Principal Software Engineers: How to Become One
If you were to ask a group of principal software engineers about how they arrived at their current job, there's a good chance you would get several different answers about the paths and steps that each person took.
That said, there are still ways that you can develop a baseline understanding of the preparation that is necessary to become one.
The Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has gathered data to provide you with insight into the type of education that's commonly required for principal software engineers to land a job. This page contains information, sourced from real job postings, that describes the experience levels and specific skills that employers of principal software engineers expect candidates to have. In the end, this information will help you create an education or professional development plan that aligns with your career aspirations.
Keep reading to learn more about career steps for principal software engineers.
What Education & Experience is Needed for Principal Software Engineers?
Do principal software engineers need a degree? What kind of experience do principal software engineers typically need? Thanks to data sourced from Lightcast™ from real job postings, we can get some clarity on those questions, as well as the level of education that is commonly required for principal software engineers to secure jobs.
Education Level Required in Job Postings for Principal Software Engineers
Jobs Postings for Principal Software Engineers By Education
- Bachelor's degree: 442,574 (48%)
- No Education Listed: 293,486 (32%)
- Master's degree: 130,889 (14%)
- Ph.D. or professional degree: 30,745 (3%)
- High School or GED: 19,911 (2%)
A bachelor's degree is the level of education sought the most by employers of principal software engineers. According to job data, a bachelor's degree was required for 48% of positions. In 32% of job listings no education level was listed and in 14% of postings a master's degree was required.
Experience Level Required in Job Postings for Principal Software Engineers
Jobs Postings for Principal Software Engineers By Experience
- 0-1 Years: 22,987 (5%)
- 2-3 Years: 108,958 (21%)
- 4-6 Years: 205,482 (40%)
- 7-9 Years: 99,734 (20%)
- 10+ Years: 73,245 (14%)
While the amount of required experience will vary based on the responsibility and seniority of the position, an aggregate view of job posting data can help paint a picture of the experience level sought for most job openings for principal software engineers. In 40% of job postings for Principal Software Engineers, employers were looking for candidates with 4-6 years of experience. In 21% of listings employers were looking for candidates with 2-3 years of experience, while 7-9 years of experience was sought in 20% of job postings for principal software engineers.
What Kind of Degree Do Principal Software Engineers Need?
So far this page has provided detail into the level of education and the amount of experience required in job openings for principal software engineers, but what type of education or degree will help prepare you for a career in the field?
According to occupational data obtained through Lightcast,™ there are 32 key academic programs that can help prepare prospective principal software engineers, and in 2023 a total of 256,271 of those programs were completed at institutions in the United States.
Check out the information below to learn more about the specific programs that should be considered by prospective principal software engineers.
Top Degree Programs for Principal Software Engineers
Top 5 Degree Programs for Principal Software Engineers (2023)
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| Computer Science. | 72,432 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General. | 62,365 |
| Information Technology. | 35,591 |
| Information Science/Studies. | 20,146 |
| Computer Engineering, General. | 13,383 |
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| Computer Science. | 72,432 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General. | 62,365 |
| Information Technology. | 35,591 |
| Information Science/Studies. | 20,146 |
| Computer Engineering, General. | 13,383 |
| Computer Programming/Programmer, General. | 9,615 |
| Computer Software Engineering. | 5,017 |
| Data Science, General. | 4,387 |
| Systems Engineering. | 4,148 |
| Computer/Information Technology Services Administration and Management, Other. | 3,190 |
| Computer Systems Analysis/Analyst. | 2,835 |
| Informatics. | 2,793 |
| Medical Informatics. | 2,611 |
| Computer Programming, Specific Applications. | 2,399 |
| Game and Interactive Media Design. | 2,381 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, Other. | 2,301 |
| Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services, Other. | 2,000 |
| Computer Software and Media Applications, Other. | 1,762 |
| Artificial Intelligence. | 1,271 |
| Bioinformatics. | 1,245 |
| Systems Science and Theory. | 1,080 |
| Modeling, Virtual Environments and Simulation. | 915 |
| Cloud Computing. | 730 |
| E-Commerce/Electronic Commerce. | 415 |
| Computer Game Programming. | 380 |
| Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians, Other. | 347 |
| Computer Software Technology/Technician. | 249 |
| Computer Programming, Other. | 161 |
| Economics and Computer Science. | 89 |
| Computer Programming, Specific Platforms. | 25 |
| Linguistics and Computer Science. | 4 |
| Medical Illustration and Informatics, Other. | 4 |
What Skills Do Principal Software Engineers Need?
