Principal Software Engineer

Microsoft

Quick summary

Work type: On-site
Location: Redmond, WA
Salary: $142,800–$274,800 / yr
Posted: 114 days ago
Closes: Sep 1, 2026
Nearby: 99+ roles within 25 mi

Market check

Salary context

Above market

How this pay compares to similar roles

Similar $177k

This role $209k

$124k most similar roles pay here $291k

This role pays more than 79% of similar roles. Most pay $145,343–$208,800 — the shaded band above. At the midpoint, this role pays about $209k versus about $177k for comparable roles.

Based on 239 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 622 open roles on FindRole.

Listed pay typically runs $119,800–$234,700 across 571 roles with salary data.

Most-posted roles

View all roles at Microsoft

At a glance

TL;DR · Principal Software Engineer

Role Posting Log in to save

As a Principal Software Engineer at Microsoft Edge, you will join a high-impact team focused on enhancing browser performance for millions of users daily. Your role involves leading the architectural evolution of critical subsystems to ensure durable performance as the product scales, working closely with feature teams to integrate performance considerations from concept through deployment. Day-to-day responsibilities include hands-on coding in languages such as C++, Rust, and JavaScript, analyzing real-world telemetry data to drive deep improvements in navigation speed, input responsiveness, and startup times. You will also develop and automate performance tooling, leveraging AI for diagnostics, to prevent regressions before they affect users, ensuring a seamless browsing experience across all scenarios.

Skills

C C++ Rust Python JavaScript Java .NET Performance Engineering Large-Scale Software Design Architectural Modernization Legacy Codebase Refactoring Performance Tooling Automation AI-Assisted Diagnostics Cross-Team Collaboration Real-World Telemetry Traces Experiments

What you'll do

Own performance outcomes for Microsoft Edge user scenarios including navigation, scrolling, input responsiveness, and startup.
Lead architectural evolution to ensure browser performance remains durable as Edge scales and evolves.
Drive data-informed improvements using real-world telemetry, traces, and experiments.
Modernize legacy implementations and establish clear performance-focused coding patterns.
Partner with feature teams to integrate performance constraints from concept to ship.
Scale impact through performance tooling, automation, and AI-assisted diagnostics.

What we're looking for

Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or related field with 6+ years of coding experience.
Experience designing and shipping performance-critical, large-scale software with measurable user impact.
Proven ability to drive architectural changes and modernize legacy codebases for improved performance.
Strong skills in multiple programming languages including C++, Rust, Java, JavaScript, and Python.
Ability to scale impact through performance tooling/automation and influence technical direction across teams.

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