Principal Programmer Salary
$110K - $112K
4% of jobs
$112K - $114K
5% of jobs
$114K - $116K
11% of jobs
$117K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$116K - $118K
11% of jobs
$118K - $120K
11% of jobs
The median wage is $121.7K / yr.
$120K - $122K
11% of jobs
$122K - $124K
11% of jobs
$124K - $126K
11% of jobs
$126.3K is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$126K - $128K
13% of jobs
$128K - $130K
9% of jobs
$130K - $132K
5% of jobs
$110K
$122.5K
$133K
$122,589
/year
$58.94
/hour
Principal Programmer Salary Comparison by Location
Nationwide
United States
$122,589
Columbus
Ohio
$118,409
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How much does a Principal Programmer make?
As of Aug 3, 2026, the average annual pay for a Principal Programmer in the United States is $122,589 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $58.94 an hour. This is the equivalent of $2,357/week or $10,215/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $133,000 and as low as $110,000, the majority of Principal Programmer salaries currently range between $117,500 (25th percentile) to $127,500 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $131,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Principal Programmer varies little (about 10000), which suggests that regardless of location, there are not many opportunities for increased pay or advancement, even with several years of experience.
A Principal Programmer in your area makes on average $118,409 per year, or $4,180 (3.410%) less than the national average annual salary of $122,589. Ohio ranks number 30 out of 50 states nationwide for Principal Programmer salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Principal Programmer jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
Find your next high paying job as a Principal Programmer on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Principal Programmer Jobs
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Principal Programmer job is above the national average. Topping the list is Nome, AK, , with Berkeley, CA, and Redwood City, CA, close behind in the second and third positions. Redwood City, CA, beats the national average by $27,504 (22.4%), and Nome, AK, furthers that trend with another $29,483 (24.1%) above the $122,589 average.
With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Principal Programmer 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 Nome, AK, and Livermore, CA, , 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 Programmer role.
City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Nome, AK | $152,072 | $73.11 |
Berkeley, CA | $150,103 | $72.16 |
Redwood City, CA | $150,093 | $72.16 |
Sitka, AK | $147,681 | $71.00 |
South San Francisco, CA | $147,313 | $70.82 |
Mountain View, CA | $144,616 | $69.53 |
San Francisco, CA | $144,432 | $69.44 |
Santa Clara, CA | $143,974 | $69.22 |
Sunnyvale, CA | $143,877 | $69.17 |
Livermore, CA | $143,796 | $69.13 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Principal Programmer Jobs in the U.S.
We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Principal Programmer category.
For example Senior Principal Design Engineer jobs pay as much as $32,841 (26.8%) more than the average Principal Programmer salary of $122,589. If you're qualified, finding work as a Senior Principal Design Engineer may help you make more money than that of the average Principal Programmer position.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Senior Principal Design Engineer | $155,430 | $74.73 |
Principal Electrical Engineer | $154,823 | $74.43 |
Principal Technical Consultant | $140,048 | $67.33 |
Senior Geotechnical Engineer | $115,287 | $55.43 |
Entry Level Urban Planner | $69,591 | $33.46 |
About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
