How Much Do Principal Software Engineers Make?
Having a clear understanding of earnings potential is important, especially if you are researching career paths or considering changing jobs. If you're one of those people, and you're curious what kind of salary principal software engineers make, you've come to the right place.
Using data from Lightcast,™ the Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has compiled rich information about salary for principal software engineers and related jobs, including details about average compensation, salary trends and job growth. We've also gathered advertised salaries from actual job postings to provide insight into what employers of principal software engineers are offering as compensation.
Keep reading to learn more about how much principal software engineers can expect to make in the United States.
At a Glance: Salary & Jobs for Principal Software Engineers
According to data from 2022, there were about 1,580,699 positions for principal software engineers in the United States. In terms of salary, the national median salary for principal software engineers was reported to be $127,254. Additionally, when examining job demand, employers across the country posted 696,488 job postings related to positions for principal software engineers.
How Much Money Do Principal Software Engineers Make?
Median salary is just one data point. To build a better understanding of how much money principal software engineers and related positions can expect to make in the United States, it can be helpful to look at the full range of compensation for those jobs.
Let's look more deeply at data that was reported to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for detail into the lowest and highest salary earnings for principal software engineers.
Annual Salary for Principal Software Engineers
According to the BLS, the lowest earners for principal software engineers and related professions earned about $71,282 per year in 2022. Meanwhile, at the other end of the spectrum, the highest earners made about $198,099 annually.
As mentioned previously, the median salary for principal software engineers in the United States in 2022 was $127,254.
Annual Salary Range For Principal Software Engineers In 2022
Hourly Salary for Principal Software Engineers
The BLS also breaks down compensation for principal software engineers by hourly salary, and the median average hourly pay for principal software engineers in 2022 was $61. Lowest hourly earners took home $34 while the highest reported hourly salaries for principal software engineers was $95.
Hourly Salary Range For Principal Software Engineers In 2022
Advertised Compensation for Principal Software Engineers
Data from the BLS is one way to dig into compensation for principal software engineers, but another way to build a more real-time understanding of salary is to look at actual job postings and see what compensation organizations are currently providing to fill open positions for principal software engineers.
Keep in mind that salary data is not included in every job posting, so the information compiled here is reflective of the data available through Lightcast.™
Annual Salary from Job Postings for Principal Software Engineers
Advertised Annual Salary
During a review of 1,397,591 job postings related to principal software engineers, advertised salary was included in 287,717 of them, which was 21%. Based on those postings, the median advertised salary for principal software engineers was $122,624 per year.
Hourly Salary from Job Postings for Principal Software Engineers
Advertised Hourly Salary
A similar analysis of job postings provides insight into advertised hourly salary for principal software engineers. Based on 41% of postings with advertised compensation, the median hourly salary for open positions for principal software engineers in the United States is about $59.
Salary Trend for Principal Software Engineers
If you're thinking about pursuing a career in the field, you may want to understand how compensation has changed over time for principal software engineers. The chart below provides a snapshot of advertised salaries over the past three years.
Based on compensation data that was included in job postings for principal software engineers dating back to September 2019, advertised salaries for principal software engineers have increased 4%.
Advertised Wage Trend For Principal Software Engineers
What's the Job Growth for Principal Software Engineers?
Another data point that someone thinking about a career path should consider is whether or not jobs are expected to see growth in the future. The chart below looks at projected employment for principal software engineers over the next 10 years.
According to the data obtained through Lightcast,™ there were 1,578,965 jobs for principal software engineers in the United States in 2022. By 2032, it is expected that about 493,121 jobs will be added. That's a 31.2% increase over the next 10-year period.
Employment Projections For Principal Software Engineers
Additional Links
Ready to dig deeper into career information about principal software engineers? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for principal software engineers.
What do principal software engineers do?
Principal Software Engineers: How do you become one?
All Occupations
The Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has compiled data for dozens of in-demand jobs. Explore our full catalog of occupation data by visiting the link below.