Principal Software Engineer Jobs in Missouri

Principal Software Engineer jobs in Missouri are in strong demand, concentrated in financial technology, healthcare IT, defense contracting, and enterprise software, with openings at every seniority level from senior engineer to technical director. Kansas City and St. Louis anchor most of the hiring, with Columbia growing as a secondary market, and established employers like Cerner (Oracle Health), Edward Jones, and Boeing maintain lasting principal-level engineering teams across the state. The most sought-after specialties are distributed systems architecture, cloud platform engineering, and full-stack enterprise development. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.

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Overview

Open roles5
Top employerCVS Health
Top cityMissouri
Cities hiring4
Work type67% Remote
Top credentialBachelor's degree

Showing 5 of 5+ Principal Software Engineer jobs

Spectrum
Principal Software Engineer I
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Spectrum
New 15h ago
Principal Software Engineer I
Spectrum
Maryland Heights, Missouri
Executive Leadership & C-Suite
Program Management
Project Management
Remote (US)
Bachelor's degree
10,000+

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CVS Health
Principal Software Development Engineer
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CVS Health
Added 1w ago
Principal Software Development Engineer
CVS Health
Jefferson City, Missouri
Engineering (Non-Software)
Mechanical Engineering
Specialized Engineering
$144k - $288k/yr
Master's degree
10,000+

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CVS Health
Principal Software Engineer
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CVS Health
Added 1mo ago
Principal Software Engineer
CVS Health
Missouri
Project Management
Quality Assurance & Testing (QA Testing)
Software Engineering
$144k - $288k/yr
Remote (US)
High school diploma or GED
10,000+

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Cboe Global Markets
Principal Software Engineer – Data and Billing QA
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Cboe Global Markets
Added 3mo ago
Principal Software Engineer – Data and Billing QA
Cboe Global Markets
Kansas City, Missouri
Customer Support
Solutions Engineering & Architecture
Technical Product & Program Management
Technical Program Management
$111k - $143k/yr
Bachelor's degree in engineering
1,001-5,000

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O'Reilly Auto Parts
Principal Software Engineer - Quality Assurance
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O'Reilly Auto Parts
Added 4mo ago
Principal Software Engineer - Quality Assurance
O'Reilly Auto Parts
Springfield, Missouri
Backend Engineering
Full-stack Engineering
Software Engineering
On-Site
Bachelor's degree
10,000+

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Principal Software Engineer Jobs by City in Missouri

Where Missouri roles are concentrated, by current openings.

Kansas City
1 job
Springfield
1 job
Jefferson City
1 job
Maryland Heights
1 job

Principal Software Engineer Job Market in Missouri

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

Who's Hiring

CVS Health
CVS Health2 open roles
Spectrum
Spectrum1 open role
Cboe Global Markets
Cboe Global Markets1 open role

What Missouri Employers Look For

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

  • Bachelor's or master's degree in computer science, software engineering, or a related technical field
  • Ten or more years of software engineering experience with at least three in a senior or staff-level role
  • Demonstrated ability to lead technical architecture decisions across large-scale distributed systems
  • Deep proficiency in at least one major language such as Java, Python, Go, or C++ with broad ecosystem fluency
  • Experience mentoring engineers, conducting code reviews, and driving engineering best practices organization-wide
  • Proven ability to collaborate with product, data, and infrastructure teams to deliver complex multi-year platform initiatives

Principal Software Engineer Jobs in Missouri: Frequently Asked Questions

How do you become a principal software engineer in Missouri?

Missouri does not require a state-issued license to work as a principal software engineer, so the path runs through education and demonstrated technical leadership. Most candidates hold a bachelor's degree in computer science or software engineering from a Missouri institution such as Missouri S&T, Washington University in St. Louis, or the University of Missouri, then accumulate progressive engineering experience before moving into principal-level roles through internal promotion or external hiring.

How much do principal software engineers make in Missouri?

Principal software engineers in Missouri earn a median of about $126,120 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $72,570 for the lowest 10% to over $169,340 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.

Which companies hire principal software engineers in Missouri?

Employers hiring principal software engineers in Missouri right now include CVS Health, Spectrum, and Cboe Global Markets, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 2026. Missouri's concentration of financial services, healthcare IT, and defense contractors means principal engineers often work on high-stakes, regulated platform environments.

Which Missouri cities have the most principal software engineer jobs?

Missouri, Kansas City, and Springfield have the most principal software engineer openings in Missouri. Kansas City leads because of its dense cluster of fintech, healthcare technology, and enterprise software firms, while St. Louis draws heavily from defense contractors, biotech platforms, and large financial institutions headquartered there, making both metros reliably active for senior engineering talent.

Are there remote principal software engineer jobs in Missouri?

Yes, and more than most fields. About 67% of principal software engineer openings tied to Missouri are remote or hybrid as of August 2026, reflecting how naturally this role translates to distributed work. Architecture review, technical roadmap planning, and cross-team mentorship are the functions most commonly performed fully remote, though some employers require on-site presence for regulated or classified platform work.

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

The most realistic entry path is building depth in a senior software engineer role first, then moving laterally into a staff or lead engineer title before targeting principal positions. Missouri employers like Cerner, Boeing, and major Kansas City fintech firms run structured new-graduate and associate programs that place engineers onto principal-track teams early. A strong open-source portfolio, cloud certifications, or a graduate degree from Missouri S&T or Washington University can accelerate the transition from senior to principal faster than tenure alone.

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

You can find and apply to principal software engineer jobs in Missouri on Migrate Mate, which lists current Missouri openings. Find roles that fit your experience and apply directly through each listing.

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