Microsoft Principal Engineer Salaries

378 verified profiles
Last updated on January 21, 2026
Average Annual Total Compensation is $331k

Employees at Microsoft as Principal Engineer earn an average of $331k, mostly ranging from $301k to $612k based on 378 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 $321k Female
Average Salary : $ 321 k
For every $100 paid to men, women are paid $97
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Salary Profiles
Company
Title(Level)
Annual Salary
Experience
School
Degree
Location
Skills

Base: $291k

Stocks: $364k

(Today) (12.4%) $319k

Bonus: $209k

TC:$863k

(Today) (5.2%) $818k

9yrs
NA
Phd

Works in San Francisco, CA

Backend engineer (Principal SDE)
Male

Base: $208k

Stocks: $76k

(Today) (12.4%) $67k

Bonus: $49k

TC:$333k

(Today) (2.9%) $324k

9yrs
NA
Bachelors

Works in Redmond, WA

Backend engineer (Principal SDE)
Male

Base: $235k

Stocks: $118k

(Today) (14.6%) $100k

Bonus: $55k

TC:$408k

(Today) (4.2%) $391k

10yrs
NA
Masters

Works in Mountain View, CA

Security Engineer (Principal SDE)
Male

Base: $210k

Stocks: $62k

(Today) (15.5%) $53k

Bonus: $31k

TC:$303k

(Today) (3.2%) $293k

10yrs
NA
Masters

Works in Mountain View, CA

Full Stack Engineer (Principal SDE)
Male

Base: $245k

Stocks: $88k

(Today) (15.2%) $75k

Bonus: $82k

TC:$416k

(Today) (3.2%) $402k

22yrs
NA
Bachelors

Works in Los Angeles, CA

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Frontend Engineer (Principal SDE)
Male

