Microsoft engineering salary: Microsoft Software Engineer Salary | $163K-$1.1M+

Here’s How Much Microsoft Pays Senior Roles, Engineers, and More

Here’s How Much Microsoft Pays Senior Roles, Engineers, and More

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Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.

Sean Gallup/Getty Images

• Leaked Microsoft pay data and government filings give a rare glimpse into how much workers earn.
• Software engineers across business units took home a median pay package of $185,000.
• But based on a spreadsheet of 1,200 salaries, women at the IT giant claim pay and promotion inequity.

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Microsoft grew its employee base by more than 23,000 workers in 2021, seemingly unaffected by the woes of a tightening talent market for tech labor. In total, the enterprise software and cloud giant now employs nearly 190,000 workers worldwide, including about 107,000 in the US.

But how much is Microsoft — the most valuable company in the world — paying its employees? 

Insider compiled data from leaked salary spreadsheets and visa applications to get a rare glimpse at just how much Microsoft employees are earning. The data reveals some of the highest-paying positions at the tech giant — and comes alongside employee reports of pay and promotion inequity.

Here’s a look at current Microsoft salaries among senior executives, software engineers, and more:

Employees at Microsoft claim pay and promotion discrimination after leaking salary data 

Microsoft employees.

Courtesy of Comparably

Dozens of women in technical roles at Microsoft started an email thread sharing stories about disparities in compensation and promotions at the company, and then compiled a pay spreadsheet to document the inequities. 

More than 1,200 employees shared salaries in the spreadsheet, revealing how much employees, ranging in experience and department, earn each year. CSS, quality engineer, and solution architect roles earned the least, according to the data. 

The data also shows promotion breakdowns by gender, race, and ethnicity, as well as how much pay rates range based on location. But some of the issues discussed went beyond salaries, and focused on the treatment of certain employees.

“Being kept out of meetings, having men on projects speaking over you, or deliberately ignoring ideas are quick and effective in their speed and subtlety,” an employee wrote in the email thread.

Read more:

• Leaked Microsoft email chain shows women sharing stories of gender discrimination at the company: ‘Women are all paid equally until the women who aren’t prove it’
• Leaked Microsoft salaries revealed as over 1,200 employees compile compensation and promotion data in a shared spreadsheet to promote pay equity

Software engineers at Microsoft earn a median pay package of $185,000, according to leaked data 

Microsoft engineer Alex Kipman, who developed HoloLens.

GLENN CHAPMAN / Getty

More than 600 employees in the leaked Microsoft spreadsheet self-identified as engineers at business units across the company, including Azure, Office, and Windows.

The sample isn’t a fully representative view of Microsoft’s compensation rates, but it does reveal a median pay package of $185,000 among software engineers, with employees in the highest-earning band making as much as $500,000.

Entry-level engineers earned a median compensation package of $132,900, and senior engineer earnings started at $217,000.

Read more:

• Leaked Microsoft pay data shows how much hundreds of software engineers report making in units like Azure, Office, and Windows — with a median pay package of $185,000
• Leaked Microsoft pay data shows how much hundreds of software engineers report making — from entry-level jobs up to senior-level ones

Microsoft’s senior executives earned salaries as high as $250,000 last year

Microsoft chief legal officer Brad Smith, CEO Satya Nadella, executive vice president and CFO Amy Hood, and board chairman John Thompson.

Stephen Brashear / Stringer

The Office of Foreign Labor Certification publishes salaries from H-1B visas each year, revealing how much companies like Microsoft pay foreign workers.

The data only includes base salary, not total compensation. But it provides a glimpse into wages Microsoft usually doesn’t share.

Insider analyzed more than 1,400 of these visas to find the highest-paid roles at Microsoft. We focused on any titles earning $175,000 or more, with the highest salary going to a channel sales manager taking home $250,000.

Read more:

• Microsoft salaries revealed: The highest-paying job titles at the $1.6 trillion tech titan, paying as much as $250,000

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Microsoft Senior Software Engineer Salary

Microsoft is one of the biggest tech companies in the US, with a brand value of nearly $1.5 billion. 

