Microsoft Principal Developer Salaries

461 verified profiles
Last updated on March 6, 2026
Average Annual Total Compensation is $331k

Employees at Microsoft as Principal Developer earn an average of $331k, mostly ranging from $302k to $610k based on 461 profiles.

Employee Count
massive
Equity Vest
3.5 yrs ; 29% , 29% , 29% , 13%
Signing Bonus
$25k - $50k
  30,761 people laid off in the last year.
👨‍💻 Male $330k Male
Average Salary : $ 330 k
👩‍💻 Female $329k Female
Average Salary : $ 329 k
For every $100 paid to men, women are paid $100
Latest Jobs
Hiring? Promote your job
Salary Profiles
Company
Title(Level)
Annual Salary
Experience
School
Degree
Location
Skills
Principal Software Engineer (Principal SDE)
Male

Base: $241k

Stocks: $54k

(Today) (15.5%) $46k

Bonus: $49k

TC:$343k

(Today) (2.4%) $335k

13yrs
NA
Masters

Works in New York, NY

Backend engineer (Principal SDE)
Male

Base: $190k

Stocks: $39k

(Today) (15.7%) $33k

Bonus: $29k

TC:$258k

(Today) (2.4%) $252k

18yrs
NA
Masters

Works in Atlanta, GA

Research Scientist (Principal SDE)
Male

Base: $206k

Stocks: $78k

(Today) (14.0%) $67k

Bonus: $59k

TC:$343k

(Today) (3.2%) $332k

9yrs
NA
Masters

Works in Redmond, WA

Principal Solution Engineer (Principal Solution Architect)
Male

Base: $210k

Stocks: $101k

(Today) (14.1%) $87k

Bonus: $85k

TC:$396k

(Today) (3.6%) $382k

22yrs
NA
Bachelors

Works in Reston, VA

Machine Learning Engineer (Principal SDE)
Male

Base: $255k

Stocks: $75k

(Today) (14.6%) $64k

Bonus: $49k

TC:$378k

(Today) (2.9%) $367k

9yrs
NA
Masters

Works in San Francisco, CA

🚀 AI Agents that work 24/7 to land you higher paying jobs
Production Engineer (Principal SDE)
Male

Base: $206k

Stocks: $39k

(Today) (16.6%) $33k

Bonus: $39k

TC:$284k

(Today) (2.3%) $278k

10yrs
NA
Masters

Works in Redmond, WA

Data Engineer (Principal SDE)
Male

Base: $217k

Stocks: $62k

(Today) (15.8%) $52k

Bonus: $43k

TC:$322k

(Today) (3.0%) $312k

21yrs
NA
Masters

Works in Redmond, WA

Backend engineer (Principal SDE)
Male

Base: $206k

Stocks: $85k

(Today) (19.8%) $69k

Bonus: $41k

TC:$332k

(Today) (5.1%) $315k

7yrs
NA
Bachelors

Works in Dallas, TX

Hardware Engineer (Principal Hardware Engineer)
Male

Base: $218k

Stocks: $173k

(Today) (19.8%) $138k

Bonus: $59k

TC:$449k

(Today) (7.6%) $415k

15yrs
NA
Bachelors

Works in Mountain View, CA

Base: $198k

Stocks: $78k

(Today) (20.5%) $62k

Bonus: $122k

TC:$398k

(Today) (4.0%) $382k

20yrs
NA
Masters

Works in Portland, OR

100% real time & verified!

