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Principal Software Engineer Jobs in San Ramon, CA

Walmart

Principal, Software Engineer

San Mateo, CA · On-site

$143K - $286K/yr

Principal Software Engineer - Data Security Platform About the Team We are building Walmart's next-generation Data Security Platform, responsible for protecting data across Walmart's systems ...

Walmart

Principal, Software Engineer

San Mateo, CA · On-site

$143K - $286K/yr

As a Principal, Software Engineer, you will set the tone of engineering-excellence and drive processes and standards within the team. You will lead the design of complex software changes and take on ...

Walmart

Principal, Software Engineer

Hayward, CA · On-site

$143K - $286K/yr

Principal Software Engineer - Data Security Platform About the Team We are building Walmart's next-generation Data Security Platform, responsible for protecting data across Walmart's systems ...

Tendo

Senior Principal Software Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$147K - $203K/yr

Additionally, the Senior Principal Software Engineer will bring deep expertise in one or more technologies including distributed microservice architecture, Go, Ent, gRPC, Twirp, and/or AWS ...

Walmart

Principal, Software Engineer

Fremont, CA · On-site

$143K - $286K/yr

As a Principal, Software Engineer, you will set the tone of engineering-excellence and drive processes and standards within the team. You will lead the design of complex software changes and take on ...

Walmart

Principal, Software Engineer

Hayward, CA · On-site

$143K - $286K/yr

As a Principal, Software Engineer, you will set the tone of engineering-excellence and drive processes and standards within the team. You will lead the design of complex software changes and take on ...

Walmart

Principal, Software Engineer

Sunnyvale, CA · On-site

$158K - $212K/yr

As a Principal, Software Engineer, you will set the tone of engineering-excellence and drive processes and standards within the team. You will lead the design of complex software changes and take on ...

Walmart

Principal, Software Engineer

Milpitas, CA · On-site

$143K - $286K/yr

As a Principal, Software Engineer, you will set the tone of engineering-excellence and drive processes and standards within the team. You will lead the design of complex software changes and take on ...

Tendo

Senior Principal Software Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site +1

$147K - $203K/yr

Additionally, the Senior Principal Software Engineer will bring deep expertise in one or more technologies including distributed microservice architecture, Go, Ent, gRPC, Twirp, and/or AWS ...

Walmart

Principal, Software Engineer

Sunnyvale, CA · On-site

$143K - $286K/yr

Principal Software Engineer - Data Security Platform About the Team We are building Walmart's next-generation Data Security Platform, responsible for protecting data across Walmart's systems ...

Walmart

Principal, Software Engineer

San Jose, CA · On-site

$143K - $286K/yr

Principal Software Engineer - Data Security Platform About the Team We are building Walmart's next-generation Data Security Platform, responsible for protecting data across Walmart's systems ...

Walmart

Principal, Software Engineer

Milpitas, CA · On-site

$143K - $286K/yr

As a Principal, Software Engineer, you will set the tone of engineering-excellence and drive processes and standards within the team. You will lead the design of complex software changes and take on ...

Walmart

Principal, Software Engineer

Fremont, CA · On-site

$143K - $286K/yr

Principal Software Engineer - Data Security Platform About the Team We are building Walmart's next-generation Data Security Platform, responsible for protecting data across Walmart's systems ...

Walmart

Principal, Software Engineer

Milpitas, CA · On-site

$143K - $286K/yr

Principal Software Engineer - Data Security Platform About the Team We are building Walmart's next-generation Data Security Platform, responsible for protecting data across Walmart's systems ...

Typeface

Principal Software Engineer

Palo Alto, CA · Hybrid

$247K - $267K/yr

What You Bring * 10+ years in software engineering, with at least 3+ years in a principal/staff-level IC role. * Proven experience architecting distributed systems, AI/ML platforms, or large-scale ...

Walmart

Principal Software Engineer

San Jose, CA · On-site

$143K - $286K/yr

Join Walmart as Principal, Software Engineer - Enterprise Business Services in our Global Technology team. Your work could help over 240 million global customers live better every week. Yes, we are ...

