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Senior Principal Software Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Cadence

Sr. Principal Software Engineer

Austin, TX · On-site

$124K - $171K/yr

They are seeking a highly motivated Sr. Principal Software Engineer to join the Modus R&D engineering team, where the role will involve designing, developing, debugging, and supporting Design-for ...

Quest Global

Senior Principal Software Engineer

Tucson, AZ · On-site

$140K - $160K/yr

Senior Principal Software Engineer Tucson, AZ US The Senior Principal Software Engineer position is focused on the development, integration, test, and maintenance of software as a part of on-site ...

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Senior Principal Software Engineer information

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$82K

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How much do senior principal software engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 6, 2026, the average yearly pay for senior principal software engineer in the United States is $155,430.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $125,500.00 and $173,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does a senior principal software engineer do?

A senior principal software engineer leads complex software development projects, designs system architecture, and mentors engineering teams. They focus on technical strategy, ensure code quality, and often collaborate with product managers to align technical solutions with business goals. Strong expertise in programming, system design, and problem-solving is essential for this role.

What is a senior principal software engineer?

A Senior Principal Software Engineer is a highly experienced and skilled professional who leads the design, architecture, and development of complex software systems. They often act as technical experts, providing guidance on best practices, code quality, and system scalability. In addition to coding, they mentor other engineers, influence technology strategy, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver business-critical solutions. Their role typically requires extensive industry experience and a deep understanding of both software engineering and business requirements.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a senior principal software engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Senior Principal Software Engineer, you need deep expertise in software development, architecture design, and advanced problem-solving, typically supported by a bachelor's or master's degree in computer science or a related field. Mastery of programming languages (such as Java, C++, or Python), cloud platforms (like AWS or Azure), and experience with CI/CD tools or architectural frameworks is essential, with certifications like AWS Certified Solutions Architect being advantageous. Exceptional leadership, communication, and mentorship skills set outstanding candidates apart by enabling them to guide teams and influence technical direction. These competencies ensure the delivery of robust, scalable solutions and drive organizational innovation and efficiency.

What is the difference between Senior Principal Software Engineer vs Lead Software Engineer?

AspectSenior Principal Software EngineerLead Software Engineer
CredentialsBachelor's/Master's in CS or related field, extensive experienceBachelor's/Master's in CS or related field, significant experience
Work EnvironmentStrategic, architecture, and high-level technical leadershipProject management, team coordination, technical guidance
Industry UsageResearch, enterprise, large-scale tech companiesProduct teams, startups, mid-sized companies

The Senior Principal Software Engineer typically focuses on strategic technical direction and architecture, often working across teams and influencing company-wide technology decisions. In contrast, the Lead Software Engineer manages project execution and team coordination. Both roles require advanced technical skills, but their focus areas differ, with the Senior Principal emphasizing long-term vision and the Lead emphasizing project delivery.

How does a senior principal software engineer typically contribute to strategic decision-making within a technology organization?

Senior Principal Software Engineers play a key role in shaping technical direction and architecture at an organizational level. They often collaborate closely with engineering leadership, product managers, and cross-functional teams to evaluate technology choices and align projects with long-term business goals. This role involves mentoring other engineers, driving adoption of best practices, and proactively identifying technical risks and opportunities. By influencing architectural decisions and setting technical standards, Senior Principal Software Engineers help ensure the scalability, reliability, and maintainability of critical systems.
What cities are hiring for Senior Principal Software Engineer jobs? Cities with the most Senior Principal Software Engineer job openings:
Who are the top companies hiring for Senior Principal Software Engineer jobs? The top employers for Senior Principal Software Engineer jobs are:
What states have the most Senior Principal Software Engineer jobs? States with the most job openings for Senior Principal Software Engineer jobs include:
Infographic showing various Senior Principal Software Engineer job openings in the United States as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 96% Full Time, 1% Part Time, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 87% Physical, 5% Hybrid, and 8% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $155,430 per year, or $74.7 per hour.

Principal / Senior Principal Software Engineer

Northrop Grumman Corporation

Melbourne, FL • On-site

$98K - $147K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Life, PTO

Posted 10 days ago

Northrop Grumman rating

8.2

Company rating: 8.2 out of 10

Based on 360 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

87th of 536 rated manufacturers

Job description

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be availableCLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: YesCLEARANCE TYPE: SecretTRAVEL: Yes, 10% of the TimeDescriptionAt Northrop Grumman, our employees have incredible opportunities to work on revolutionary systems that impact people's lives around the world today, and for generations to come. Our pioneering and inventive spirit has enabled us to be at the forefront of many technological advancements in our nation's history - from the first flight across the Atlantic Ocean, to stealth bombers, to landing on the moon. We look for people who have bold new ideas, courage and a pioneering spirit to join forces to invent the future, and have fun along the way. Our culture thrives on intellectual curiosity, cognitive diversity and bringing your whole self to work - and we have an insatiable drive to do what others think is impossible. Our employees are not only part of history, they're making history.

Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems is searching for an experienced Principal / Senior Principal Software Engineer to join the Software Engineering Team. This position will work full time from the office in Melbourne, FL.


This person will have the ability to take ownership of hard problems and drive to a solution, while working in a team environment and provide leadership for its implementation. It is critical that you understand the software development life cycle and have an in-depth knowledge of automated testing to facilitate and analyze large data sets. will participate in the full life-cycle of software development, to include requirements development, modeling and design, application development, unit to CSCI testing, integration, formal system testing, release, installation, and maintenance. The Software Engineer will apply technical expertise in solving complex integrations problems. The Software Engineer will interact with Program Management, external suppliers and/or government customers. Therefore, excellent verbal, written and interpersonal skills are required. Solid experience in C/C++, C#, or other OOP languages, in Windows and/or Linux environment is required.

Experience with MFC or other user interface APIs is a plus

Essential Functions:

  • Full lifecycle design, implementation, and unit testing of software

  • Work with various team members to integrate functionality with other software components

  • Ability to lead a software team and/or provide leadership by providing technical direction software engineers, to drive solutions of complex problems

  • Gather and report software metrics

  • Support software working groups with the customer

  • Ensure software best practices

  • Develop software products from all phases of the software lifecycle

This requisition may be filled at either a Principal Level or a Sr. Principal Level.


Basic Qualifications:

  • (Principal Engineer Software) Bachelor's degree in a Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) discipline and 5 years of experience in software engineering OR a Master's degree in a Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) discipline and 3 years of experience in software engineering.

  • (Senior Principal Engineer Software) Bachelor's degree in a Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) discipline and 8 years of experience in software engineering OR a Master's degree in a Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) discipline and 5 years of experience in software engineering.

  • US citizen with ability to obtain and maintain a DoD Secret level security clearance and any program accesses needed. Interim clearance is required to start.

  • Candidates should have experience with large software systems and the full software development lifecycle

  • Software development/implementation experience in C, C++, C#

Preferred Qualifications:

  • FPGA, and VHDL software development

  • Experience with developing embedded software architectures

  • Experience with VxWorks development

  • Experience programming in C#

  • Experience with image processing algorithms

  • Experience with classifiers

  • Experience with Visual Studio

  • Familiarity with the Atlassian tool suite with add-ons like Git and Confluence

  • Familiarity with the Agile software development process

  • Experience with Microsoft Foundation Class (MFC) library

  • Experience with WPF, Avalonia, and MVVM architecture

  • Experience with TCP/IP communication

  • Experience with HTML, Javascript, and Cascading Style Sheets

Primary Level Salary Range: $98,400.00 - $147,600.00Secondary Level Salary Range: $0.00 - $0.00The above salary range represents a general guideline; however, Northrop Grumman considers a number of factors when determining base salary offers such as the scope and responsibilities of the position and the candidate's experience, education, skills and current market conditions.Depending on the position, employees may be eligible for overtime, shift differential, and a discretionary bonus in addition to base pay. Annual bonuses are designed to reward individual contributions as well as allow employees to share in company results. Employees in Vice President or Director positions may be eligible for Long Term Incentives. In addition, Northrop Grumman provides a variety of benefits including health insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, savings plan, Company paid holidays and paid time off (PTO) for vacation and/or personal business.The application period for the job is estimated to be 20 days from the job posting date. However, this timeline may be shortened or extended depending on business needs and the availability of qualified candidates.Northrop Grumman is an Equal Opportunity Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class. For our complete EEO and pay transparency statement, please visit http://www.northropgrumman.com/EEO. U.S. Citizenship is required for all positions with a government clearance and certain other restricted positions.

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About Northrop Grumman

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

At Northrop Grumman, our employees have incredible opportunities to work on revolutionary systems that impact people's lives around the world today, and for generations to come. Our pioneering and inventive spirit has enabled us to be at the forefront of many technological advancements in our nation's history - from the first flight across the Atlantic Ocean, to stealth bombers, to landing on the moon. We look for people who have bold new ideas, courage and a pioneering spirit to join forces to invent the future, and have fun along the way. Our culture thrives on intellectual curiosity, cognitive diversity and bringing your whole self to work - and we have an insatiable drive to do what others think is impossible.

Industry

Space research administration

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

Falls Church, VA, US

Year founded

1939

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