Microsoft Salary Leak Exposes $1.4M Stock Awards for Cloud + AI Workers Amid Talent War

Microsoft salary leak reveals how much employees make, from six-figure pay to huge stock awards

A recently leaked Microsoft spreadsheet has unveiled the salary details for almost six hundred employees, revealing a broad spectrum of base salaries. Those in the cloud and AI sectors enjoy considerably higher pay, emphasizing Microsoft's commitment to securing top talent in these critical domains. This document provides an uncommon glimpse into the technology behemoth's compensation tactics. An internal Microsoft spreadsheet containing compensation data for nearly 600 employees has leaked online, offering a rare glimpse into how the tech giant pays workers across different levels and divisions. The data, reported by Business Insider, includes base salaries, raises, cash bonuses and stock awards at a time when Microsoft is competing aggressively for talent in artificial intelligence and cloud computing. The employee-reported figures show just how widely compensation can vary within Microsoft. Companywide base salaries range from about $111,000 for level 59 employees to $280,000 at level 67, while cash bonuses can reach nearly $110,000 and stock awards can climb to $300,000 at the highest levels. But the biggest numbers appear in Microsoft's AI and cloud operations. Employees in the Cloud + AI organization reported base salaries ranging from $111,000 to as much as $450,000, while stock awards reportedly reached $1.4 million. Cash bonuses in the division ranged as high as $300,000. The figures highlight the premium Microsoft appears to place on employees working in some of its most strategically important businesses, particularly as technology companies compete to recruit and retain AI specialists. How Microsoft's pay changes by job levelThe leaked data shows a broad compensation ladder across Microsoft's job levels. At level 59, base salaries range from $111,000 to $134,000, with reported raises of up to 2.4%, cash bonuses reaching $17,900 and stock awards of up to $10,000. At level 60, base pay ranges from $115,000 to $155,500. Cash bonuses can reach $25,000, while stock awards range up to $25,000. Level 61 employees reported base salaries between $113,000 and $177,000, with cash bonuses reaching $30,000 and stock awards up to $36,000. At level 62, base pay ranges from $100,200 to $192,800, while cash bonuses can reach $78,000 and stock awards as high as $135,000. The numbers continue climbing at higher levels. Level 63 employees reported base salaries of up to $218,000, while level 64 employees reported salaries reaching $245,000. At level 65, base pay can reach $263,900, with cash bonuses approaching $100,000 and stock awards reaching $130,000. For level 66, reported base salaries range from $200,000 to $272,000, with cash bonuses up to $69,000 and stock awards reaching $200,000. At level 67, the highest level included in the data, base salaries range from $239,100 to $280,000. Cash bonuses can reach $110,000, while stock awards reportedly go as high as $300,000. AI and cloud workers stand outThe organizational breakdown makes the differences even more striking. Azure employees reported base salaries ranging from $123,000 to $252,000, with stock awards reaching $294,000. The Cloud + AI organization showed the widest reported range, with base pay reaching $450,000 and stock awards climbing to $1.4 million. Employees in Experiences and Devices reported base salaries as high as $253,100, while stock awards reached $294,000. Within Microsoft AI, reported base pay ranges from $134,000 to $232,000, with stock awards reaching $140,000. Microsoft Customer and Partner Solutions reported base salaries of up to $242,000, while Security employees reported base pay reaching $232,000. The Xbox division showed more modest figures, with reported base salaries reaching $218,000 and stock awards topping out at $65,000. What the leak reveals about Microsoft's pay strategyMicrosoft has not officially commented on the leaked spreadsheet. The data also represents employee-reported compensation rather than an official companywide salary database, meaning the figures should not be treated as definitive pay ranges for every Microsoft employee. Still, the nearly 600 submissions provide an unusual snapshot of compensation at one of the world's largest technology companies, which employs roughly 223,000 people. The numbers also arrive as Microsoft places enormous emphasis on artificial intelligence and cloud computing. The particularly large compensation figures reported in Cloud + AI suggest how valuable specialized talent can be in areas where technology companies are competing intensely for experienced workers. Rather than simply showing how much Microsoft employees earn, the spreadsheet offers a window into where the company appears willing to spend the most to attract and retain talent -- with AI and cloud roles standing out among the most heavily compensated areas.

Microsoft's Internal Pay Spreadsheet Shows Cloud and AI Workers Reporting Stock Awards as High as $1.4 Mi

Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:MSFT) employees reported stock awards reaching as high as $1.4 million in the company's Cloud + AI organization, according to an internal compensation spreadsheet, offering a rare look at how the software giant pays workers amid an escalating AI talent battle. Cloud And AI Staff Report Huge Awards The spreadsheet, reviewed by Business Insider, contained nearly 600 anonymous, voluntary employee submissions covering base salaries, raises, cash bonuses and equity awards. In Cloud + AI, reported base pay ranged from $111,000 to $450,000, bonuses from zero to $300,000 and stock awards from $9,000 to $1.4 million. Azure employees reported salaries as high as $252,000 and equity awards up to $294,000, while Microsoft AI workers reported base salaries reaching $232,000 and stock awards as high as $140,000. Companywide, Level 67 employees reported salaries between $239,100 and $280,000, bonuses up to $110,000 and equity awards as high as $300,000. The figures are self-reported and do not represent Microsoft's official compensation data. Microsoft currently employs about 223,000 people worldwide, meaning the spreadsheet covers only a small fraction of its workforce. AI Talent War Drives Rich Packages Still, the numbers arrive as Microsoft competes intensely with Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:META), Alphabet Inc.'s (NASDAQ:GOOGL) (NASDAQ:GOOG) Google, OpenAI and Anthropic for scarce AI engineers and researchers. Microsoft has previously offered multimillion-dollar packages while targeting Meta talent. Leaked 2025 guidelines also showed distinguished engineers could receive packages approaching $2.4 million. Politics Congressman Buys Magnificent Seven Stock, Blue Chip Stock -- And a Stock You've Never Heard Of A congressman bought a Magnificent Seven stock and a blue-chip stock, but it's his other stock pick and a low market capitalization that bears watching. 2 min read Read this article Benzinga reached out to Microsoft for comment but did not receive an immediate response. Heavy AI Spending Meets Workforce Cuts Microsoft is simultaneously spending heavily on the infrastructure those workers build. The company expects roughly $175 billion in calendar-2026 capital expenditures, while Azure revenue climbed 43% in its latest quarter. Microsoft's own results showed quarterly revenue of $90 billion and fiscal-year revenue of $331.8 billion. "We are advancing the frontier on the cost-to-outcome curve," CEO Satya Nadella said, adding that Azure revenue surpassed $100 billion for the fiscal year. That spending comes alongside workforce cuts. Microsoft eliminated 4,800 jobs in July, including thousands at Xbox, while saying the positions were not directly being replaced by AI. Benzinga's Edge Rankings place Microsoft in the 86th percentile for Quality and the 70th percentile for Momentum, reflecting its strong performance in both areas. Price Action: MSFT was trading 0.45% lower at $489.51 in after-hours trading on Tuesday. Markets Chris Hohn's TCI Revamps Q2 Portfolio, Exits Microsoft and Adds to Alphabet TCI Management increased its stake in Alphabet Inc. and exited Microsoft Corp., while pushing for cost-cutting measures in GOOGL. 2 min read Read this article Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs To add Benzinga News as your preferred source on Google, click here.