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Principal Software Engineer Jobs in Reston, VA (NOW HIRING)

Ad Hoc LLC

Principal Software Engineer

Silver Spring, MD · Remote

$139.60K - $187.10K/yr

Principal Software Engineer This is a remote position. Ad Hoc is a technology company that empowers organizations to deliver scalable, impactful digital services. Using modern, agile methods, our ...

Ad Hoc

Principal Software Engineer

Mclean, VA · Remote

$136.50K - $183K/yr

Principal Software Engineer This is a remote position. Ad Hoc is a technology company that empowers organizations to deliver scalable, impactful digital services. Using modern, agile methods, our ...

Ad Hoc LLC

Principal Software Engineer

Mclean, VA · On-site

$136.50K - $183K/yr

Principal Software Engineer This is a remote position. Ad Hoc is a technology company that empowers organizations to deliver scalable, impactful digital services. Using modern, agile methods, our ...

Ad Hoc LLC

Principal Software Engineer

Mclean, VA · Remote

$138.50K - $185.70K/yr

Principal Software Engineer This is a remote position. Ad Hoc is a technology company that empowers organizations to deliver scalable, impactful digital services. Using modern, agile methods, our ...

Alarm.com

Principal Software Engineer

Mclean, VA · On-site

$138.50K - $185.70K/yr

Principal Software Engineer Tysons, Virginia Principal Software Engineer -- emPower Do you love working with connected devices, automation, and real-world systems? Have you automated your own home ...

Alarm.com

Principal Software Engineer

Tysons Corner, VA

$135.90K - $182.20K/yr

Principal Software Engineer -- emPower Do you love working with connected devices, automation, and real-world systems? Have you automated your own home, built integrations across smart devices, or ...

BlueForce

STE - Principal Software Engineer

Washington, DC · On-site

$152.80K - $204.90K/yr

Principal Software Engineer Washington, DC (USA) - Washington, DC Overview Position Type Full Time Education Level Bachelor's Degree Travel Percentage Negligible Category Information Technology ...

Phenom People

Principal Software Engineer

Fairfax, VA · On-site

$139.10K - $186.50K/yr

Principal Software Engineer Join Northrop Grumman on our continued mission to push the boundaries of possible across land, sea, air, space, and cyberspace. Enjoy a culture where your voice is valued ...

APOGEE RESEARCH LLC

Principal Software Engineer

Arlington, VA · On-site

$155.40K - $208.30K/yr

Principal Software Engineer Apogee Research is at the forefront of a revolution in how the DoD operates: a turn towards compositional systems of systems instead of traditional monolithic ...

APOGEE RESEARCH LLC

Principal Software Engineer

Arlington, VA · On-site

$155.40K - $208.30K/yr

Principal Software Engineer Apogee Research is at the forefront of a revolution in how the DoD operates: a turn towards compositional systems of systems instead of traditional monolithic ...

KLDiscovery

Principal Software Engineer

Mclean, VA · Remote

$140K - $160K/yr

Principal Software Engineers are not permanent members of any team. They move to other teams based on needs or project priorities. You will provide architectural judgment across product areas that do ...

KLDiscovery

Principal Software Engineer

Mclean, VA · Remote

$140K - $160K/yr

Principal Software Engineers are not permanent members of any team. They move to other teams based on needs or project priorities. You will provide architectural judgment across product areas that do ...

CareMetx

Principal Software Engineer

Bethesda, MD · On-site

$144.10K - $193.20K/yr

Principal Software Engineer (Principal Engineer I) POSITION SUMMARY: At CareMetx Principal engineers are brave tacticians, confident in their ability and unafraid to help blaze trails with adoption ...

Xometry

Principal Software Engineer

Rockville, MD · On-site

$200K - $225K/yr

Principal Software Engineer Waltham, MA Xometry powers the industries of today and tomorrow by connecting the people with big ideas to the manufacturers who can bring them to life. Xometry's digital ...

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Principal Software Engineer information

See Reston, VA salary details

$63.1K

$167.7K

$240.8K

How much do principal software engineer jobs pay per year?

