H-1B Visa Principal Software Engineer Jobs
Principal Software Engineer roles sit in H-1B visa's highest prevailing wage tier, which means your employer files at Wage Level IV and must certify that salary through a certified LCA before USCIS ever sees your petition. Finding companies with consistent H-1B visa filing history for senior engineering roles cuts your risk before you invest time in interviews.
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Get Access To All JobsINTRODUCTION
Guided by our purpose, core values, and leadership principles, we are creating an airline people love. Our corporate teams set the strategies and operational plans to ensure the success of our company. Whether we use our expertise in accounting, human resources, finance, planning, legal, marketing, or any of our operational divisions, our shared passion for travel and our guests is what motivates us to achieve excellence each day. If you share our passion for creating an airline people love, we want to hear from you.
ROLE SUMMARY
The Principal Software Engineer is the lead subject matter expert in full-stack software engineering and digital experience at Alaska Air Group (AAG) and its subsidiaries. As an individual contributor, this role defines long-term strategy for our agile development teams, develops and supports our products top-to-bottom, and ships software on a regular basis (anywhere from daily to every two weeks). This role exercises considerable latitude and initiative to solve problems and influence the way our teams build great products with quality.
KEY DUTIES
- Acts as the lead subject matter expert on full-stack software engineering on an agile delivery team, collaborating with product owners, designers, and other developers to deliver business value on an iterative basis.
- Acts as technology SME for product team, often representing multiple teams to outside stakeholders.
- Architects, engineers, tests, and releases highly scalable and maintainable complex, end-to-end custom software applications.
- Ensures delivery of high-quality software assigned through clean coding practices and utilizing pair programming, test-driven development (TDD), continuous integration, and code reviews.
- Influences development of technology strategy aligned with achieving department goals and helps team to execute against strategy.
- Actively engages in the technology industry, by applying new concepts, networking and speaking on behalf of Alaska at conferences and meetups.
- Influences technology maturity across divisions and upwards in the company.
- Leverages a deep understanding of the team’s guest experience, business, and systems to mentor other engineers across multiple teams.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- 7 years of experience in software engineering, or related area.
- Bachelor’s degree with a focus in Computer Science or a related field, or an additional two years of relevant training/experience in lieu of this degree.
- Experience must include:
- Acting as a full-stack software engineer building custom, high scale, n-tier applications using object-oriented languages (C#, Java, etc.).
- Utilizing appropriate design patterns to create clean, maintainable, and performant code.
- Expertise utilizing cloud technology and modern architecture practices to build high-scale distributed systems.
- Expertise mentoring other engineers and driving code quality via principles such as SOLID and modern design patterns.
- Strong interpersonal skills and ability to drive new ideas and technologies to communities of developers.
- High school diploma or equivalent.
- Minimum age of 18.
- Must be authorized to work in the U.S.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience with Test Data Management tools like Parasoft and IBM Optim.
- Experience with the Microsoft Technology stack (e.g., .NET framework, .NET Core, MS SQL, Azure cloud).
- Experience with modern Angular (version 10+).
- Experience leading technical projects with teams of 3 or more Engineers.
- Experience with containers and container technologies, including Docker, Kubernetes, and OpenShift.
- Experience with unit testing and functional test automation (front and back end).
- Experience with AI/ML.
- Experience with Site Reliability Engineering practices.
- Experience with DevOps practices and supporting tools, particularly Azure DevOps.
- Experience in Agile/Lean development methodologies.
- Experience negotiating requirements with stakeholders directly.
JOB-SPECIFIC LEADERSHIP EXPECTATIONS
Embody our values to own safety, do the right thing, be caring and kind, and deliver performance.
COMPENSATION
- Salary Range: $141,250 - $211,900 / year
Pay will be based on multiple factors, including and not limited to location, relevant experience/level and skillset while balancing internal equity relative to other Alaska/Hawaiian/Horizon employees. Alaska/Hawaiian/Horizon is committed to fair, unbiased compensation along with competitive benefits in all locations in which we operate.
Note: We don’t typically hire at the top of the range.
TOTAL REWARDS
Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and Horizon Air pay and benefits can vary by company, location, number of regularly scheduled hours worked, length of employment, and employment status.
