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.
As a Principal Software Engineer on the Store Database team within the Substrate Storage Fabric, you will lead the architecture, design, and delivery of large-scale storage platform capabilities. You will drive technical strategy for distributed databases, data protection, and capacity planning while designing AI-native systems and distributed storage architectures. Your daily work involves partnering with cross-functional teams to resolve complex system challenges, establishing technical standards for secure and cost-efficient solutions, and utilizing telemetry and data-driven analysis to optimize resource utilization. You will also mentor engineers and lead live-site excellence through root-cause analysis and operational automation. The role requires expertise in distributed storage systems, cloud infrastructure, and service architecture. Candidates should be proficient in programming languages such as C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python to build high-scale data access solutions for mission-critical workloads.
What does a Software Engineer earn in Washington?
Median $202800 from 326 postings across 28 companies.
Lead the architecture, design, and delivery of large-scale storage platform capabilities for Microsoft 365 data services.
Drive technical strategy and execution for distributed databases, storage systems, and capacity planning.
Design AI-native systems and distributed storage architectures using modern engineering practices.
Establish technical standards to ensure AI-enabled solutions are secure, reliable, and cost-efficient at hyperscale.
Use telemetry and data-driven analysis to identify bottlenecks and optimize resource utilization.
Lead live-site excellence by driving root-cause analysis, resiliency improvements, and operational automation.
Mentor engineers and technical leaders to raise engineering standards and foster a culture of ownership.
What we're looking for
Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or related technical field and 6+ years of engineering experience with coding in languages like C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python.
Master's Degree in Computer Science or related technical field and 8+ years of engineering experience in the specified programming languages.
Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or related technical field and 12+ years of engineering experience in the specified programming languages.
Deep expertise in distributed storage systems, databases, cloud infrastructure, and service architecture at hyperscale.
Experience designing and operating AI-native services using AI-assisted engineering practices while maintaining security and reliability standards.
Demonstrated ability to lead technical strategy, mentor senior engineers, and make data-driven architectural decisions in collaborative environments.
Ability to pass the Microsoft Cloud background check every two years.
Azure
Distributed Systems
C
C++
C#
Java
JavaScript
Python
AIOps
Storage Systems
Scalability
Observability
Hardware Acceleration
Networking Technologies
C
C++
C#
Java
JavaScript
Python
Azure Virtual Desktop
Windows 365
client-engineering
Test Automation
Performance Measurement
Observability
Monitoring
Diagnostics