Principal Software Engineer Jobs in San Francisco, CA

Principal Software Engineer jobs in San Francisco are in strong demand, concentrated in SoMa, the Financial District, and Mission Bay across enterprise software, fintech, AI infrastructure, and biotech. Employers hiring right now include Lila Sciences, Saviynt, and Atlassian. Scan the live roles below and apply to whichever ones fit.

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Overview

Open roles333+
Top employerLila Sciences
Work type41% On-site
Companies hiring19

Showing 5 of 333+ Principal Software Engineer jobs

Atlassian
Principal Software Engineer
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Atlassian
Added 3d ago
Principal Software Engineer
Atlassian
San Francisco, California
Engineering (Non-Software)
Mechanical Engineering
Product Management
$174k - $274k/yr
Remote (US)
10,000+

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Apple
Principal Software Engineer, Apple Services Engineering
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Apple
Added 4d ago
Principal Software Engineer, Apple Services Engineering
Apple
San Francisco, California
Software Engineering
Technical Product & Program Management
$216k - $394k/yr
Bachelor's degree in engineering
10,000+

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Canva
Principal Software Engineer - Mobile Platform
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Canva
Added 6d ago
Principal Software Engineer - Mobile Platform
Canva
San Francisco, California
Engineering (Non-Software)
Software Engineering
Technical Program Management
Remote (US)
51-200

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Lambda
Principal Software Engineer
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Lambda
Added 1w ago
Principal Software Engineer
Lambda
San Francisco, California
Automation QA
Electrical Engineering
Engineering (Non-Software)
Specialized Engineering
$372k - $550k/yr
Remote (US)

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OpenAI
Principal Software Engineer, Enterprise Technology Vertical
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OpenAI
Added 2w ago
Principal Software Engineer, Enterprise Technology Vertical
OpenAI
San Francisco, California
Customer Service
Customer Support
$441k - $500k/yr
51-200

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See All 333+ Principal Software Engineer Jobs in San Francisco

Find roles in San Francisco that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.

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Principal Software Engineer Job Market in San Francisco

Who's Hiring

  • Lila Sciences
    Lila Sciences51
  • Saviynt
    Saviynt38
  • Atlassian
    Atlassian26
  • Salesforce
    Salesforce26
  • Adobe
    Adobe13

Top Industries Hiring

  • Technology & Software115
  • Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals64
  • Manufacturing13

Principal Software Engineer Jobs in San Francisco: Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get a principal software engineer job in San Francisco?

Target companies in SoMa, Mission Bay, and the Financial District, where fintech, enterprise software, and AI-focused firms concentrate most of their engineering leadership roles. Candidates who stand out typically bring a record of driving large-scale distributed systems or platform architecture decisions. Engaging with San Francisco's dense tech conference and meetup circuit helps surface roles before they're widely posted.

Which companies hire principal software engineers in San Francisco?

San Francisco principal software engineer roles are posted by Lila Sciences, Saviynt, and Atlassian and others right now, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of September 2026. The city's employer mix skews heavily toward high-growth software companies, established fintech platforms, and AI-native startups, all of which tend to run lean senior engineering teams that rely on principals for technical direction.

Are there remote principal software engineer jobs in San Francisco?

Yes, though remote availability at the principal level depends on the company's growth stage and engineering culture. About 59% of principal software engineer openings tied to San Francisco are remote or hybrid as of September 2026, with flexibility most common at SaaS and developer-tools companies headquartered in the city. Architecture review, system design, and cross-team technical leadership work tends to be the most remote-compatible part of the role.

How can I get a principal software engineer job in San Francisco with little or no experience?

The most realistic path is moving into a senior software engineer role at a San Francisco-based startup or mid-stage company first, where scope expands quickly and principal responsibilities often emerge informally. Companies in Mission Bay's biotech corridor and SoMa's fintech cluster frequently promote from within when engineers demonstrate system-level ownership. Building a portfolio of architectural decisions, technical proposals, or open-source contributions visible to San Francisco hiring teams accelerates that progression.

Which industries hire the most principal software engineers in San Francisco?

Most principal software engineer openings in San Francisco sit in Technology & Software, Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals, and Manufacturing, per current listings on Migrate Mate as of September 2026. San Francisco's concentration of fintech headquarters, AI research labs, and enterprise SaaS companies means these sectors consistently need engineering leaders who can own complex, large-scale systems end to end.

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