J.P. Morgan

Principal Software Engineer

Palo Alto, CA

$158K - $212K/yr

As a Principal Software Engineer at JPMorganChase within the Consumer and Community Banking, Core Engineering Solutions, you provide expertise and engineering excellence as an integral part of an ...

Fivetran

Principal Software Engineer

Oakland, CA · Hybrid

$155K - $207K/yr

Fivetran is looking for a Principal Software Engineer to join our Platform Engineering Group, focused on building and evolving the core systems that power our data movement platform. In this role ...

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All JobsPrincipal Software Engineer JobsPrincipal Software Engineer Jobs in San Ramon, CA

Principal Software Engineer information

See San Ramon, CA salary details

$67.6K

$179.8K

$258.1K

How much do principal software engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 14, 2026, the average yearly pay for principal software engineer in San Ramon, CA is $179,849.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $150,900.00 and $202,300.00 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.
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Principal Software Engineer jobs near you
Principal, Software Engineer

Principal, Software Engineer

Walmart

San Mateo, CA • On-site

$143K - $286K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted 29 days ago

Walmart rating

6.0

Company rating: 6.0 out of 10

Based on 22,045 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

24th of 39 rated national retailers

Job description

Position Summary... What you'll do...
Principal Software Engineer – Data Security Platform
  About the Team
We are building Walmart’s next-generation Data Security Platform, responsible
for protecting data across Walmart’s systems, applications, and associates. Data
security is one of the most critical challenges for modern enterprises, requiring a careful balance between security, privacy, compliance, and productivity.
Our platform provides comprehensive capabilities including:
 Authentication and Identity Management
 Authorization and Access Control
 Audit Logging and Compliance
 Data Protection and Least-Privilege Enforcement
As part of this team, you will design and build highly scalable distributed systems
that protect petabytes of data at rest and in motion, across both structured and
unstructured data sources. You will solve complex engineering challenges
involving real-time policy enforcement, large-scale data processing, and low-
latency access control while ensuring a seamless user experience.
What You’ll Do
 Architect and build large-scale distributed systems for enterprise data
security.
 Design highly scalable and resilient services for authentication,
authorization, auditing, and data protection.
 Develop solutions that enforce fine-grained access controls with minimal
performance overhead.
 Drive technical strategy and influence cross-functional engineering teams
and stakeholders.
 Optimize system performance, reliability, scalability, and operational
excellence.
 Mentor engineers and establish engineering best practices across the
organization.
 Lead critical design reviews and contribute to long-term platform
architecture.
Required Qualifications
Technical Expertise
 10+ years of software engineering experience building large-scale
distributed systems.
 5+ years of experience designing and architecting complex distributed
systems in production environments.
 10+ years of hands-on experience with Java and Go.
 Deep understanding of JVM internals, memory management, garbage
collection, thread management, and performance tuning.
 Strong expertise in concurrent and multithreaded programming.
 10+ years of experience with SQL and NoSQL databases.
 Deep understanding of storage engines, indexing, query optimization,
database internals, and performance tuning.
 Strong hands-on coding skills with a track record of delivering production-
quality software.
Leadership & Problem Solving
 Exceptional analytical, debugging, and problem-solving skills.
 Proven ability to lead technical initiatives and drive alignment across
engineering teams and senior stakeholders.
 Strong communication and collaboration skills with the ability to influence
technical decisions through data-driven discussions.
 Experience mentoring engineers and driving engineering excellence at
scale.
Preferred Qualifications
 Experience building security, identity, authorization, governance, or data
protection platforms.
 Experience working with large-scale cloud-native systems and
microservices architectures.
 Familiarity with distributed data processing frameworks and big data
technologies.
 Experience operating systems at petabyte scale.
Platform Engineering Leadership:
Delivers platform capabilities across a technical area or sub-organization,
including shared infrastructure, reusable tooling, and scalable ML frameworks
(for example, CI/CD pipelines, SDKs, model runtimes, feature stores).
Aligns engineering efforts with roadmap milestones and domain strategies,
