Microsoft's pay data leaks online, gives a rare look at compensation structure

Microsoft employees are once again comparing notes on compensation after an internal spreadsheet with nearly 600 submissions leaked online, offering a rare glimpse into how the tech giant rewards workforce. According to a report by Business Insider, the employee-reported data revealed the base salaries, raises, cash bonuses, and stock awards across levels and teams. While the sample is small compared to Microsoft’s 223,000 employees, it provides insight into pay transparency at a time when retaining top talent in AI and cloud is a strategic priority.Compensation by level and division at MicrosoftAs per the BI report, the leaked spreadsheet highlight the base pay which ranges from $111,000 at level 59 to $280,000 at level 67. The range shows the raise between 0% and 3.5%. Along with this, the cash bonuses also vary widely from as little as $2,000 to nearly $110,000, while stock awards range from $10,000 at entry levels to $300,000 at senior levels.The data also shows compensation by division. The employees in Cloud + AI have the base pay as high as $450,000, with stock awards reaching $1.4 million. The report also adds that teams in Azure, Experiences and Devices, and Security showed more modest ranges, while Xbox employees reported base salaries up to $218,000 with stock awards capped at $65,000. However, Microsoft has not commented on the leak, but the leaked figures highlight how the compensation is tailored to strategic areas where competition for talent is fiercest.Microsoft's companywide compensation ranges by levelLevelBase payRaise %Cash bonusStock award59$111K to $134K0% to 2.4%$0 to $17.9K$0 to $10K60$115K to $155.5K0.8% to 2.5%$10K to $25K$10K to $25K61$113K to $177K0.6% to 2.5%$7.9K to $30K$0 to $36K62$100.2K to $192.8K0.5% to 2.5%$7K to $78K$0 to $135K63$136.4K to $218K0% to 2.9%$0 to $43.9K$0 to $64K64$140K to $245K0% to 5%$0 to $60K$0 to $80K65$169K to $263.9K0% to 3%$2K to $99.6K$0 to $130K66$200K to $272K0.5% to 3.5%$27K to $69K$90K to $200K67$239.1K to $280K0.5% to 1%$45.3K to $110K$140K to $300KMicrosoft compensation ranges by organizationOrgBase payRaise %Cash bonusStock awardAzure$123K to $252K0.5% to 2.5%$7.9K to $105K$9K to $294KCloud + AI$111K to $450K0% to 5%$0 to $300K$9K to $1.4MExperiences and Devices$115K to $253.1K.05% to 3%$0 to $105K$0 to $294KMicrosoft AI$134K to $232K0.5% to 2.5%$10.4K to $78K$10K to $140KMicrosoft Customer and Partner Solutions$129K to $242K0% to 1.4%$2K to $79.2K$0 to $91KSecurity$122K to $232K0% to 2.5%$0 to $60K$0 to $91KXbox$134K to $218K0.5% to 1.2%$15.6K to $42K$12K to $65K