As per Business Insider, the company is also popular for offering the most rewarding salary structure to software engineers. Moreover, approximately 92% of the senior software engineers at Microsoft agree that they receive bonuses annually. This speaks volumes about the company’s fair compensation structure for a senior software engineer.

Curious to know more about the Microsoft senior software engineer salary? In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover Microsoft senior software salaries at different levels and locations.

If you are preparing for a tech interview, check out our technical interview checklist, interview questions page to get access to Microsoft Senior Software Engineer Interview Questions, and salary negotiation e-book to get interview-ready! 

Having trained over 9,000 software engineers, we know what it takes to crack the toughest tech interviews. Since 2014, Interview Kickstart alums have been landing lucrative offers from FAANG and Tier-1 tech companies, with an average salary hike of 49%. The highest ever offer received by an IK alum is a whopping $933,000!

At IK, you get the unique opportunity to learn from expert instructors who are hiring managers and tech leads at Google, Facebook, Apple, and other top Silicon Valley tech companies. We work with you on your problem-solving skills to help you solve complex Microsoft senior software engineer interview questions in coding and systems design.

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In this article, we will cover:

• Microsoft senior software engineer roles, responsibilities, and qualifications 
• Microsoft senior software engineer salary by levels
• Microsoft senior software engineer salary in top 5 US locations
• Senior software engineer salaries at other tech giants
• Benefits of being a senior software engineer at Microsoft
• Top 4 ways to prepare yourself for Microsoft’s software engineering interview
• 6 commonly asked interview questions
• FAQs

Microsoft Senior Software Engineer Roles, Responsibilities, and Qualifications

Take a look at the different job roles and their associated responsibilities for senior software engineers at Microsoft:

Principal Software Engineer

As a principal software engineer, you will collaborate with software engineering teams, product managers, and designers to offer features and distributed architecture to the end-user of SharePoint.

Eligibility Criteria:

• Over 7 years of working experience in software development and a proven record of delivering excellent customer experience.
• BS degree in computer science or other related fields. 
• Experience in working on full-stack and agile development and more.

Software Engineer II

• Participate in the use cases, evaluating end-user experiences, and more.
• Review codes and offer technical guidance to your peers.
• Examine and resolve service and application errors.
• Working as a team member with the company’s leading members to design and implement effective software solutions.

Eligibility Criteria:

• Over 3 years of working experience in software development.
• Working experience in web technologies, full-stack, front-end, and back-end development.
• BS degree in computer science, or other related fields and more.

Senior Software Engineer

• Work with the Azure technical team and suggest the roadmap to meet the business needs.
• Work as a subject matter expert to help CSE in the cloud-native and service platforms.
• Collaborate with the customer’s engineering team to provide a wide range of technical solutions. 
• Offer technical leadership and mentor junior engineers. 

Eligibility Criteria:

• Over 5 years of experience in software engineering and product delivery.
• More than 2 years of working knowledge in public cloud-based software development.
• BS degree in computer science or other related fields and more.

Microsoft Senior Software Engineer Salary by Levels

The average Microsoft senior engineer salary in the United States is $178,006 per year. But, there are different tiers based on the job’s roles and responsibilities. Knowing about the salaries at each level will help you compare a senior software engineer’s salary structure with other levels present at Microsoft.

Take a look.

Software Developer II (61)

• Total Annual Income: $179,000
• Base: $135,000
• Bonus: $17,000
• Stock: $25,000

Software Engineer (62)

• Total Annual Income: $184,000
• Base: $145,000
• Bonus: $16,000
• Stock: $21,000

Senior Software Developer (63)

• Total Annual Income: $217,000
• Base: $161,000
• Bonus: $25,000
• Stock: $31,000

Software Engineer (64)

• Total Annual Income: $243,000
• Base: $178,000
• Bonus: $30,000
• Stock: $34,000

Principal Software Developer (65)

