Leaked Microsoft pay guidelines viewed by Insider provide insight into how much the company pays new hires by level, with ranges for base pay, hiring bonuses, and annual stock awards.
The guidelines were published earlier this year and are used by hiring managers to decide how much to offer new hires, according to a person with direct knowledge of the process.
It’s unclear how broadly the guidelines apply, or whether they are just for one specific role or business, but the ranges provide a window into how Microsoft thinks about its various level designations.
Pay at Microsoft varies by field and location, so a company-wide standard for pay per level across all units doesn’t exist. US-based Microsoft employees in San Francisco and New York are paid more because they live in higher cost-of-living areas and some fields, like roles within engineering, also fetch higher pay.
The highest pay package in the guidelines viewed by Insider was $361,500 in salary, $1.2 million as a hiring bonus, and about $1 million in annual stock awards. The lowest was a $42,500 salary, with no hiring bonus and no guaranteed stock award.
Microsoft uses a system of levels to denote seniority. Higher levels come with higher offers, according to the guidelines. Levels also vary by field and location, but generally, “senior” starts at level 63, “principal” starts at level 65, and “partner” starts at level 68, according to insiders.
Not all types of roles go up to level 70, but in engineering, an employee at this level would be considered a “distinguished engineer.'” There’s also a level 80 for a “technical fellow,” which is typically one of the highest-ranking executives at the company.
In 2022, when the economy was still booming, Microsoft granted an across-the board compensation raise for levels 67 and lower through larger stock grants, in response to growing internal dissatisfaction with compensation compared to competitors, and to stop employees from leaving for better pay, especially to Amazon. As Insider previously reported, earlier this year, as the economy faltered, Microsoft froze base pay raises and cut its budget for bonuses and stock awards.
Microsoft declined comment.
Microsoft’s pay guidelines for job offers:
Level 70:
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Base pay: $231,700 to $361,500
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On-hire stock awards: $310,000 default to $1.2 million with approval
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Annual stock award range: $0 to $945,000
Level 69:
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Base pay: $202,400 to $316,000
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On-hire stock awards: $235,000 default to $1.1 million with approval
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Annual stock award range: $0 to $750,000
Level 68:
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Base pay: $186,200 to $291,000
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On-hire stock awards: $177,000 default to $1 million with approval
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Annual stock award range: $0 to $490,600
Level 67:
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Base pay: $171,600 to $258,200
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On-hire stock awards: $168,000 default to $700,000 with approval
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Annual stock award range: $0 to $336,000
Level 66:
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Base pay: $157,300 to $236,300
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On-hire stock awards: $75,000 default to $600,000 with approval
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Annual stock award range: $0 to $160,000
Level 65:
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Base pay: $144,600 to $216,600
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On-hire stock awards: $36,000 default to $300,000 with approval
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Annual stock award range: $0 to $90,000
Level 64:
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Base pay: $125,000 to $187,700
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On-hire stock awards: $24,000 default to $250,000 with approval
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Annual stock award range: $0 to $60,000
Level 63:
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Base pay: $113,900 to $171,500
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On-hire stock awards: $17,000 default to $200,000 with approval
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Annual stock award range: $0 to $44,000
Level 62:
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Base pay: $103,700 to $156,400
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On-hire stock awards: $11,000 default to $125,000 with approval
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Annual stock award range: $0 to $32,000
Level 61:
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Base pay: $92,600 to $138,100
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On-hire stock awards: $6,500 default to $75,000 with approval
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Annual stock award range: $0 to $24,000
Level 60:
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Base pay: $83,500 to $125,000
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On-hire stock awards: $4,500 default to $50,000 with approval
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Annual stock award range: $0 to $16,000
Level 59:
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Base pay: $74,400 to $110,800
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On-hire stock awards: $3,000 default to $30,000 with approval
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Annual stock award range: $0 to $12,000
Level 58:
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Base pay: $70,300 to $92,600
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On-hire stock awards: $2,500 default to $20,000 with approval
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Annual stock award range: “By career stage”
Level 57:
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Base pay: $63,800 to $83,000
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On-hire stock awards: $1,500 default to $10,000 with approval
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Annual stock award range: “By career stage”
Level 56:
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Base pay: $60,700 to $77,900
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On-hire stock awards: $1,500 default to $10,000 with approval
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Annual stock award range: “By career stage”
Level 55:
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Base pay: $55,200 to $71,300
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On-hire stock awards: N/A
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Annual stock award range: “By career stage”
Level 54:
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Base pay: $51,600 to $67,000
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On-hire stock awards: N/A
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Annual stock award range: “By career stage”
Level 53:
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Base pay: $46,600 to $59,700
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On-hire stock awards: N/A
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Annual stock award range: “By career stage”
Level 52:
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Base pay: $42,500 to $54,600
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On-hire stock awards: N/A
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Annual stock award range: “By career stage”
Are you a Microsoft employee or do you have insight to share?
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