- Free stand-by travel privileges on Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines & Horizon Air.
- Comprehensive well-being programs including medical, dental and vision benefits.
- Generous 401k match program.
- Annual bonus plans.
- Generous holiday and paid time off.
For more information about Alaska/Hawaiian/Horizon Total Rewards please visit our career site and view benefits.
FLSA STATUS
Exempt
EMPLOYMENT TYPE
Full-Time
REGULAR/TEMPORARY
Regular
LOCATION
Seattle - Hub
REGULATORY INFORMATION
Equal Employment Opportunity Policy Statement
It is the policy of Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and Horizon Air to comply with all applicable federal, state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment and to ensure equal opportunity in all terms, conditions, and benefits of employment or potential employment.
We also prohibit discrimination and harassment against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information and other legally protected categories.
We have established an EEO Compliance Program under Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (“Section 503”) and the Vietnam Era Veteran’s Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 (“VEVRAA”). All applicants and employees are treated without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. In addition, we have established an audit and reporting system to allow for effective measurement of its equal employment opportunity activities.
To implement this policy, we will:
(1) Recruit, hire, train and promote qualified persons in all job titles, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information and any other legally protected categories;
(2) Ensure that employment decisions are based only on valid job requirements; and
(3) Ensure that all personnel actions and employment activities such as compensation, benefits, promotions, layoffs, return from layoff, Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and Horizon Air sponsored programs, and tuition assistance will be administered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information and other legally protected categories.
Employees and applicants for employment will not be subjected to harassment, intimidation, threats, coercion or discrimination because they have engaged or may engage in (1) filing a complaint, (2) opposing any act or practice made unlawful by, or exercising any other right protected by, any Federal, State or local law requiring equal opportunity, including Section 503 and the equal opportunity provisions of VEVRAA, or (3) assisting or participating in any investigation, compliance evaluation, hearing, or any other activity related to the administration of any Federal, State or local law requiring equal opportunity, including Section 503 and the equal opportunity provisions of VEVRAA.
Government Contractor & Department of Transportation (DOT) Regulations
Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines & Horizon Air are regulated by the Department of Transportation (DOT – regulations, 49 CFR part 40) and all applicants are advised that post-offer and/or pre-employment drug testing will be conducted to determine the presence of marijuana, cocaine, opioids, phencyclidine (PCP) and amphetamines or a metabolite of these drugs prior to any offer or employment or transfer into a safety-sensitive position. Failure to submit to testing or positive indications of drug use will render the applicant ineligible for employment with Alaska Airlines/Hawaiian Airlines/Horizon Air and any employment offer will be withdrawn.
Requisition Type: Management L: #LI-B
Featured Job: 0
INTRODUCTION
Guided by our purpose, core values, and leadership principles, we are creating an airline people love. Our corporate teams set the strategies and operational plans to ensure the success of our company. Whether we use our expertise in accounting, human resources, finance, planning, legal, marketing, or any of our operational divisions, our shared passion for travel and our guests is what motivates us to achieve excellence each day. If you share our passion for creating an airline people love, we want to hear from you.
ROLE SUMMARY
The Principal Software Engineer is the lead subject matter expert in full-stack software engineering and digital experience at Alaska Air Group (AAG) and its subsidiaries. As an individual contributor, this role defines long-term strategy for our agile development teams, develops and supports our products top-to-bottom, and ships software on a regular basis (anywhere from daily to every two weeks). This role exercises considerable latitude and initiative to solve problems and influence the way our teams build great products with quality.
KEY DUTIES
- Acts as the lead subject matter expert on full-stack software engineering on an agile delivery team, collaborating with product owners, designers, and other developers to deliver business value on an iterative basis.
- Acts as technology SME for product team, often representing multiple teams to outside stakeholders.
- Architects, engineers, tests, and releases highly scalable and maintainable complex, end-to-end custom software applications.
- Ensures delivery of high-quality software assigned through clean coding practices and utilizing pair programming, test-driven development (TDD), continuous integration, and code reviews.
- Influences development of technology strategy aligned with achieving department goals and helps team to execute against strategy.
- Actively engages in the technology industry, by applying new concepts, networking and speaking on behalf of Alaska at conferences and meetups.
