TECHNOLOGY

Microsoft Employees Share Salary Secrets

USAThu Aug 21 2025

Microsoft employees are using a secret spreadsheet to share salary details, providing a glimpse into the tech giant's compensation structure.

Microsoft's AI Talent Hunt

  • Microsoft is actively recruiting top AI talent, offering lucrative packages to poach from competitors like Meta.
  • Despite hiring spree, the company has also been cutting jobs, sending mixed signals.

Spreadsheet Insights

  • Over 850 entries but only a fraction of Microsoft's 228,000 employees.
  • Higher-paid individuals may not be sharing their data, potentially skewing averages.

Average Base Pay by Team

  • Cloud + AI: $204,135
  • Xbox: $168,831

Interesting Observations

  • Reported pay ranges are lower than official offers for new hires.
  • Possible reasons: High earners not sharing data or modesty in reporting.

questions

    What factors might contribute to the discrepancy between the spreadsheet data and Microsoft's official pay guidelines?
    Could the spreadsheet data be manipulated by a rival company to make Microsoft look less competitive in pay?
    What potential biases could exist in the self-reported data that might skew the perceived pay ranges?

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