As of May 28, 2026, the average yearly pay for principal software engineer in Reston, VA is $167,739.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $140,700.00 and $188,600.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

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.

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 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.

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.

More about Principal Software Engineer jobs
What are popular job titles related to Principal Software Engineer jobs in Reston, VA? For Principal Software Engineer jobs in Reston, VA, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Principal Software Engineer jobs in Reston, VA look for? The top searched job categories for Principal Software Engineer jobs in Reston, VA are:
What cities near Reston, VA are hiring for Principal Software Engineer jobs? Cities near Reston, VA with the most Principal Software Engineer job openings:
Principal Software Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Principal Software Engineer job openings in Reston, VA as of May 2026, with employment types broken down into 91% Full Time, 8% Part Time, and 1% Contract. Highlights an 88% Physical, 9% Hybrid, and 3% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $167,739 per year, or $80.6 per hour.
Principal Software Engineer

Principal Software Engineer

Software Technology Inc

Washington, DC • On-site

$152.80K - $204.90K/yr

Other

This job post has expired today. Applications are no longer accepted.

Job description

Principal Software Engineer

As a Principal Software Engineer, you will be guiding software engineering development across several teams, and solving our most challenging technical problems, providing prototypes for our larger engineering team. You will actively contribute to the success of the org by creating a center of excellence for engineering and software architecture. A highly-valued engineer with an org-wide presence. An Engineer with the ability to very quickly learn new languages, new frameworks, and adapt and apply their skills to new technical environments with little to no struggle. Able to drop into complex, chaotic technical challenges and bring order and direction. Likely to not be attached to a single squad, Principal Engineers will float through the organization based on need and build core, repeatable standards that can be applied broadly. Principal Engineers cannot be hired/promoted in to their position unless approved by other principal engineers. Principal Software Engineers will typically have 20+ years of experience.

Key Accountabilities
  • Supports product teams to understand and resolve critical technical issues in almost any engineering product
  • Demonstrates an expert knowledge of industry best practice in at least one programming language and technology stack
  • Demonstrates extensive knowledge and commercial experience in the usage and implementation of cloud based solutions and products, containerization products, and traditional on-premise server and virtualization solutions.
  • Demonstrates extensive knowledge in networking concepts and infrastructure in both traditional and cloud environments
  • Creates complex architectural designs that are able to be understood and implemented by the engineering product teams
  • Builds demonstrable prototypes to expedite the validation of proposed products or architectures
  • Gains knowledge in alternative technology areas outside their comfort zone
  • Coaches and educates software engineers at all levels so they can upskill and become self sufficient
  • Participates in the prioritization of the Core Engineering team backlog
  • Maintains a thorough understanding of the client technology landscape and is able to work effectively within it to execute the company goals
  • Actively influencer of company wide technology decisions
Qualifications and Experience
  • Responsible for monitoring technical capabilities across product teams.
  • Actively works inside teams to drive adoption of practices and ways of working
  • Works with Core Engineering leadership to priorities work across the Core Engineering landscape
  • Promotes an open culture of continual learning and innovation
  • Demonstrates new findings in technology regularly to the wider engineering community
  • Actively working with multiple software engineering teams to introduce new tooling to align with industry trends
  • Actively working with product teams to become aligned to best practices and standards while remaining autonomous
  • Can effectively communicate an architectural or product vision to any level of the software engineering structure including stakeholders
  • Leads internal presentations on technical topics, fostering growth in knowledge at client
  • Participates in efforts to move all engineering teams to a high performing, self sufficient state
  • Leads presentations at conference events, representing the technical brand of client
  • Aids Core Engineering leadership with identifying colleagues suitable for promotion to principal engineering
  • Participate in the hiring of new senior talent to Core Engineering
  • Participate in the hiring of new senior talent to product teams
  • Participate in the creation of hiring materials with Core Engineering leadership and Senior Principal Engineers
  • Be a representative for Core Engineering across the organization in organization wide interactions
  • Participates at conference events representing the technical brand of client

Required Skills: 1. 20+ years of experience 2.

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