Principal Java Developer Salary in California
$98.2K - $105.6K
24% of jobs
$106K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$105.6K - $113K
12% of jobs
$113K - $120.4K
0% of jobs
$120.4K - $127.8K
0% of jobs
$127.8K - $135.2K
11% of jobs
The median wage is $136.9K / yr.
$135.2K - $142.6K
11% of jobs
$142.6K - $150K
6% of jobs
$150K - $157.4K
7% of jobs
$157.4K - $164.8K
2% of jobs
$165.2K is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$164.8K - $172.2K
19% of jobs
$172.2K - $179.6K
7% of jobs
$98.2K
$138.2K
$177.6K
$138,989
/year
$66.82
/hour
Principal Java Developer Salary Comparison by Location
Nationwide
United States
$140,833
California
California
$138,989
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How much does a Principal Java Developer make in California?
As of Jun 12, 2026, the average annual pay for a Principal Java Developer in California is $138,989 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $66.82 an hour. This is the equivalent of $2,672/week or $11,582/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing salaries as high as $177,643 and as low as $98,197, the majority of Principal Java Developer salaries currently range between $106,100 (25th percentile) to $167,800 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $177,642 annually in California. The average pay range for a Principal Java Developer varies greatly (by as much as 61700), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.
California ranks number 50 out of 50 states nationwide for Principal Java Developer salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Principal Java Developer jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
Find your next high paying job as a Principal Java Developer on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Principal Java Developer Jobs in California
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Principal Java Developer job is above the average in California in California. Topping the list is Berkeley, , with Redwood City, and San Francisco, close behind in the second and third positions. San Francisco, beats the average in California by $26,936 (19.4%), and Berkeley, furthers that trend with another $33,452 (24.1%) above the $138,989 average.
With these 10 cities paying on average above the average for California, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Principal Java Developer appears to be exceedingly fruitful.
Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 5% between Berkeley, and Santa Cruz, , reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for a Principal Java Developer role.
City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Berkeley | $172,441 | $82.90 |
Redwood City | $172,429 | $82.90 |
San Francisco | $165,925 | $79.77 |
Santa Clara | $165,399 | $79.52 |
Sunnyvale | $165,289 | $79.47 |
Livermore | $165,195 | $79.42 |
San Jose | $164,910 | $79.28 |
Milpitas | $164,123 | $78.91 |
Daly City | $163,182 | $78.45 |
Santa Cruz | $162,615 | $78.18 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Principal Java Developer Jobs in California
Analyzing similar jobs related to the Principal Java Developer job category in California, we found 5 that were relevant. However, none pay more than the $138989 state average for Principal Java Developer jobs.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Work From Home Principal Software Engineer | $158,829 | $76.36 |
Principal Product Engineer | $145,292 | $69.85 |
Full Stack Python | $128,102 | $61.59 |
Java Programmer | $113,267 | $54.46 |
Java Scala Developer | $110,931 | $53.33 |
About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