Base: $227k

Stocks: $62k

(Today) (13.0%) $54k

Bonus: $45k

TC:$334k

(Today) (2.4%) $326k

20yrs
NA
Bachelors

Works in Mountain View, CA

Security Engineer (Principal SDE)
Male

Base: $229k

Stocks: $78k

(Today) (12.9%) $68k

Bonus: $132k

TC:$439k

(Today) (2.3%) $428k

20yrs
NA
Masters

Works in Redmond, WA

Machine Learning Engineer (Principal SDE)
Male

Base: $211k

Stocks: $108k

(Today) (12.9%) $94k

Bonus: $42k

TC:$361k

(Today) (3.9%) $347k

8yrs
NA
Phd

Works in Seattle, WA

Base: $199k

Stocks: $54k

(Today) (11.8%) $48k

Bonus: $40k

TC:$293k

(Today) (2.2%) $286k

10yrs
NA
Masters

Works in Redmond, WA

Backend engineer (Principal SDE)
Male

Base: $227k

Stocks: $64k

(Today) (11.5%) $56k

Bonus: $36k

TC:$327k

(Today) (2.2%) $320k

30yrs
NA
Bachelors

Works in Reston, VA

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Showing only 50 profiles out of 378. Upgrade to view elite profiles
Level
Experience
Avg
25th
50th
75th
90th
95th
25 to 25 yrs
$284k
$284k
$284k
$NaNk
$NaNk
$NaNk
13 to 25 yrs
$305k
$275k
$299k
$NaNk
$NaNk
$NaNk
12 to 24 yrs
$312k
$284k
$301k
$NaNk
$NaNk
$NaNk
14 to 14 yrs
$315k
$315k
$315k
$NaNk
$NaNk
$NaNk
5 to 5 yrs
$323k
$323k
$323k
$NaNk
$NaNk
$NaNk
9 to 15 yrs
$326k
$284k
$315k
$NaNk
$NaNk
$NaNk
20 to 20 yrs
$329k
$329k
$329k
$NaNk
$NaNk
$NaNk
10 to 20 yrs
$330k
$291k
$317k
$NaNk
$NaNk
$NaNk
19 to 19 yrs
$331k
$331k
$331k
$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
16 to 27 yrs
$402k
$327k
$340k
$NaNk
$NaNk
$NaNk
18 to 23 yrs
$424k
$417k
$431k
$NaNk
$NaNk
$NaNk
10 to 10 yrs
$504k
$504k
$504k
$NaNk
$NaNk
$NaNk
11 to 18 yrs
$738k
$675k
$738k
$NaNk
$NaNk
$NaNk
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
12 to 24 yrs
Base
$204k
Stocks / Yr
$65k
Bonus
$43k
Total Salary
$312k
Level
Experience
14 to 14 yrs
Base
$192k
Stocks / Yr
$74k
Bonus
$49k
Total Salary
$315k
Level
Experience
5 to 5 yrs
Base
$216k
Stocks / Yr
$74k
Bonus
$34k
Total Salary
$323k
Level
Experience
9 to 15 yrs
Base
$208k
Stocks / Yr
$78k
Bonus
$45k
Total Salary
$326k
Level
Experience
20 to 20 yrs
Base
$245k
Stocks / Yr
$55k
Bonus
$29k
Total Salary
$329k
Level
Experience
10 to 20 yrs
Base
$208k
Stocks / Yr
$84k
Bonus
$46k
Total Salary
$330k
Level
Experience
19 to 19 yrs
Base
$200k
Stocks / Yr
$92k
Bonus
$39k
Total Salary
$331k
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
16 to 27 yrs
Base
$219k
Stocks / Yr
$118k
Bonus
$65k
Total Salary
$402k
Level
Experience
18 to 23 yrs
Base
$236k
Stocks / Yr
$133k
Bonus
$55k
Total Salary
$424k
Level
Experience
10 to 10 yrs
Base
$216k
Stocks / Yr
$172k
Bonus
$117k
Total Salary
$504k
Level
Experience
11 to 18 yrs
Base
$282k
Stocks / Yr
$305k
Bonus
$151k
Total Salary
$738k
Microsoft Principal Engineer salary levels ranges from Principal Product Designer (Product Designer) upto 67 (Software Engineer), with 67 (Software Engineer) level earning average salary of $738k along with $305k worth of stock options.

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

Employees at Microsoft as Principal Engineer earn an average of $331k, mostly ranging from $301k per year to $612k per year based on 378 profiles. The top 10% of employees earn more than $416k per year.

What is the average salary of Microsoft Principal Engineer?

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

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

Highest reported salary offered at Microsoft as Principal Engineer is $863k. The top 10% of employees earn more than $416k per year. The top 1% earn more than a whopping $612k per year.

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

2% of employees have skills in engineering . 2% also know information systems . 2% also know mathematics .

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

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

  • principal software engineer - $349k per year

  • hardware engineer - $346k per year

  • software engineering manager - $333k per year

  • software engineer - $329k per year

  • mechanical engineer - $324k per year

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

The median salary approximately calculated from salary profiles measured so far is $316k per year.

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

2% of employees lie between 31-36 yrs . 1% of the employees fall in the age group of 21-26 yrs .

What qualifications do employees have at Microsoft as Principal Engineer?

4% hold a Graduate degree. 2% hold a PostGraduate degree.

Which schools do employees working at Microsoft as Principal Engineer 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 Engineer employees make?

Employees at Microsoft as Principal Engineer earn an average of $331k, mostly ranging from $301k per year to $612k per year based on 378 profiles. The top 10% of employees earn more than $416k per year.

What is the average salary of Microsoft Principal Engineer?

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

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

Highest reported salary offered at Microsoft as Principal Engineer is $863k. The top 10% of employees earn more than $416k per year. The top 1% earn more than a whopping $612k per year.

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

2% of employees have skills in engineering . 2% also know information systems . 2% also know mathematics .

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

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

  • principal software engineer - $349k per year

  • hardware engineer - $346k per year

  • software engineering manager - $333k per year

  • software engineer - $329k per year

  • mechanical engineer - $324k per year

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

The median salary approximately calculated from salary profiles measured so far is $316k per year.

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

2% of employees lie between 31-36 yrs . 1% of the employees fall in the age group of 21-26 yrs .

What qualifications do employees have at Microsoft as Principal Engineer?

4% hold a Graduate degree. 2% hold a PostGraduate degree.

Which schools do employees working at Microsoft as Principal Engineer 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 : 50
400-500 k 400-500 k
Percentage : 9
> 500 k > 500 k
Percentage : 4
Age Brackets
Percentage
21-26 yrs 21-26 yrs
Percentage : 1
26-31 yrs 26-31 yrs
Percentage : 1
31-36 yrs 31-36 yrs
Percentage : 2
36-41 yrs 36-41 yrs
Percentage : 1
> 41 yrs > 41 yrs
Percentage : 1
Skills
Trending
engineering
2 %
information systems
2 %
mathematics
2 %
c++
1 %
c#
1 %
debugging
1 %
distributed systems
1 %
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