Author
Utkarsh Sahu
Director, Category Management @ Interview Kickstart || IIM Bangalore || NITW.
Microsoft is one of the biggest tech companies in the US, with a brand value of nearly $1.5 billion.
As per Business Insider, the company is also popular for offering the most rewarding salary structure to software engineers. Moreover, approximately 92% of the senior software engineers at Microsoft agree that they receive bonuses annually. This speaks volumes about the company’s fair compensation structure for a senior software engineer.
Curious to know more about the Microsoft senior software engineer salary? In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover Microsoft senior software salaries at different levels and locations.
If you are preparing for a tech interview, check out our technical interview checklist, interview questions page to get access to Microsoft Senior Software Engineer Interview Questions, and salary negotiation e-book to get interview-ready!
Having trained over 9,000 software engineers, we know what it takes to crack the toughest tech interviews. Since 2014, Interview Kickstart alums have been landing lucrative offers from FAANG and Tier-1 tech companies, with an average salary hike of 49%. The highest ever offer received by an IK alum is a whopping $933,000!
At IK, you get the unique opportunity to learn from expert instructors who are hiring managers and tech leads at Google, Facebook, Apple, and other top Silicon Valley tech companies. We work with you on your problem-solving skills to help you solve complex Microsoft senior software engineer interview questions in coding and systems design.
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In this article, we will cover:
Take a look at the different job roles and their associated responsibilities for senior software engineers at Microsoft:
As a principal software engineer, you will collaborate with software engineering teams, product managers, and designers to offer features and distributed architecture to the end-user of SharePoint.
Eligibility Criteria:
Over 7 years of working experience in software development and a proven record of delivering excellent customer experience.
BS degree in computer science or other related fields.
Experience in working on full-stack and agile development and more.
Participate in the use cases, evaluating end-user experiences, and more.
Review codes and offer technical guidance to your peers.
Examine and resolve service and application errors.
Working as a team member with the company’s leading members to design and implement effective software solutions.
Eligibility Criteria:
Over 3 years of working experience in software development.
Working experience in web technologies, full-stack, front-end, and back-end development.
BS degree in computer science, or other related fields and more.
Work with the Azure technical team and suggest the roadmap to meet the business needs.
Work as a subject matter expert to help CSE in the cloud-native and service platforms.
Collaborate with the customer’s engineering team to provide a wide range of technical solutions.
Offer technical leadership and mentor junior engineers.
Eligibility Criteria:
Over 5 years of experience in software engineering and product delivery.
More than 2 years of working knowledge in public cloud-based software development.
BS degree in computer science or other related fields and more.
The average Microsoft senior engineer salary in the United States is $178,006 per year. But, there are different tiers based on the job’s roles and responsibilities. Knowing about the salaries at each level will help you compare a senior software engineer’s salary structure with other levels present at Microsoft.
Take a look.
Total Annual Income: $179,000
Base: $135,000
Bonus: $17,000
Stock: $25,000
Total Annual Income: $184,000
Base: $145,000
Bonus: $16,000
Stock: $21,000
Total Annual Income: $217,000
Base: $161,000
Bonus: $25,000
Stock: $31,000
Total Annual Income: $243,000
Base: $178,000
Bonus: $30,000
Stock: $34,000
Total Annual Income: $291,000
Base: $194,000
Bonus: $42,000
Stock: $ 54,000
Total Annual Income: $332,000
Base: $209,000
Bonus: $48,000
Stock: $75,000
Total Annual Income: $496,000
Base: $236,000
Bonus: $67,000
Stock: $193,000
Take a look at the salary of a Microsoft senior software engineer in the following US locations:
The leading competitors of Microsoft include Apple, Amazon, Google, Yahoo, and Oracle.
Take a look at the following list of the salary structures of a senior software engineer in global tech giants and weigh your options:
Total Annual Income: $216,506
Base: $161,744
Bonus: $54,762
Stock: Within $150,000
Total Annual Income: $196,568
Base: $154,742
Bonus: $41,826
Stock: Within $150,000
Total Annual Income: $190,823
Base: $138,834
Bonus: $51,989
Stock: Within $150,000
Total Annual Income: $169,500
Base: $147,750
Bonus: $21,750
Stock: Within $75,000
Total Annual Income: $141,219
Base: $122,326
Bonus: $18,893
Stock: Within $150,000
To learn the best tips to crack the Microsoft interview and access Microsoft Senior Software Engineer Interview Questions check out our page on How to get software engineering jobs at Microsoft.
Comparably states that 84% of senior software engineers at Microsoft are satisfied with the company benefits. Also, Microsoft ranked 21st in Glassdoor’s 2020 Best Places to Work and has a rating of 4.3 on its platform.
This makes it a reliable choice for any aspiring or experienced software engineer to work here. Take a look at the following benefits you will get as Microsoft’s senior software engineer:
Microsoft offers a health savings plan, and flexible spending account to pay for dental, vision, and other healthcare expenses.
Microsoft reimburses $1,200 annually for maintaining employee’s physical, mental, and emotional fitness. Other wellness programs include:
The company offers a 401(k) plan, Employee Stock Purchase Plan, loan refinancing program, and more to support your retirement financially.
The company offers the following benefits:
Now that you are aware of senior software engineer job roles and salaries, here are some tips to help you prepare for your Microsoft software engineering interview?
While preparing for your software engineering interview, focus on data structure and algorithms. Emphasize on the following:
Note: The interviewer wants to see a testable, clear, and concise code in a coding round. So practice accordingly.
Rigorous practice of coding is essential to crack your Microsoft interview. You can take help from the following resources:
For system design, generally, two types of questions are asked:
Clarify any doubts with your interviewer before jumping straight into finding solutions. Also, prepare one or two questions to ask at the end of the interview. This leaves a positive impression on the interviewer.
Brush up your knowledge about the company and the ongoing software engineering projects at Microsoft.
To understand the work-life balance at Microsoft, check out our blog on the Microsoft work-life balance for software engineers
Practicing commonly asked questions is a key to any interview preparation. In this section, we’ve covered some frequently asked questions at Microsoft Senior Software Engineer Interviews.
Want more practice questions? This blog will give you access to a bunch of Microsoft Senior Software Engineer Interview Questions.
Q. What is the average Microsoft senior engineer salary in Seattle?
As per Indeed, the average salary of a Microsoft senior engineer is $143,000 in Seattle. It is 14% higher than the national average.
Q. What is the annual Salary of a back-end software engineer at Microsoft with 7 years of work experience?
The annual salary of a back-end software engineer at Microsoft with 7 years of working experience is approximately $147,000.
Q. Is there any difference between the salary of Microsoft’s senior sSoftware engineer in Los Angeles and California?
Yes. The annual salary of Microsoft’s senior software engineer is $153,006 in Los Angeles. At the same time, the average salary in California is $160,000 per year.
Q. What are the concepts based on which you can expect Microsoft Senior Software Engineer Interview Questions?
Microsoft Senior Software Engineer Interview Questions are primarily around data structures, algorithms, and concepts in distributed systems design.
Need a guide to prepare for your Microsoft tech interview? Join Interview Kickstart.
We offer a comprehensive curriculum, technical guidance, and more that helps to advance your interview prep. Also, you get the opportunity to learn from expert coaches who are the hiring managers of FAANG and Tier-1 tech companies. They’ll help you up your problem-solving skills and tackle complex Microsoft Senior Software Engineer Interview Questions.
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The 11 Neural “Power Patterns” For Solving Any FAANG Interview Problem 12.5X Faster Than 99.8% OF Applicants
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The “Instant Income Multiplier” That 2-3X’s Your Current Tech Salary
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