Microsoft Principal Software Engineer Seattle Salaries

70 verified profiles
Last updated on January 24, 2026
Average Annual Total Compensation is $319k

Employees at Microsoft as Principal Software Engineer in Seattle earn an average of $319k, mostly ranging from $304k to $472k based on 70 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 $329k Male
Average Salary : $ 329 k
👩‍💻 Female $343k Female
Average Salary : $ 343 k
For every $100 paid to men, women are paid $104
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Salary Profiles
Company
Title(Level)
Annual Salary
Experience
School
Degree
Location
Skills
Machine Learning Engineer (Principal SDE)
Male

Base: $211k

Stocks: $108k

(Today) (8.6%) $99k

Bonus: $42k

TC:$361k

(Today) (2.6%) $351k

8yrs
NA
Phd

Works in Seattle, WA

Software Engineer (Principal SDE)
Male

Base: $219k

Stocks: $64k

(Today) (5.3%) $60k

Bonus: $34k

TC:$316k

(Today) (1.1%) $313k

9yrs
NA
Masters

Works in Seattle, WA

Backend engineer (Principal SDE)
Male

Base: $204k

Stocks: $68k

(Today) (3.5%) $70k

Bonus: $49k

TC:$320k

(Today) (0.7%) $323k

14yrs
NA
Masters

Works in Seattle, WA

Backend engineer (Principal SDE)

Base: $216k

Stocks: $39k

(Today) (6.1%) $42k

Bonus: $34k

TC:$289k

(Today) (0.8%) $292k

14yrs
NA
Bachelors

Works in Seattle, WA

Backend Engineer (Principal SDE)
Male

Base: $192k

Stocks: $51k

Bonus: $38k

TC:$282k

17yrs
NA
Masters

Works in Seattle, WA

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Backend Engineer (Principal SDE)
Male

Base: $217k

Stocks: $63k

Bonus: $37k

TC:$318k

15yrs
NA
Bachelors

Works in Seattle, WA

Backend Engineer (Principal SDE)
Male

Base: $204k

Stocks: $62k

Bonus: $46k

TC:$311k

13yrs
NA
Bachelors

Works in Seattle, WA

Base: $246k

Stocks: $143k

Bonus: $85k

TC:$474k

19yrs
NA
Bachelors

Works in Seattle, WA

Full Stack Engineer (Principal SDE)
Male

Base: $211k

Stocks: $98k

Bonus: $49k

TC:$358k

10yrs
NA
Bachelors

Works in Seattle, WA

Backend Engineer (Principal SDE)
Male

Base: $199k

Stocks: $63k

Bonus: $40k

TC:$302k

6yrs
NA
Bachelors

Works in Seattle, WA

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Showing only 50 profiles out of 70. Upgrade to view elite profiles
Level
Experience
Avg
25th
50th
75th
90th
95th
13 to 19 yrs
$296k
$285k
$296k
$NaNk
$NaNk
$NaNk
Level
Experience
13 to 19 yrs
Base
$211k
Stocks / Yr
$49k
Bonus
$37k
Total Salary
$296k
Microsoft Principal Software Engineer Seattle salary levels ranges from 65 (Principal SDE) upto 65 (Principal SDE), with 65 (Principal SDE) level earning average salary of $296k along with $49k worth of stock options.

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

Employees at Microsoft as Principal Software Engineer in Seattle earn an average of $319k, mostly ranging from $304k per year to $472k per year based on 70 profiles. The top 10% of employees earn more than $376k per year.

What is the average salary of Microsoft Principal Software Engineer Seattle?

Average salary of an employee at Microsoft as Principal Software Engineer in Seattle is $319k.

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

Highest reported salary offered at Microsoft as Principal Software Engineer in Seattle is $474k. The top 10% of employees earn more than $376k per year. The top 1% earn more than a whopping $472k per year.

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

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

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

  • software engineering manager - $345k per year

  • software engineer - $317k per year

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

The median salary approximately calculated from salary profiles measured so far is $317k per year.

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

What qualifications do employees have at Microsoft as Principal Software Engineer in Seattle?

Which schools do employees working at Microsoft as Principal Software Engineer in Seattle went to?

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

Employees at Microsoft as Principal Software Engineer in Seattle earn an average of $319k, mostly ranging from $304k per year to $472k per year based on 70 profiles. The top 10% of employees earn more than $376k per year.

What is the average salary of Microsoft Principal Software Engineer Seattle?

Average salary of an employee at Microsoft as Principal Software Engineer in Seattle is $319k.

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

Highest reported salary offered at Microsoft as Principal Software Engineer in Seattle is $474k. The top 10% of employees earn more than $376k per year. The top 1% earn more than a whopping $472k per year.

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

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

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

  • software engineering manager - $345k per year

  • software engineer - $317k per year

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

The median salary approximately calculated from salary profiles measured so far is $317k per year.

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

What qualifications do employees have at Microsoft as Principal Software Engineer in Seattle?

Which schools do employees working at Microsoft as Principal Software Engineer in Seattle went to?

Salary Brackets
Percentage
100-200 k 100-200 k
Percentage : 1
200-300 k 200-300 k
Percentage : 30
300-400 k 300-400 k
Percentage : 60
400-500 k 400-500 k
Percentage : 9
Age Brackets
No age data
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