- Influences technology maturity across divisions and upwards in the company.
- Leverages a deep understanding of the team’s guest experience, business, and systems to mentor other engineers across multiple teams.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- 7 years of experience in software engineering, or related area.
- Bachelor’s degree with a focus in Computer Science or a related field, or an additional two years of relevant training/experience in lieu of this degree.
- Experience must include:
- Acting as a full-stack software engineer building custom, high scale, n-tier applications using object-oriented languages (C#, Java, etc.).
- Utilizing appropriate design patterns to create clean, maintainable, and performant code.
- Expertise utilizing cloud technology and modern architecture practices to build high-scale distributed systems.
- Expertise mentoring other engineers and driving code quality via principles such as SOLID and modern design patterns.
- Strong interpersonal skills and ability to drive new ideas and technologies to communities of developers.
- High school diploma or equivalent.
- Minimum age of 18.
- Must be authorized to work in the U.S.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience with Test Data Management tools like Parasoft and IBM Optim.
- Experience with the Microsoft Technology stack (e.g., .NET framework, .NET Core, MS SQL, Azure cloud).
- Experience with modern Angular (version 10+).
- Experience leading technical projects with teams of 3 or more Engineers.
- Experience with containers and container technologies, including Docker, Kubernetes, and OpenShift.
- Experience with unit testing and functional test automation (front and back end).
- Experience with AI/ML.
- Experience with Site Reliability Engineering practices.
- Experience with DevOps practices and supporting tools, particularly Azure DevOps.
- Experience in Agile/Lean development methodologies.
- Experience negotiating requirements with stakeholders directly.
JOB-SPECIFIC LEADERSHIP EXPECTATIONS
Embody our values to own safety, do the right thing, be caring and kind, and deliver performance.
COMPENSATION
- Salary Range: $141,250 - $211,900 / year
Pay will be based on multiple factors, including and not limited to location, relevant experience/level and skillset while balancing internal equity relative to other Alaska/Hawaiian/Horizon employees. Alaska/Hawaiian/Horizon is committed to fair, unbiased compensation along with competitive benefits in all locations in which we operate.
Note: We don’t typically hire at the top of the range.
TOTAL REWARDS
Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and Horizon Air pay and benefits can vary by company, location, number of regularly scheduled hours worked, length of employment, and employment status.
- Free stand-by travel privileges on Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines & Horizon Air.
- Comprehensive well-being programs including medical, dental and vision benefits.
- Generous 401k match program.
- Annual bonus plans.
- Generous holiday and paid time off.
For more information about Alaska/Hawaiian/Horizon Total Rewards please visit our career site and view benefits.
FLSA STATUS
Exempt
EMPLOYMENT TYPE
Full-Time
REGULAR/TEMPORARY
Regular
LOCATION
Seattle - Hub
REGULATORY INFORMATION
Equal Employment Opportunity Policy Statement
It is the policy of Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and Horizon Air to comply with all applicable federal, state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment and to ensure equal opportunity in all terms, conditions, and benefits of employment or potential employment.
We also prohibit discrimination and harassment against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information and other legally protected categories.
We have established an EEO Compliance Program under Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (“Section 503”) and the Vietnam Era Veteran’s Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 (“VEVRAA”). All applicants and employees are treated without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. In addition, we have established an audit and reporting system to allow for effective measurement of its equal employment opportunity activities.
To implement this policy, we will:
(1) Recruit, hire, train and promote qualified persons in all job titles, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information and any other legally protected categories;
(2) Ensure that employment decisions are based only on valid job requirements; and
(3) Ensure that all personnel actions and employment activities such as compensation, benefits, promotions, layoffs, return from layoff, Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and Horizon Air sponsored programs, and tuition assistance will be administered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information and other legally protected categories.
Employees and applicants for employment will not be subjected to harassment, intimidation, threats, coercion or discrimination because they have engaged or may engage in (1) filing a complaint, (2) opposing any act or practice made unlawful by, or exercising any other right protected by, any Federal, State or local law requiring equal opportunity, including Section 503 and the equal opportunity provisions of VEVRAA, or (3) assisting or participating in any investigation, compliance evaluation, hearing, or any other activity related to the administration of any Federal, State or local law requiring equal opportunity, including Section 503 and the equal opportunity provisions of VEVRAA.
