below marketmost similar roles pay hereabove market
This role pays more than
68%
of similar roles. Most pay
$174,600–$220,800
— the blue band above.
At the midpoint, this role pays about
$209k
versus about
$198k
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
692 open roles
on FindRole.
Listed pay typically runs
$119,800–$234,700
across 649 roles with salary data.
The Principal Software Engineer - Networking & Storage Systems joins the Strategic Planning and Architecture team within the Azure Hardware Systems and Infrastructure organization. In this role, the engineer will lead the architecture and development of robust networking and storage frameworks for large-scale cloud platforms. Key responsibilities include owning end-to-end technical strategy, making high-impact architectural decisions, and driving best practices in observability, diagnostics, and performance optimization. The position requires expertise in coding with C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python to build scalable networking and storage transport protocols and telemetry. The work focuses on pathfinding and implementing technology for cloud and AI infrastructure, solving complex problems related to distributed systems, reliability, and security within a massive cloud environment.
What does a Software Engineer earn?
Median $196000 from 2584 postings across 147 companies.
Architect and lead the development of robust networking and storage frameworks for large-scale cloud platforms.
Own the end-to-end technical strategy and make high-impact architectural decisions.
Define requirements and deliver strategic solutions in coordination with product, hardware, and business teams.
Ensure code quality, reliability, and security through rigorous reviews and automation.
Drive the adoption of best practices in observability, diagnostics, and performance optimization.
Represent the team in cross-functional forums to influence organizational priorities and technical direction.
What we're looking for
Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or related technical field and 6+ years of technical engineering experience with coding in languages like C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python.
Ability to pass the Microsoft Cloud Background Check upon hire and every two years thereafter.
Ability to meet Microsoft, customer, and/or government security screening requirements.
PhD Degree in Computer Science or related technical field and 3+ years of technical engineering experience with coding in languages like C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python (preferred).
10+ years of experience in software engineering with deep expertise in networking and storage systems (preferred).
Proven track record of technical leadership and architectural ownership in large-scale distributed systems (preferred).
Proficiency in C, C++, C#, Java, Python, and cloud technologies (preferred).
Excellent communication, collaboration, and stakeholder management skills (preferred).
Distributed Systems
Kubernetes
C++
Python
C#
Java
Storage Systems
File Systems
KV Caching
RDMA
InfiniBand
RoCE
CUDA
GPU
Observability
Networking
Azure
Distributed Training
Distributed Databases
Storage Systems
C
C++
C#
Java
Python
JavaScript
Cloud Infrastructure
Service Architecture
Capacity Planning
Data Protection
Telemetry
Root-Cause Analysis
Operational Automation
Infrastructure as Code (IaC)
Distributed Systems
Cloud Infrastructure
System Design
Telemetry
Data Replication
Encryption
rate-limiting
fault-injection