Showing only 50 profiles out of 461. Upgrade to view elite profiles
Level
Experience
Avg
25th
50th
75th
90th
95th
25 to 25 yrs
$281k
$281k
$281k
$NaNk
$NaNk
$NaNk
25 to 25 yrs
$284k
$284k
$284k
$NaNk
$NaNk
$NaNk
13 to 25 yrs
$305k
$275k
$299k
$NaNk
$NaNk
$NaNk
14 to 14 yrs
$315k
$315k
$315k
$NaNk
$NaNk
$NaNk
9 to 21 yrs
$322k
$287k
$314k
$NaNk
$NaNk
$NaNk
5 to 5 yrs
$323k
$323k
$323k
$NaNk
$NaNk
$NaNk
10 to 20 yrs
$328k
$291k
$320k
$NaNk
$NaNk
$NaNk
20 to 20 yrs
$329k
$329k
$329k
$NaNk
$NaNk
$NaNk
19 to 19 yrs
$331k
$331k
$331k
$NaNk
$NaNk
$NaNk
9 to 18 yrs
$333k
$291k
$316k
$NaNk
$NaNk
$NaNk
25 to 25 yrs
$347k
$347k
$347k
$NaNk
$NaNk
$NaNk
20 to 20 yrs
$360k
$360k
$360k
$NaNk
$NaNk
$NaNk
10 to 21 yrs
$364k
$343k
$370k
$NaNk
$NaNk
$NaNk
20 to 20 yrs
$387k
$387k
$387k
$NaNk
$NaNk
$NaNk
22 to 22 yrs
$396k
$396k
$396k
$NaNk
$NaNk
$NaNk
17 to 27 yrs
$403k
$330k
$349k
$NaNk
$NaNk
$NaNk
15 to 23 yrs
$424k
$416k
$429k
$NaNk
$NaNk
$NaNk
10 to 10 yrs
$504k
$504k
$504k
$NaNk
$NaNk
$NaNk
12 to 24 yrs
$654k
$549k
$612k
$NaNk
$NaNk
$NaNk
Level
Experience
25 to 25 yrs
Base
$194k
Stocks / Yr
$49k
Bonus
$39k
Total Salary
$281k
Level
Experience
25 to 25 yrs
Base
$221k
Stocks / Yr
$63k
Bonus
$0k
Total Salary
$284k
Level
Experience
13 to 25 yrs
Base
$196k
Stocks / Yr
$63k
Bonus
$46k
Total Salary
$305k
Level
Experience
14 to 14 yrs
Base
$192k
Stocks / Yr
$74k
Bonus
$49k
Total Salary
$315k
Level
Experience
9 to 21 yrs
Base
$206k
Stocks / Yr
$72k
Bonus
$44k
Total Salary
$322k
Level
Experience
5 to 5 yrs
Base
$216k
Stocks / Yr
$74k
Bonus
$34k
Total Salary
$323k
Level
Experience
10 to 20 yrs
Base
$210k
Stocks / Yr
$80k
Bonus
$46k
Total Salary
$328k
Level
Experience
20 to 20 yrs
Base
$245k
Stocks / Yr
$55k
Bonus
$29k
Total Salary
$329k
Level
Experience
19 to 19 yrs
Base
$200k
Stocks / Yr
$92k
Bonus
$39k
Total Salary
$331k
Level
Experience
9 to 18 yrs
Base
$207k
Stocks / Yr
$78k
Bonus
$53k
Total Salary
$333k
Level
Experience
25 to 25 yrs
Base
$234k
Stocks / Yr
$59k
Bonus
$54k
Total Salary
$347k
Level
Experience
20 to 20 yrs
Base
$192k
Stocks / Yr
$111k
Bonus
$58k
Total Salary
$360k
Level
Experience
10 to 21 yrs
Base
$213k
Stocks / Yr
$98k
Bonus
$52k
Total Salary
$364k
Level
Experience
20 to 20 yrs
Base
$216k
Stocks / Yr
$132k
Bonus
$39k
Total Salary
$387k
Level
Experience
22 to 22 yrs
Base
$210k
Stocks / Yr
$101k
Bonus
$85k
Total Salary
$396k
Level
Experience
17 to 27 yrs
Base
$222k
Stocks / Yr
$120k
Bonus
$62k
Total Salary
$403k
Level
Experience
15 to 23 yrs
Base
$234k
Stocks / Yr
$137k
Bonus
$53k
Total Salary
$424k
Level
Experience
10 to 10 yrs
Base
$216k
Stocks / Yr
$172k
Bonus
$117k
Total Salary
$504k
Level
Experience
12 to 24 yrs
Base
$260k
Stocks / Yr
$271k
Bonus
$123k
Total Salary
$654k
Microsoft Principal Developer salary levels ranges from Principal Mechanical Engineer (Mechanical Engineer) upto 67 (Software Engineer), with 67 (Software Engineer) level earning average salary of $654k along with $271k worth of stock options.

