Principal Software Developer
England > South West
The median Principal Software Developer salary in the South West is £85,000 per year, according to job vacancies posted during the 6 months leading to 23 December 2025.
The table below compares current salary benchmarking and summary statistics with the previous two years.
| 6 months to 23 Dec 2025 |
Same period 2024 | Same period 2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | 185 | 193 | - |
| Rank change year-on-year | +8 | - | - |
| Permanent jobs requiring a Principal Software Developer | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| As % of all permanent jobs in the South West | 0.040% | 0.023% | - |
| As % of the Job Titles category | 0.043% | 0.024% | - |
| Number of salaries quoted | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Median annual salary (50th Percentile) | £85,000 | £87,500 | - |
| Median % change year-on-year | -2.86% | - | - |
| England median annual salary | £85,000 | £87,500 | £70,000 |
| % change year-on-year | -2.86% | +25.00% | -6.67% |
All Permanent IT Job Vacancies
South West
For comparison with the information above, the following table provides summary statistics for all permanent IT job vacancies in the South West. Most job vacancies include a discernible job title that can be normalized. As such, the figures in the second row provide an indication of the number of permanent jobs in our overall sample.
| Permanent vacancies in the South West with a recognized job title | 4,657 | 4,124 | 3,978 |
| % of permanent jobs with a recognized job title | 93.05% | 93.62% | 95.67% |
| Number of salaries quoted | 3,190 | 2,321 | 3,103 |
| 10th Percentile | £28,000 | £30,000 | £30,500 |
| 25th Percentile | £34,000 | £40,000 | £40,000 |
| Median annual salary (50th Percentile) | £50,000 | £51,000 | £52,500 |
| Median % change year-on-year | -1.96% | -2.86% | +5.00% |
| 75th Percentile | £65,000 | £66,000 | £67,500 |
| 90th Percentile | £80,000 | £80,000 | £81,250 |
| England median annual salary | £55,000 | £60,000 | £60,000 |
| % change year-on-year | -8.33% | - | - |
Principal Software Developer
Job Vacancy Trend in the South West
Historical trend showing the proportion of permanent IT job postings featuring 'Principal Software Developer' in the job title relative to all permanent IT jobs advertised in the South West.
Principal Software Developer
Salary Trend in the South West
Salary distribution trend for Principal Software Developer job vacancies in the South West.
Principal Software Developer
Job Locations in the South West
The table below looks at the demand and provides a guide to the median salaries quoted in IT jobs citing Principal Software Developer within the South West region over the 6 months to 23 December 2025. The 'Rank Change' column provides an indication of the change in demand within each location based on the same 6 month period last year.
| Location | Rank Change on Same Period Last Year |
Matching Permanent IT Job Ads |
Median Salary Past 6 Months |
Median Salary % Change on Same Period Last Year |
Live Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bristol | +18 | 2 | £85,000 | -2.86% | |
| Principal Software Developer England |
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Principal Software Developer Skill Set
Top 1 Co-Occurring Skills & Capabilities in the South West
For the 6 months to 23 December 2025, Principal Software Developer job roles required the following skills and capabilities in order of popularity. The figures indicate the absolute number of co-occurrences and as a proportion of all permanent job ads across the South West region featuring Principal Software Developer in the job title.
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Principal Software Developer Skill Set
Co-Occurring Skills & Capabilities in the South West by Category
The following tables expand on the one above by listing co-occurrences grouped by category. They cover the same employment type, locality and period, with up to 20 co-occurrences shown in each category:
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