Leaked Microsoft pay guidelines reveal salary, hiring bonus, and stock award ranges by level

• Leaked Microsoft pay guidelines shed light on how much the company pays new hires by level.
• The guidelines viewed by Insider show ranges for base pay, hiring bonuses, and annual stock awards.
• Pay at Microsoft varies by field and location, but the guidelines provide insight into compensation.

Insider obtained leaked Microsoft pay guidelines, which show how much the company pays new hires by level, with ranges for base pay, hiring bonuses, and annual stock awards.

According to a person with direct knowledge of the process, the guidelines were published earlier this year and are used by hiring managers to determine how much to offer new hires.

It’s unclear how broadly the guidelines apply, or whether they are limited to a single role or business, but the ranges provide insight into how Microsoft views its various level designations. Several Microsoft employees told Insider that the ranges in the guidelines were skewed low based on their personal experience, but that hiring managers did not have access to additional guidance.

Pay at Microsoft varies by field and location, so there is no company-wide standard for pay per level across all units. Microsoft employees in San Francisco and New York are paid more because they live in higher-cost-of-living areas, and some fields, such as engineering roles, also pay more.

Insider found the highest pay package to be $361,500 in salary, $1.2 million in hiring bonus, and around $1 million in annual stock awards. The lowest salary offered was $42,500, with no hiring bonus and no guaranteed stock award.

Microsoft uses a level system to indicate seniority. According to the guidelines, higher levels come with higher offers. Levels vary by field and location, but according to insiders, “senior” begins at level 63, “principal” begins at level 65, and “partner” begins at level 68.

Level 70 is not available for all roles, but in engineering, an employee at this level is considered a “distinguished engineer.” There is also a level 80 for a “technical fellow,” who is typically one of the company’s highest-ranking executives.

The guidelines also exclude cash bonuses, which are typically a standard percentage by level and can be substantial, such as 90% of base pay at the partner level, according to one insider.

In 2022, while the economy was still booming, Microsoft granted an across-the-board pay increase for levels 67 and lower through larger stock grants, in response to growing internal dissatisfaction with compensation compared to competitors, and to prevent employees from leaving for better pay, particularly to Amazon. As previously reported by Insider, as the economy faltered earlier this year, Microsoft froze base pay raises and reduced its budget for bonuses and stock awards.

Microsoft refused to comment.

Microsoft’s job offer pay guidelines:

Level 70:

• Base pay: $231,700 to $361,500
• On-hire stock awards: $310,000 default to $1.2 million with approval
• Annual stock award range: $0 to $945,000

Level 69:

• Base pay: $202,400 to $316,000
• On-hire stock awards: $235,000 default to $1.1 million with approval
• Annual stock award range: $0 to $750,000

Level 68:

• Base pay: $186,200 to $291,000
• On-hire stock awards: $177,000 default to $1 million with approval
• Annual stock award range: $0 to $490,600

Level 67:

• Base pay: $171,600 to $258,200
• On-hire stock awards: $168,000 default to $700,000 with approval
• Annual stock award range: $0 to $336,000

Level 66:

• Base pay: $157,300 to $236,300
• On-hire stock awards: $75,000 default to $600,000 with approval
• Annual stock award range: $0 to $160,000

Level 65:

• Base pay: $144,600 to $216,600
• On-hire stock awards: $36,000 default to $300,000 with approval
• Annual stock award range: $0 to $90,000

Level 64:

• Base pay: $125,000 to $187,700
• On-hire stock awards: $24,000 default to $250,000 with approval
• Annual stock award range: $0 to $60,000

Level 63:

• Base pay: $113,900 to $171,500
• On-hire stock awards: $17,000 default to $200,000 with approval
• Annual stock award range: $0 to $44,000

Level 62:

• Base pay: $103,700 to $156,400
• On-hire stock awards: $11,000 default to $125,000 with approval
• Annual stock award range: $0 to $32,000

Level 61:

• Base pay: $92,600 to $138,100
• On-hire stock awards: $6,500 default to $75,000 with approval
• Annual stock award range: $0 to $24,000

Level 60:

• Base pay: $83,500 to $125,000
• On-hire stock awards: $4,500 default to $50,000 with approval
• Annual stock award range: $0 to $16,000

Level 59:

• Base pay: $74,400 to $110,800
• On-hire stock awards: $3,000 default to $30,000 with approval
• Annual stock award range: $0 to $12,000

Level 58:

• Base pay: $70,300 to $92,600
• On-hire stock awards: $2,500 default to $20,000 with approval
• Annual stock award range: “By career stage”

Level 57:

• Base pay: $63,800 to $83,000
• On-hire stock awards: $1,500 default to $10,000 with approval
• Annual stock award range: “By career stage”

Level 56:

• Base pay: $60,700 to $77,900
• On-hire stock awards: $1,500 default to $10,000 with approval
• Annual stock award range: “By career stage”

Level 55:

• Base pay: $55,200 to $71,300
• On-hire stock awards: N/A
• Annual stock award range: “By career stage”

Level 54:

• Base pay: $51,600 to $67,000
• On-hire stock awards: N/A
• Annual stock award range: “By career stage”

Level 53:

• Base pay: $46,600 to $59,700
• On-hire stock awards: N/A
• Annual stock award range: “By career stage”

Level 52:

• Base pay: $42,500 to $54,600
• On-hire stock awards: N/A
• Annual stock award range: “By career stage”