, Datadog, or similar) including custom metrics and SLO management

  • Familiarity with AI/ML platforms, LLM integration, and agentic frameworks

  • Higher education, EdTech, or regulated industry experience

  • ITIL v4 Foundation or higher; AWS Solutions Architect or CKA certification

  • Experience across multiple industry verticals

Why Join WGU

At WGU, you'll help shape technology that directly impacts student success at national scale. You'll join an organization that values innovation, accountability, engineering excellence, and mission-driven work. This role offers the opportunity to influence enterprise architecture, modernize delivery practices, and help define how AI-enabled software engineering evolves within a leading online university.

Disclaimer

This position description outlines the primary duties, responsibilities, requirements, and working conditions of the role. Management reserves the right to modify responsibilities as needed to meet organizational needs.

This position requires occasional travel of up to 20%, including attendance at designated company summits, typically one to two times per year.

Position & Application Details

Full-Time Regular Positions (classified as regular and working 40 standard weekly hours): This is a full-time, regular position (classified for 40 standard weekly hours) that is eligible for bonuses; medical, dental, vision, telehealth and mental healthcare; health savings account and flexible spending account; basic and voluntary life insurance; disability coverage; accident, critical illness and hospital indemnity supplemental coverages; legal and identity theft coverage; retirement savings plan; wellbeing program; discounted WGU tuition; and flexible paid time off for rest and relaxation with no need for accrual, flexible paid sick time with no need for accrual, 11 paid holidays, and other paid leaves, including up to 12 weeks of parental leave.

How to Apply: If interested, an application will need to be submitted online. Internal WGU employees will need to apply through the internal job board in Workday.

Additional Information

Disclaimer: The job posting highlights the most critical responsibilities and requirements of the job. It's not all-inclusive.

Accommodations: Applicants with disabilities who require assistance or accommodation during the application or interview process should contact our Talent Acquisition team at recruiting@wgu.edu.

Equal Employment Opportunity: All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any protected characteristic as required by law.

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