• Total Annual Income: $291,000
• Base: $194,000
• Bonus: $42,000
• Stock: $ 54,000

Software Engineer (66)

• Total Annual Income: $332,000
• Base: $209,000
• Bonus: $48,000
• Stock: $75,000

Software Engineer (67)

• Total Annual Income: $496,000
• Base: $236,000
• Bonus: $67,000
• Stock: $193,000

Microsoft Senior Software Engineer Salary in Top 5 US Locations

Take a look at the salary of a Microsoft senior software engineer in the following US locations:

1. Boston: $161,671
2. California: $160,000
3. Chicago: $151,187
4. Oakton: $143,654
5. Orlando: $141,536

Senior Software Engineer Salaries at Other Tech Giants

The leading competitors of Microsoft include Apple, Amazon, Google, Yahoo, and Oracle.  

Take a look at the following list of the salary structures of a senior software engineer in global tech giants and weigh your options:

Apple

• Total Annual Income: $216,506
• Base: $161,744
• Bonus: $54,762
• Stock: Within $150,000

Google

• Total Annual Income: $196,568
• Base: $154,742
• Bonus: $41,826
• Stock: Within $150,000

Amazon

• Total Annual Income: $190,823
• Base: $138,834
• Bonus: $51,989
• Stock: Within $150,000

Yahoo

• Total Annual Income: $169,500
• Base: $147,750
• Bonus: $21,750
• Stock: Within $75,000

Oracle

• Total Annual Income: $141,219
• Base: $122,326
• Bonus: $18,893
• Stock: Within $150,000

To learn the best tips to crack the Microsoft interview and access Microsoft Senior Software Engineer Interview Questions check out our page on How to get software engineering jobs at Microsoft.   

Benefits of Being a Senior Software Engineer at Microsoft

Comparably states that 84% of senior software engineers at Microsoft are satisfied with the company benefits. Also, Microsoft ranked 21st in Glassdoor’s 2020 Best Places to Work and has a rating of 4.3 on its platform. 

This makes it a reliable choice for any aspiring or experienced software engineer to work here. Take a look at the following benefits you will get as Microsoft’s senior software engineer:

Employee Well-Being

Microsoft offers a health savings plan, and flexible spending account to pay for dental, vision, and other healthcare expenses.

Physical Wellness

Microsoft reimburses $1,200 annually for maintaining employee’s physical, mental, and emotional fitness. Other wellness programs include:

1. 24-hour nurse line
2. Tobacco cessation program
3. Autism/ABA therapy
4. Weight management and more

Retirement Plans

The company offers a 401(k) plan, Employee Stock Purchase Plan, loan refinancing program, and more to support your retirement financially.  

Conveyance and Other Perks

The company offers the following benefits:

• On-campus shuttle, subsidized transit pass.
• Enjoy a flexible working schedule and 15 days paid vacation leaves, 10 days sick leaves, and more.
• The company reimburses tuition costs and promotes learning. 
• Enjoy exclusive discounts on Microsoft products in company stores.
• Offers donations matching up to $15,000 per year and donate $25 per hour to eligible non-profit organizations. 
• 20 weeks paid maternity and 12 weeks parental leave.

Top 4 Ways to Prepare Yourself for Microsoft’s Software Engineering Interview 

Now that you are aware of senior software engineer job roles and salaries, here are some tips to help you prepare for your Microsoft software engineering interview?

Data Structure and Algorithms

While preparing for your software engineering interview, focus on data structure and algorithms. Emphasize on the following:

1. Graph/Tree.
2. Strings/Array.
3. Linked lists.
4. Queue.

Note: The interviewer wants to see a testable, clear, and concise code in a coding round. So practice accordingly. 

Practice Coding

Rigorous practice of coding is essential to crack your Microsoft interview. You can take help from the following resources:

• GeeksforGeeks.
• Cracking the Coding Interview.
• LeetCode.
• InterviewBit.
• HackerRank.