Government Contractor & Department of Transportation (DOT) Regulations
Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines & Horizon Air are regulated by the Department of Transportation (DOT – regulations, 49 CFR part 40) and all applicants are advised that post-offer and/or pre-employment drug testing will be conducted to determine the presence of marijuana, cocaine, opioids, phencyclidine (PCP) and amphetamines or a metabolite of these drugs prior to any offer or employment or transfer into a safety-sensitive position. Failure to submit to testing or positive indications of drug use will render the applicant ineligible for employment with Alaska Airlines/Hawaiian Airlines/Horizon Air and any employment offer will be withdrawn.
Requisition Type: Management L: #LI-B
Featured Job: 0
See all 2,015+ H-1B Visa Principal Software Engineer Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new H-1B Visa Principal Software Engineer Jobs.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding H-1B Visa Sponsorship as a Principal Software Engineer
Verify your SOC code matches your role
Principal Software Engineer maps to SOC 15-1252 on O*NET. If your employer's LCA lists a mismatched code, USCIS can issue an RFE challenging specialty occupation. Confirm the code before your employer files.
Search LCA filings by occupation code
Use Migrate Mate to filter employers by active H-1B LCA filings for senior software engineering roles. This shows you which companies have already navigated the process for your exact level, not just any tech position.
Benchmark your offer against Wage Level IV
Run the OFLC Wage Search using your target metro area and SOC code before you negotiate. Principal-level roles must meet Wage Level IV. An offer below that threshold will fail the LCA certification step.
Ask whether the employer is cap-exempt
Universities, nonprofits affiliated with higher education, and certain research institutions are cap-exempt, meaning your petition bypasses the annual H-1B lottery entirely. This matters significantly if you're targeting research-heavy or academic-adjacent engineering roles.
Document your technical leadership for specialty occupation
USCIS scrutinizes whether Principal Engineer duties genuinely require a specific bachelor's degree or higher. Gather performance reviews, architecture documents, and project scope records that show your role requires applied theoretical knowledge, not just general programming experience.
Time your employer change within the 60-day grace period
If you're switching employers, your H-1B grace period is 60 days after your last day. Your new employer's I-129 must be filed before that window closes to maintain lawful status. Confirm your start date and filing timeline in writing before resigning.
H-1B Visa Principal Software Engineer: Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Principal Software Engineer role automatically qualify as a specialty occupation for H-1B purposes?
Not automatically. USCIS evaluates whether the specific duties require at least a bachelor's degree in a directly related field. A Principal Engineer role that involves system architecture, technical leadership, and applied computer science theory typically qualifies, but you'll need your employer to document those requirements clearly in the I-129 petition to withstand scrutiny.
How do I find employers who have sponsored H-1B visas for Principal Software Engineers before?
Migrate Mate surfaces employers with verified H-1B LCA filing history filtered by occupation and seniority level. This lets you focus your applications on companies that have already completed the process for senior engineering roles, rather than employers who may be unfamiliar with the requirements at the Principal level.
What prevailing wage level applies to Principal Software Engineer H-1B petitions?
Principal Software Engineer roles typically require Wage Level III or Wage Level IV certification on the LCA, depending on the specific duties and the employer's internal leveling. Wage Level IV applies when the role requires independent judgment and functions at the top of the occupation range. Your employer determines the level and certifies it with DOL before filing.
Can my employer file an H-1B petition for a Principal Software Engineer role without going through the lottery?
Yes, if your employer qualifies as cap-exempt. Institutions of higher education, nonprofits affiliated with higher education, and government research organizations can file outside the annual H-1B cap. Most private tech employers are cap-subject, meaning your petition must be selected in the USCIS lottery before it can be adjudicated.
What happens to my H-1B status if I get promoted from Senior to Principal Software Engineer mid-petition?
A significant change in duties or a new SOC code classification may constitute a material change requiring an amended I-129 petition. Your employer should file the amendment with USCIS before the promotion takes effect. Failing to amend when duties change substantially is a compliance risk that can affect your status and future petitions.