Frequently asked questions
How much do Microsoft Principal Developer employees make?

Employees at Microsoft as Principal Developer earn an average of $331k, mostly ranging from $302k per year to $610k per year based on 461 profiles. The top 10% of employees earn more than $414k per year.

What is the average salary of Microsoft Principal Developer?

Average salary of an employee at Microsoft as Principal Developer is $331k.

What is the highest salary offered at Microsoft as Principal Developer?

Highest reported salary offered at Microsoft as Principal Developer is $863k. The top 10% of employees earn more than $414k per year. The top 1% earn more than a whopping $610k per year.

What are the most common skills required at Microsoft as Principal Developer?

1% of employees have skills in engineering . 1% also know information systems . 1% also know mathematics .

What are the highest paying jobs at Microsoft as Principal Developer?

The top 5 highest paying jobs at Microsoft as Principal Developer with reported salaries are:

  • solution architect - $378k per year

  • principal software engineer - $349k per year

  • hardware engineer - $347k per year

  • software engineering manager - $333k per year

  • software engineer - $329k per year

What is the median salary offered at Microsoft as Principal Developer?

The median salary approximately calculated from salary profiles measured so far is $318k per year.

How is the age distributed among employees at Microsoft as Principal Developer?

1% of employees lie between 26-31 yrs . 1% of the employees fall in the age group of 31-36 yrs .

What qualifications do employees have at Microsoft as Principal Developer?

3% hold a Graduate degree. 1% hold a PostGraduate degree.

Which schools do employees working at Microsoft as Principal Developer went to?

0% of employees studied at California Institute of Technology . 0% studied at Eotvos Lorand University of Applied Sciences .

Frequently asked questions
How much do Microsoft Principal Developer employees make?

Employees at Microsoft as Principal Developer earn an average of $331k, mostly ranging from $302k per year to $610k per year based on 461 profiles. The top 10% of employees earn more than $414k per year.

What is the average salary of Microsoft Principal Developer?

Average salary of an employee at Microsoft as Principal Developer is $331k.

What is the highest salary offered at Microsoft as Principal Developer?

Highest reported salary offered at Microsoft as Principal Developer is $863k. The top 10% of employees earn more than $414k per year. The top 1% earn more than a whopping $610k per year.

What are the most common skills required at Microsoft as Principal Developer?

1% of employees have skills in engineering . 1% also know information systems . 1% also know mathematics .

What are the highest paying jobs at Microsoft as Principal Developer?

The top 5 highest paying jobs at Microsoft as Principal Developer with reported salaries are:

  • solution architect - $378k per year

  • principal software engineer - $349k per year

  • hardware engineer - $347k per year

  • software engineering manager - $333k per year

  • software engineer - $329k per year

What is the median salary offered at Microsoft as Principal Developer?

The median salary approximately calculated from salary profiles measured so far is $318k per year.

How is the age distributed among employees at Microsoft as Principal Developer?

1% of employees lie between 26-31 yrs . 1% of the employees fall in the age group of 31-36 yrs .

What qualifications do employees have at Microsoft as Principal Developer?

3% hold a Graduate degree. 1% hold a PostGraduate degree.

Which schools do employees working at Microsoft as Principal Developer went to?

0% of employees studied at California Institute of Technology . 0% studied at Eotvos Lorand University of Applied Sciences .

Salary Brackets
Percentage
100-200 k 100-200 k
Percentage : 1
200-300 k 200-300 k
Percentage : 31
300-400 k 300-400 k
Percentage : 52
400-500 k 400-500 k
Percentage : 9
> 500 k > 500 k
Percentage : 3
Age Brackets
Percentage
21-26 yrs 21-26 yrs
Percentage : 0
26-31 yrs 26-31 yrs
Percentage : 1
31-36 yrs 31-36 yrs
Percentage : 1
36-41 yrs 36-41 yrs
Percentage : 1
> 41 yrs > 41 yrs
Percentage : 1
Skills
Trending
engineering
1 %
information systems
1 %
mathematics
1 %
c++
1 %
c#
0 %
debugging
0 %
distributed systems
0 %
Browse by Locations