ensuring execution supports long-term platform evolution.
Applies cloud-native architecture principles and best practices in distributed
system design to enable high availability, scalability, and fault tolerance.
Technical Execution & Lifecycle Management:
Drives the full software development lifecycle across multiple teams—including
coding, testing, CI/CD deployment, observability, monitoring, incident response,
and maintenance.
Implements distributed architectures optimized for real-time data processing,
AI/ML integration, and cross-service reliability.
Maintains architectural decision records (ADRs) to ensure traceability, alignment,
and transparency in technical planning and tradeoffs.
AI/ML Integration & Product Development:
Architects and builds intelligent software systems and AI-enhanced applications
that serve millions of customers and associates.
Leads the integration of AI agents capable of multi-step reasoning and tool-
augmented tasks using technologies such as Python, Java, JavaScript, Dart, Rust,
and C++.
Applies model-driven design and leverage tools like GitHub Copilot to increase
development velocity and quality.
Technical Leadership & Mentorship:
Provides strategic technical guidance and mentorship to Engineers and their
teams, fostering engineering excellence and innovation.
Influences architectural decisions and design patterns across teams to promote
standardization, maintainability, and system interoperability.
Showcases Walmart’s engineering vision through knowledge sharing, community
leadership, and by publishing technical articles and insights internally and
externally.
Customer/Associate Problem Definition & Metrics:
Engages with cross-functional stakeholders to deeply understand business and
user needs.
Breaks down ambiguous problems into actionable technical requirements and
defines clear operational, engineering, and customer-centric metrics to measure
success and value delivery.
Technical Ownership:
Demonstrates responsibility for deliverables, ensuring solutions meet quality
standards and business objectives.
Takes initiative to resolve issues and drive projects to completion.
Technical Judgment:
Applies sound reasoning to make informed technical decisions, balancing trade-
offs and considering long-term impacts on system architecture and business
goals.
Change Agility:
Adapts quickly to change, embraces new technologies, and understands the
broader system context.
Anticipates the downstream effects of technical choices and integrates feedback
to improve outcomes.
Collaboration:
Works effectively across teams, openly shares knowledge, and communicates
complex ideas clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
Innovation & Continuous Improvement:
Proactively seeks opportunities to enhance processes, tools, and products.
Encourages experimentation and learning to drive ongoing improvement.
Drives the execution of multiple business plans and projects by identifying
customer and operational needs; developing and communicating business plans
and priorities; removing barriers and obstacles that impact performance;
providing resources; identifying performance standards; measuring progress and
adjusting performance accordingly; developing contingency plans; and
demonstrating adaptability and supporting continuous learning.
Provides supervision and development opportunities for associates by selecting
and training; mentoring; assigning duties; building a team-based work
environment; establishing performance expectations and conducting regular
performance evaluations; providing recognition and rewards; coaching for
success and improvement; and promoting a belonging mindset in workplace.
Promotes and supports company policies, procedures, mission, values, and
standards of ethics and integrity by training and providing direction to others in
their use and application; ensuring compliance with them; and utilizing and
supporting the Open Door Policy.
Ensures business needs are being met by evaluating the ongoing effectiveness of
current plans, programs, and initiatives; consulting with business partners,
managers, co-workers, or other key stakeholders; soliciting, evaluating, and
applying suggestions for improving efficiency and cost effectiveness; and
participating in and supporting community outreach events.
Software Development, Software Architecture, Solution Design, Continuous
Integration
Respect the Individual: Demonstrates and encourages respect for all; builds a
high-performing team; seeks, and embraces differences in people, cultures, ideas
and experiences; creates a workplace where all associates feel seen, supported
and connected through culture of belonging so associates thrive and perform;
drives a positive associate and customer/member experience for all; identifies,
attracts, and retains the best team members.
Respect the Individual: Creates a discipline and focus around developing talent,
through feedback, coaching, mentoring, and developmental opportunities;
