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Principal software engineer salary in United States (Updated 2026)

How much does a Principal Software Engineer make in the United States?

Average base salary

$176,286
Average $176,286
Low $113,002
High $275,011

The average salary for a principal software engineer is $176,286 per year in the United States. 8.8k salaries taken from job postings on Indeed in the past 36 months (updated June 22, 2026).

Principal Software Engineer job openings in United States

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Principal Engineer, Packaging ...
Hikma3.4out of 5 stars.
Columbus, OH
Full-time
15 hours ago

Highest paying companies for Principal Software Engineer in United States

Average year pay is based on job postings on Indeed in the past 36 months.
StubHub
 
$425,000per year
View company
HubSpot
 
$407,940per year
Zoox
 
$372,500per year
Pinterest
 
$367,322per year
Google
 
$367,000per year
LinkedIn
 
$365,000per year

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Highest paying cities for Principal Software Engineers near United States

  1. San Jose, CA
    $238,743 per year
  2. San Francisco, CA
    $234,048 per year
  3. Seattle, WA
    $220,214 per year
  4. Santa Clara, CA
    $217,519 per year
  5. Austin, TX
    $196,826 per year

Where can a Principal Software Engineer earn more?

Compare salaries for Principal Software Engineers in different locations
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How much do similar professions as Principal Software Engineer get paid in United States?

Entry Level Software Engineer

Job openings
Average $76,402 per year

Junior Software Engineer

Job openings
Average $85,320 per year

Software Engineer Intern

Job openings
Average $35.01 per hour