Revealing income at Microsoft: From trainee engineer to senior expert

Working at one of the Big Tech giants is a dream job for many.

Working at one of the Big Tech giants is a dream job for many. The position comes with unique perks, from building apps and services used by millions of people around the world to helping shape the technologies of the future. At the same time, employees at Big Tech companies often enjoy salaries and benefits that professionals at other companies can only dream of.

Although this sweet dream has turned into a nightmare for many tech workers in recent years due to widespread layoffs, Big Tech workers still earn significantly higher salaries than other industries.

Business Insider has obtained a salary guide that reveals how much Microsoft actually pays its employees, offering a rare look into how much employees at the Redmond-based tech giant make. The document details salaries from entry-level positions to top-level engineers.

Microsoft uses a level system to rank employees and determine compensation. The pay package includes a base salary, on-hire stock awards, annual stock awards, a signing bonus, and an annual bonus.

The classification is as follows:

Level 57 to 59: Entry-level engineers
Level 63: Senior engineers
Level 65: Principal-level engineers
Level 68: Partners
Level 70: Distinguished engineers

Salary and bonus details by level:

Grant	"Main" Salary Range	"High" Salary Range	Stock bonus upon employment	Annual bonus shares	Signing bonus	Annual Bonus
57	$83,000 - $108,000	$95,800 - $124,600	$5,000 - $13,000	Depending on career stage	$0 - $9,000	Not applicable
58	$94,100 - $122,300	$105,900 - $137,700	$6,000 - $20,000	Depending on career stage	$0 - $18,000	0 - 20%
59	$101,400 - $152,000	$109,000 - $163,600	$15,000 - $120,000	$0 - $20,000	$0 - $18,000	0 - 20%
60	$110,200 - $165,200	$120,200 - $180,400	$20,000 - $130,000	$0 - $24,000	$0 - $27,000	0 - 20%
61	$123,200 - $184,800	$131,400 - $197,000	$30,000 - $150,000	$0 - $36,000	$0 - $36,000	0 - 20%
62	$132,600 - $199,000	$143,600 - $215,400	$40,000 - $170,000	$0 - $44,000	$0 - $45,000	0 - 20%
63	$145,000 - $218,400	$158,400 - $237,600	$55,000 - $220,000	$0 - $64,000	$0 - $45,000	0 - 30%
64	$156,500 - $234,700	$172,000 - $258,000	$70,000 - $270,000	$0 - $80,000	$0 - $54,000	0 - 30%
65	$172,800 - $259,200	$188,000 - $282,000	$100,000 - $320,000	$0 - $130,000	$0 - $90,000	0 - 40%
66	$183,200 - $274,800	$202,800 - $304,200	$180,000 - $640,000	$0 - $200,000	$0 - $126,000	0 - 40%
67	$197,800 - $296,400	$220,800 - $331,200	$380,000 - $850,000	$0 - $420,000	$0 - $180,000	0 - 60%
68	$212,800 - $319,200	$236,000 - $354,000	$500,000 - $1,150,000	$0 - $754,000	Not listed	0 - 90%
69	$225,600 - $338,400	$247,000 - $370,800	$657,000 - $1,350,000	$0 - $1,150,000	Not listed	0 - 90%
70	$252,000 - $378,000	$272,000 - $408,000	$827,001 - $1,900,000	$0 - $1,476,000	Not listed	0 - 90%

Compensation can also vary depending on location. For example, employees in San Francisco are in the "High" salary range, while employees at Microsoft's Washington headquarters are in the "Primary" salary range.

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