Check my payPrincipal Backend Engineer salary
What a Principal Backend Engineer (level IC5, Senior Staff / Principal) is paid in 2026 in the highest-paying US markets.
Modeled estimate · Updated October 2026Median base salary, San Francisco Bay Area, New York, Seattle
Most companies pay between $238,000 and $353,000.
The shaded middle is where most companies aim. Anything inside it is normal pay for this level and market.
The full range
Every market, the 10th to 90th percentiles, bonus, equity, and new hire grants, adjusted for your industry and company size.
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Check my payBackend Engineer pay by level
Median base salary, top-tier markets.
| Title | Median base |
|---|---|
| Associate Backend EngineerIC1 Associate / Entry | $115k |
| Backend EngineerIC2 Mid-level | $158k |
| Senior Backend EngineerIC3 Senior | $208k |
| Staff Backend EngineerIC4 Staff / Lead | $254k |
| Principal Backend EngineerIC5 Senior Staff / Principal | $296k |
| Distinguished Backend EngineerIC6 Distinguished | $343k |
Related roles at IC5
Questions
How much does a Principal Backend Engineer make?
In the San Francisco Bay Area, New York, and Seattle, the modeled median base salary for a Principal Backend Engineer is $295,500, with most companies paying between $238,000 and $353,000. Pay in other cities, bonus, and equity are in the full range on Benchmarked.
How do I know if I am underpaid?
Pay below the 25th percentile for your level and market is below what most companies target. Check your salary against this range to see your percentile, then use that number in a conversation with your manager.
Where do these numbers come from?
They are modeled estimates built by compensation practitioners from publicly discussed pay and from how companies typically structure salary ranges by level and location. They are not survey results and not any company's actual ranges. Use them to get oriented before a pay conversation, not as an exact offer number.