Principal Software Engineer Jobs in Colorado

Principal Software Engineer jobs in Colorado concentrate in aerospace and defense, cloud infrastructure, and enterprise software, with the state ranking among the most active markets in the country for senior technical leadership. Denver, Boulder, and Colorado Springs anchor the largest share of openings, where employers like Lockheed Martin, Oracle, and Palantir maintain significant engineering operations. The most in-demand specialties are distributed systems architecture, platform engineering, and machine learning infrastructure. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.

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Overview

Open roles45
Top employerNorthrop Grumman
Top cityColorado Springs, CO
Cities hiring12
Work type55% On-site
Top industryTechnology

Showing 5 of 45+ Principal Software Engineer jobs

Northrop Grumman
Sr. Principal Cyber Software Engineer (TG)
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Northrop Grumman
Added 4d ago
Sr. Principal Cyber Software Engineer (TG)
Northrop Grumman
Aurora, Colorado
Executive Leadership & C-Suite
Program Management
Project Management
$149k - $235k/yr
Master's degree
10,000+

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Vertafore
Principal Software Engineer
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Vertafore
Added 4d ago
Principal Software Engineer
Vertafore
Denver, Colorado
AI (Artificial Intelligence)
Data Science
$150k - $165k/yr
Remote (US)
Experience equivalent to degree accepted
1,001-5,000

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Rocket Lab USA
Principal Software Engineer - TS/SCI
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Rocket Lab USA
Added 4d ago
Principal Software Engineer - TS/SCI
Rocket Lab USA
Denver, Colorado
Business Development
Customer Success
Sales
$150k - $200k/yr
Bachelor's degree in engineering
1,001-5,000

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Northrop Grumman
Sr Principal Software Engineer – SW Product Owner (26-435)
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Northrop Grumman
Added 1w ago
Sr Principal Software Engineer – SW Product Owner (26-435)
Northrop Grumman
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Backend Engineering
Full-stack Engineering
Software Engineering
$129k - $194k/yr
On-Site
Bachelor's degree in Physics
10,000+

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Northrop Grumman
Principal Software Engineer (26-434) (Space AHT)
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Northrop Grumman
Added 1w ago
Principal Software Engineer (26-434) (Space AHT)
Northrop Grumman
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Engineering (Non-Software)
Software Engineering
Technical Program Management
$104k - $155k/yr
On-Site
Bachelor's degree in Physics
10,000+

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See All 45 Principal Software Engineer Jobs in Colorado

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Principal Software Engineer Jobs by City in Colorado

Where Colorado roles are concentrated, by current openings.

Colorado Springs
12 jobs
Denver
9 jobs
Boulder
7 jobs
Aurora
5 jobs
Broomfield
3 jobs
Centennial
2 jobs
Louisville
2 jobs
Englewood
1 job
Lafayette
1 job

Principal Software Engineer Job Market in Colorado

A snapshot from current Colorado openings, updated as new roles post.

Who's Hiring

  • Northrop Grumman
    Northrop Grumman12
  • BAE Systems USA
    BAE Systems USA7
  • Sierra Space
    Sierra Space3
  • Palo Alto Networks
    Palo Alto Networks3
  • Auria
    Auria2

Top Industries Hiring

  • Technology & Software
  • Science & Research

What Colorado Employers Look For

The qualifications that appear most often in principal software engineer jobs across Colorado.

  • Bachelor's or master's degree in computer science, software engineering, or a related technical field
  • Ten or more years of professional software engineering experience, with at least three in a principal or staff-level role
  • Demonstrated ability to define technical roadmaps and drive architecture decisions across multiple engineering teams
  • Deep expertise in at least one major cloud platform such as AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud
  • Experience leading cross-functional technical initiatives and mentoring senior engineers toward organizational goals
  • Strong proficiency in system design, distributed systems, and performance optimization at production scale

Principal Software Engineer Jobs in Colorado: Frequently Asked Questions

How do you become a principal software engineer in Colorado?

Reaching principal-level in Colorado typically requires a bachelor's degree in computer science or a related field, followed by years of progressive engineering experience culminating in demonstrated technical leadership. Colorado has no state-issued license or exam for software engineers, so advancement is driven by an internal promotion track or direct hiring. Colorado employers weight architecture ownership, staff mentorship history, and cross-team impact heavily when evaluating principal-level candidates.

How much do principal software engineers make in Colorado?

Principal software engineers in Colorado earn a median of about $138,390 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $96,480 for the lowest 10% to over $213,010 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.

Which companies hire principal software engineers in Colorado?

Employers hiring principal software engineers in Colorado right now include Northrop Grumman, BAE Systems USA, and Sierra Space, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of September 2026. Colorado's concentration of aerospace primes, cloud infrastructure firms, and government technology contractors creates steady demand for principal engineers who can operate across regulated and commercial environments.

Which Colorado cities have the most principal software engineer jobs?

Colorado Springs, Denver, and Boulder account for the most principal software engineer openings in Colorado. Denver drives volume through its dense cluster of tech headquarters, financial services firms, and health technology companies, while Boulder attracts early-stage and high-growth software companies, and Colorado Springs benefits from the large defense and government contracting presence anchored by nearby military installations.

Are there remote principal software engineer jobs in Colorado?

Yes, and more than most fields. About 45% of principal software engineer openings tied to Colorado are remote or hybrid as of September 2026, reflecting how naturally the role suits distributed work. The parts of the job most likely to stay fully remote are architecture review, roadmap planning, and cross-team technical alignment, while roles with classified government or defense components almost always require an on-site presence.

How can I get hired as a principal software engineer in Colorado with little or no experience?

The most realistic path is building toward principal through a senior engineer role first, since Colorado employers rarely hire into principal titles without demonstrated leadership experience. Colorado's aerospace and defense contractors, including Lockheed Martin and Raytheon, run structured associate and rotational engineering programs that develop talent from new-grad level upward. Lateral moves from tech lead or staff engineer roles are the most common door into principal, and an open-source portfolio or evidence of system design ownership gives candidates a strong edge.

Where can I find and apply to principal software engineer jobs in Colorado?

You can find and apply to principal software engineer jobs in Colorado on Migrate Mate, which lists current Colorado openings across industries and experience levels. Find the roles that fit your background and apply directly.

See All 45 Principal Software Engineer Jobs in Colorado

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