For system design, generally, two types of questions are asked:

• Object-oriented
• System design

Ask Questions

Clarify any doubts with your interviewer before jumping straight into finding solutions. Also, prepare one or two questions to ask at the end of the interview. This leaves a positive impression on the interviewer. 

Know About the Company

Brush up your knowledge about the company and the ongoing software engineering projects at Microsoft.

To understand the work-life balance at Microsoft, check out our blog on the Microsoft work-life balance for software engineers

6 Commonly Asked Microsoft Senior Software Engineer Interview Questions

Practicing commonly asked questions is a key to any interview preparation. In this section, we’ve covered some frequently asked questions at Microsoft Senior Software Engineer Interviews.

Technical Questions for Microsoft Senior Software Engineer Interview

1. Can you check if the binary tree is BST or not?
2. Can you serialize and deserialize the N-ary tree?
3. Write an algorithm that evaluates the value of the m x n matrix. The matrix features two properties. One, the sorting of integers in each row is done from left to right. Second, the value of the first integer of each row is higher than the previous row. 

Behavioral Questions for Microsoft Senior Software Engineer Interview

1. Why do you want to join Microsoft?
2. Tell me about your favorite Microsoft product? Why is it your favorite product?
3. What is your greatest achievement or failure in life?

Want more practice questions? This blog will give you access to a bunch of Microsoft Senior Software Engineer Interview Questions.

FAQs on Microsoft Software Engineer Salaries

Q. What is the average Microsoft senior engineer salary in Seattle?

As per Indeed, the average salary of a Microsoft senior engineer is $143,000 in Seattle. It is 14% higher than the national average. 

Q. What is the annual Salary of a back-end software engineer at Microsoft with 7 years of work experience?

The annual salary of a back-end software engineer at Microsoft with 7 years of working experience is approximately $147,000.

Q. Is there any difference between the salary of Microsoft’s senior sSoftware engineer in Los Angeles and California?

Yes. The annual salary of Microsoft’s senior software engineer is $153,006 in Los Angeles. At the same time, the average salary in California is $160,000 per year.

Q. What are the concepts based on which you can expect Microsoft Senior Software Engineer Interview Questions?

Microsoft Senior Software Engineer Interview Questions are primarily around data structures, algorithms, and concepts in distributed systems design.  

Nail Your Microsoft Tech Interview

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We offer a comprehensive curriculum, technical guidance, and more that helps to advance your interview prep. Also, you get the opportunity to learn from expert coaches who are the hiring managers of FAANG and Tier-1 tech companies. They’ll help you up your problem-solving skills and tackle complex Microsoft Senior Software Engineer Interview Questions.  

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Salaries at Microsoft: how much do they pay their employees?

How much does Microsoft cost its employees? In addition to money, Microsoft has the privilege of free paid vacations, such as maternity and paternity leave, paid parental leave, free meals, gym, playgrounds, and more. There are other perks that differ from location to location. This article about Salary at Microsoft is based on a Glassdoor survey, tells you the average salaries paid by Microsoft to employees in different positions. I have not included bonuses, etc. perks and have rounded Glassdoor’s numbers to the nearest thousand.

Group Program Manager – The group manager role is almost the same as project managers. It differs in some ways in that the program manager must be the voice of both Microsoft and the customers when dealing with his/her project. The GPM should take care of almost everything related to the program/project, including feedback and the implementation of constructive feedback. The fees don’t vary much from place to place. The average team program manager at Microsoft makes $230,000. This figure is an average and does not include other benefits such as bonuses, etc.

Partner Scientist – Works on research for various Microsoft products. Partner scientists work on the best products based on his or her research. It’s basically an hourly job as mentioned on Glassdoor. Microsoft Scientist Partner earns $120,000 excluding overtime etc.

Senior Director Engineering – Must handle their engineering team and also handle customer relationships. I couldn’t find a detailed job description for this. A senior director of engineering at Microsoft earns approximately $170,000 to $220,000 based on experience and performance.

