Principal Software Engineer

Microsoft

Confirmed live yesterday High trust

Quick summary

Work type: On-site
Location: Redmond, WA
Salary: $142,800–$274,800 / yr
Posted: 38 days ago
Freshness: Confirmed live yesterday
Closes: Jan 31, 2027
Nearby: 99+ roles within 25 mi

Market check

Salary context

Above market

How this pay compares to similar roles

Similar $200k

This role $209k

$127k most similar roles pay here $291k

This role pays more than 66% of similar roles. Most pay $174,600–$225,000 — the shaded band above. At the midpoint, this role pays about $209k versus about $200k for comparable roles.

Based on 240 similar postings.

Employer

About Microsoft

Microsoft Corporation is a global technology leader producing software, hardware, and cloud services including Windows, Office 365, Azure cloud platform, Xbox gaming, and Surface devices. Industry: Software & Cloud Computing

Microsoft currently has 598 open roles on FindRole.

Listed pay typically runs $119,800–$234,700 across 586 roles with salary data.

Most-posted roles

View all roles at Microsoft

At a glance

TL;DR · Principal Software Engineer

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As a Principal Software Engineer on the Windows Cloud Experiences Team, you will join an agile team focused on evolving personal computing by moving experiences to the cloud. You will design and develop large-scale distributed software services that are modularized, secure, reliable, and actively monitored. Your daily work involves performing system design through well-defined interfaces, conducting code reviews, utilizing data and telemetry for decision-making, and improving test coverage. You will specifically build distributed systems optimized for performance, availability, cost, and resource utilization to support demanding AI workloads. The role requires proficiency in programming languages such as C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python. This position addresses the technical challenges of providing secure, manageable remote experiences while building innovative, AI-powered features within a cloud-based infrastructure for end user computing.

What does a Software Engineer earn in Washington?

Median $202800 from 326 postings across 28 companies.

See salary data

Skills

C# Python C++ C Java JavaScript Distributed Systems Cloud Services System Design AI Infrastructure Telemetry Agile

What you'll do

Design and develop large-scale distributed software services and solutions.
Drive modern software engineering practices through design and code reviews.
Create system designs with well-defined interfaces across multiple components.
Build modularized, secure, reliable, and monitored services for high-quality engineering.
Improve test coverage and implement integration tests to resolve problem areas.
Design distributed systems that optimize performance, availability, and cost for AI workloads.
Lead the architecture, design, and implementation of cloud services or software products.

What we're looking for

Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or a related technical field.
6+ years of technical engineering experience coding in languages such as C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python.
Ability to pass the Microsoft Cloud background check and subsequent biennial screenings.
7+ years of technical engineering experience with coding in C#, Python, C, C++, Java, or JavaScript.
6+ years of experience leading the architecture, design, implementation, and shipping of cloud services or software products.
Demonstrated passion for emerging technologies and ability to apply advancements in AI infrastructure.
Proven track record of working across teams to deliver shared solutions to complex problems.
Ability to quickly ramp up and create solutions for complex problems across multiple products.

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