promotes an environment allowing everyone to bring their best selves to work;
empowers associates and partners to act in the best interest of the
customer/member and company; and regularly recognizes others’ contributions
and accomplishments.
Respect the Individual: Builds strong and trusting relationships with team
members and business partners; works collaboratively and cross-functionally to
achieve objectives; and communicates and listens attentively, with energy and
positivity to motivate, influence, and inspire commitment and action.
Act with Integrity: Maintains and promotes the highest standards of integrity,
ethics and compliance; models the Walmart values and leads by example to
foster our culture; supports Walmart’s goal of becoming a regenerative company
by making a positive impact for associates, customers, and the world around us
(e.g., creating a sense of belonging, eliminating waste, participating in local
giving).
Act with Integrity: Follows the law, our code of conduct and company policies,
and sets expectations for others to do the same; promotes an environment where
associates feel comfortable sharing concerns and reinforces our culture of non-
retaliation; listens to concerns raised by associates. takes action and encourages
others to do the same; holds self and others accountable for achieving results in a
way that is consistent with our values.
Act with Integrity: Acts as an altruistic servant leader and is consistently humble,
self-aware, honest, and transparent.
Serve our Customers and Members: Delivers expected business results while
putting the customer/member first and consistently applying an omni-merchant
mindset and acts with an Every Day Low-Cost mindset to drive value and Every
Day Low Prices for customers/members.
Serve our Customers and Members: Adopts a holistic perspective that considers
data, analytics, customer/member insights, and different parts of the business
when making plans and shaping the team’s strategy.
Strive for Excellence: Consistently raises the bar and seeks to improve;
demonstrates curiosity and a growth mindset; seeks feedback, asks thoughtful
questions, fosters an environment that supports learning, innovation, and
learning from mistakes, and intelligent risk-taking; and exhibits resilience in the
face of setbacks.
Strive for Excellence: Seeks and implements continuous improvements and
encourages the team to leverage new digital tools and ways of working.
At Walmart, we offer competitive pay as well as performance-based bonus awards and other great benefits for a happier mind, body, and wallet. Health benefits include medical, vision and dental coverage. Financial benefits include 401(k), stock purchase and company-paid life insurance. Paid time off benefits include PTO (including sick leave), parental leave, family care leave, bereavement, jury duty, and voting. Other benefits include short-term and long-term disability, company discounts, Military Leave Pay, adoption and surrogacy expense reimbursement, and more. You will also receive PTO and/or PPTO that can be used for vacation, sick leave, holidays, or other purposes. The amount you receive depends on your job classification and length of employment. It will meet or exceed the requirements of paid sick leave laws, where applicable. For information about PTO, see https://one.walmart.com/notices. Live Better U is a Walmart-paid education benefit program for full-time and part-time associates in Walmart and Sam's Club facilities. Programs range from high school completion to bachelor's degrees, including English Language Learning and short-form certificates. Tuition, books, and fees are completely paid for by Walmart.
Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to a specific plan or program terms.
For information about benefits and eligibility, see One.Walmart.
The annual salary range for this position is $143,000.00 - $286,000.00 Additional compensation includes annual or quarterly performance bonuses. Additional compensation for certain positions may also include :
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What Walmart employees say

Pay

Benefits

Hours and flexibility

Workplace

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About Walmart

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

From our humble beginnings as a small discount retailer in Rogers, Ark., Walmart has opened thousands of stores in the U.S. and expanded internationally. Through innovation, we're creating a seamless experience to let customers shop anytime and anywhere online and in stores. We are creating opportunities and bringing value to customers and communities around the globe. Walmart operates approximately 10,500 stores and clubs in 19 countries and eCommerce websites. We employ 2.1 million associates around the world — nearly 1.6 million in the U.S. alone.

Industry

Retail and transportation and warehousing

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

Bentonville, AR, US

Social media

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