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Great Place, Low Pay

Senior Software Engineer
Current Employee
Has worked at Microsoft for 20 years
May 24, 2022
Redmond, Washington
5.0
RecommendsPositive OutlookApproves of CEO
Pros

Microsoft is an amazingly supportive place to work. They are constantly learning, constantly bettering themselves, and constantly delivering immense value for their customers.

Culturally and technically, they’ve come a long way under Satya’s leadership and have truly become one of the best places to work for technologists if top salary/compensation is not a top concern.

Cons

The salary and bonus levels have always been “middle of the road” compared to their peers like Google, Facebook, and Amazon. It’s not uncommon to hear of friends getting what feels like jaw-dropping signing bonuses and base salaries, and to then feel one’s loyalty is un- or under-appreciated.

Those who have been there a long time may also discover the salaries of new hires are often “biting at their heels.” It’s seldom rewarding to realize that kid who just joined straight out of college is making ~70% of the same base pay as someone who has given 15-20 years to the company.

In short, work here for the love of innovating technology with legends in the field, amazing people, building awesome products and solutions, and great benefits — not because you want to win a salary measuring contest.

Additional Ratings

Work/Life Balance
5.0
Culture and Values
5.0
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
5.0
Career Opportunities
5.0
Compensation and Benefits
3.0
Senior Management
3.0

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