As Microsoft employees gear up for annual pay raise announcements, a riveting leak has exposed compensation details for hundreds of them, revealing intriguing insights into salary, bonuses, and stock awards. This information has surfaced in a spreadsheet that Business Insider has had the privilege to examine.

With over 850 entries contributed by employees, this document sheds light on Microsoft's competitive compensation strategy, especially crucial as the tech giant competes fiercely for elite AI talent. Microsoft is reportedly luring top engineers from Meta with eye-popping multimillion-dollar offers and has revamped its pay guidelines to stay ahead.

Despite laying off thousands, Microsoft insists it will maintain a steady workforce, indicating persistent hiring ambitions. Business Insider analyzed nearly 300 relevant entries from US software engineers, but Microsoft declined to comment on the findings.

This employee-driven effort to promote pay transparency offers a glimpse, albeit limited, into the company’s compensation landscape. With 228,000 employees, the spreadsheet’s 850 entries paint just a small part of the picture, and it’s essential to note that those with higher salaries may be less inclined to share their figures.

In fact, inaccuracies due to self-reporting are not uncommon, and hence, Business Insider was careful to filter out data that could skew the real averages.

How Much Are Microsoft Employees Really Making?

Examining the reported base pay across different Microsoft sectors yields some eye-opening averages, indicating where the money flows within the company: - **Cloud + AI:** $204,135 - **Commerce + Ecosystems:** $191,597 - **Security:** $189,285 - **Azure:** $176,035 - **Experiences and Devices:** $175,123 - **Microsoft AI:** $170,456 - **Xbox:** $168,831 - **CoreAI:** $167,759

Interestingly, these self-reported figures often fall below the official figures Microsoft has set for new hires in engineering and research roles, suggesting that the company might be offering more competitive packages to attract new talent.

This combination of leaked salary data and shifting pay structures reveals a rapidly changing landscape at Microsoft, highlighting not just the competitive nature of tech salaries but also the challenge of retaining top talent in a dynamic industry.