Education and experience have been covered, so what are the specific skills and traits needed by principal software engineers to secure a job?
A good way to understand this is to examine actual job postings for skills commonly sought by employers. Continue reading for a breakdown of specialized skills found in job postings for principal software engineers, as well as common skills that can help you thrive in the workplace.
In-Demand Skills for Today's Principal Software Engineers
Based on 764,542 job postings
Top 5 Specialized Skills for Principal Software Engineers
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | 290,694 | 38% |
| Software Engineering | 249,908 | 33% |
| Agile Methodology | 244,043 | 32% |
| Software Development | 222,267 | 29% |
| Java (Programming Language) | 216,618 | 28% |
Top 5 Common Skills for Principal Software Engineers
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Communication | 259,895 | 34% |
| Management | 157,775 | 21% |
| Problem Solving | 154,589 | 20% |
| Troubleshooting (Problem Solving) | 141,661 | 19% |
| Leadership | 114,269 | 15% |
Based on 764,542 job postings related to principal software engineers, computer science was the top specialized skill sought by employers, with 38% of all postings looking for that skillset. Skills for software engineering, agile methodology, software development, java (programming language) and sql (programming language) were also highly sought.
As for common skills, communication was the most desired skill found in job postings for principal software engineers, followed by management, problem solving, troubleshooting (problem solving), leadership and operations.
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | 290,694 | 38% |
| Software Engineering | 249,908 | 33% |
| Agile Methodology | 244,043 | 32% |
| Software Development | 222,267 | 29% |
| Java (Programming Language) | 216,618 | 28% |
| SQL (Programming Language) | 185,067 | 24% |
| Python (Programming Language) | 175,902 | 23% |
| JavaScript (Programming Language) | 170,835 | 22% |
| Amazon Web Services | 159,026 | 21% |
| Application Programming Interface (API) | 152,829 | 20% |
| Automation | 131,830 | 17% |
| Debugging | 119,857 | 16% |
| DevOps | 118,352 | 15% |
| C# (Programming Language) | 116,494 | 15% |
| Git (Version Control System) | 112,205 | 15% |
| CI/CD | 111,931 | 15% |
| Microsoft Azure | 111,177 | 15% |
| Scalability | 105,169 | 14% |
| Scrum (Software Development) | 98,977 | 13% |
| RESTful API | 97,113 | 13% |
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Communication | 259,895 | 34% |
| Management | 157,775 | 21% |
| Problem Solving | 154,589 | 20% |
| Troubleshooting (Problem Solving) | 141,661 | 19% |
| Leadership | 114,269 | 15% |
| Operations | 104,279 | 14% |
| Writing | 89,228 | 12% |
| Planning | 87,260 | 11% |
| Innovation | 83,111 | 11% |
| Research | 72,070 | 9% |
| Information Technology | 69,371 | 9% |
| Mentorship | 67,911 | 9% |
| Self-Motivation | 65,588 | 9% |
| Customer Service | 65,385 | 9% |
| Mathematics | 59,416 | 8% |
| Verbal Communication Skills | 57,667 | 8% |
| Detail Oriented | 57,400 | 8% |
| Sales | 54,932 | 7% |
| Interpersonal Communications | 50,164 | 7% |
| Presentations | 45,947 | 6% |
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?
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