How much does a Principal Software Engineer make in Houston, TX?

As of April 01, 2025, the average annual salary for a Principal Software Engineer in Houston, TX is $130,693. Salary.com reports that pay typically ranges from $120,030 to $142,745, with most professionals earning between $110,321 and $153,718.

Based on HR-reported data: a national average with a geographic differential
Principal Software Engineer Salaries by Percentile
Percentile Salary Location Last Updated
10th Percentile Principal Software Engineer Salary $110,321 Houston,TX April 01, 2025
25th Percentile Principal Software Engineer Salary $120,030 Houston,TX April 01, 2025
50th Percentile Principal Software Engineer Salary $130,693 Houston,TX April 01, 2025
75th Percentile Principal Software Engineer Salary $142,745 Houston,TX April 01, 2025
90th Percentile Principal Software Engineer Salary $153,718 Houston,TX April 01, 2025
25% $120,030 10% $110,321 90% $153,718 75% $142,745 $130,693 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click
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Principal Software Engineer

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Job Openings for Principal Software Engineer in Houston, TX

Career Path for this job

  1. Down a level:

    Software Engineer II

    2 - 4 years experience
    Bachelor's Degree

  2. This Job:

    Principal Software Engineer

    4 - 7 years experience
    Bachelor's Degree

  3. Up a level:

    Software Engineer IV

    7 + years experience
    Bachelor's Degree

Understand the total compensation opportunity for a Principal Software Engineer, base salary plus other pay elements

Average Base Salary

Core compensation

 
 
 
120030
142745
130693

Average Total Cash Compensation

Includes base and annual incentives

 
 
 
120030
142745
130693
These charts show the average base salary (core compensation), as well as the average total cash compensation for the job of Principal Software Engineer in Houston, TX. The base salary for Principal Software Engineer ranges from $120,030 to $142,745 with the average base salary of $130,693. The total cash compensation, which includes base, and annual incentives, can vary anywhere from $120,030 to $142,745 with the average total cash compensation of $130,693.

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120030
142745

 

About Houston, Texas    Houston is located 165 miles (266 km) east of Austin, 88 miles (142 km) west of the Louisiana border, and 250 miles (400 km) south of Dallas. The city....More

Houston, Texas  area prices were up 2.3% from a year ago

Principal Software Engineer Salary in popular cities: San AntonioDallasAustin

Skills associated with Principal Software Engineer: Design, Planning, Software Development, BUILD ...More

Jobs with a similar salary range to Principal Software Engineer : Computer Vision Researcher, Software Administrator, Software Developers