General Product Manager – As the job title suggests, the General Product Manager must handle his team working on the product. He must listen to customer feedback and take appropriate action. He also has to promote his product. In short, the individual is responsible for everything related to the product assigned to him. The average salary for a Chief Product Manager at Microsoft is $210,000

Senior Marketing Director – Handles a range of products and people associated with assigned products. A senior director of marketing at Microsoft earns around $200,000.

General manager – must take care of everything, including income statements related to the assigned field. Microsoft’s general manager earns $200,000. Glassdoor provided the lowest figure of $165,000 and the highest was $265,000, which was sent to 29general managers.

Development Director – From what I could gather from this position, job responsibilities include acquiring funds, disbursing funds for various parts of assigned projects, and other financial aspects. The director of development at Microsoft earns about $190,000. This may also vary depending on project length, performance and other aspects.

Senior Software Developer – As the name suggests, the job’s role is software development and troubleshooting. A senior software developer at Microsoft makes about $180,000. This excludes other perks such as bonus, discount coupons, meal coupons, etc.

Director of Engineering – Although I couldn’t find out the main responsibilities, a similar job advertisement from another company described the job description as management, support and assistance to various team leaders. I believe that the role of the director of engineering at Microsoft should be the same, but with additional responsibilities. Microsoft’s chief engineering officer earns approximately $180,000 on average from 8 respondents. Starting salaries for the position can be as low as $150,000.

Software Architect – develops and maintains software for Microsoft. A software architect can be called a programmer and earn approx. $125,000. Salary can be higher based on performance and merit, as the upper limit shown by Glassdoor is $210,000.

If you want to work at Microsoft, check out our article on how to get a job at Microsoft .

Reference and source: Glass door.

Check this post if you’re interested in learning what a Google salary is.

How much do Microsoft employees get paid?

How much does Microsoft pay its employees? In addition to money, Microsoft provides free paid vacations such as maternity leave, paid parental leave, free meals, gym, playgrounds, and more. There are other perks that differ from place to place. This article is about Microsoft Salaries is based on a Glassdoor survey that reveals the average wages Microsoft pays to employees in a variety of roles. I didn’t include bonuses, etc., and rounded up Glassdor’s numbers to the nearest thousand.

Group Program Manager . The role of the group program leader is almost the same. The difference is that the program manager should be the voice of both Microsoft and customers when dealing with their project. The GPM should take care of almost everything related to the program/project, including feedback and the implementation of constructive feedback. Salary does not depend much on location. The average group program manager at Microsoft earns $230,000. This figure is an average and excludes other benefits such as bonuses, etc.

Scientist Partner – Conducts research for various Microsoft products. Partner scientists work to improve products based on his research. Basically it’s an hourly job as mentioned on Glassdoor. A scientist partner at Microsoft makes $120,000 excluding overtime etc.

Senior Technical Director – Should work with his engineering team as well as with customers. I couldn’t find a detailed job description for this. A senior engineering director at Microsoft earns approximately $170,000 to $220,000 based on experience and performance.

General Product Manager . As the title of the position suggests, the Chief Product Manager must manage their product team. He must listen to customer feedback and take appropriate action. He also has to promote his product. In short, the individual is responsible for everything related to the product assigned to him. The average salary of a chief product manager at Microsoft is $210,000

Senior Marketing Director – Responsible for a number of products and people associated with assigned products. A senior marketing director at Microsoft makes about $200,000.

CEO – Must take care of everything, including income statements related to the assigned field. The CEO of Microsoft earns $200,000. Glassdoor provided the lowest figure of $165,000 and the highest of $265,000, which was requested by 29 CEOs. This salary is based on the performance, merit and length of service of the person in the position.

Development Director . From what I can tell about this position, the job responsibilities include fundraising, disbursement of funds for various parts of assigned projects, and other financial aspects. A business development director at Microsoft earns about $190,000. This may also vary depending on project duration, productivity and other aspects.

Senior Software Developer . As the name suggests, the job’s role is to develop troubleshooting software. A senior software developer at Microsoft makes about $180,000. This excludes other benefits such as bonus, discount coupons, food stamps, etc.