Principal software engineer salary in United States

The average salary for a Principal Software Engineer is $178,250 per year in the United States. This figure is based on 9.4k salaries taken from job postings on Indeed in the past 36 months, last updated on August 16, 2026.

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Principal Software Engineer salaries typically range between a low of $114,218 and a high of $278,179 per year, depending on experience, location, and the hiring company.

Some of the highest-paying cities for Principal Software Engineer include San Mateo, CA at $315,780 per year, San Jose, CA at $237,072 per year, and San Francisco, CA at $234,384 per year.

Based on recent job postings on Indeed, some of the top-paying companies for Principal Software Engineer include StubHub ($425,000 per year) and HubSpot ($407,940 per year).

Compensation can vary based on the specific niche and level of responsibility within the field. Here is how the average Principal Software Engineer salary compares to related positions:

• Entry Level Software Engineer: Average $79,522 per year
• Junior Software Engineer: Average $85,846 per year
• Senior Software Engineer: Average $158,730 per year
• Software Engineer: Average $135,356 per year
• Software Engineer Intern: Average $35.19 per hour
• Staff Software Engineer: Average $212,279 per year