Microsoft Leaked Internal Survey Reveals How Software Engineers Really Feel About Their $205,000 Median Pay Is working at Microsoft a good deal? An internal survey shows how employees view the company.
By Sherin Shibu Edited by Melissa Malamut
Key Takeaways
- Microsoft conducted an internal survey asking employees if they thought working at the company was a good deal — and 65% of employees said yes.
- The average salary of a product manager at Microsoft is $165,000 with bonuses of up to $30,000.
The results of the latest internal poll at Microsoft show that the majority of employees are happy with the trade between the work they give to the company and the pay they receive in exchange.
The "Employee Signals" survey, which was conducted in October with results obtained by Business Insider earlier this week, asked employees to state if they thought working at Microsoft was a "good deal" or whether there was "a reasonable balance between what I contribute to Microsoft and what I get in return." Microsoft uses responses to that question to determine if it offers employees appropriate work-life balance and compensation.
About 65% of employees stated that they agreed they got a "good deal" at Microsoft, up three percentage points from responses to the same question in the survey conducted in February 2024.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. Photographer: Chona Kasinger/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Microsoft takes its internal surveys seriously. In 2022, the tech giant raised base pay across the company in response to low survey scores that indicated employee dissatisfaction and increasing salary competition from companies like Amazon. Microsoft also gave more in bonuses and increased the annual stock opportunity for every employee.
In 2023, Microsoft cut 10,000 jobs and decided to freeze salaries for full-time employees, citing different economic conditions and the need to invest in innovation like AI. The company restarted salary raises based on performance in 2024 but laid off 1,900 workers in its gaming division as well.
At the end of June 2024, Microsoft had 228,000 employees, per CNBC. The total is lower now: The company conducted performance-based job cuts earlier this year, affecting about 2,000 workers.
Related: Microsoft Is Cutting Jobs as Big Tech Layoffs Surge Into the New Year
How Much Do Microsoft Employees Make?
The average base salary at Microsoft is $130,000 per year with an average bonus of $14,000, per PayScale.
Pay varies based on role. For example, product managers at Microsoft make less than software engineers. According to Business Because, a site created by the Graduate Management Admission Council, the average salary of a product manager at Microsoft is $165,000 with bonuses of up to $30,000. Over 6,000 salaries submitted to Glassdoor show that the median pay for Microsoft software engineers is $205,000.
Microsoft's six-figure salaries are comparable to its rivals. The median pay at Meta is $379,000 per year, with software engineers earning an average of $173,795 per year and product managers earning $193,942 per year, according to salaries reported to Indeed.
Related: Young U.S. Workers Expect $200,000 Salaries By Age 30. Here's What They Actually Earn.
