- Microsoft has approximately 228,000 employees worldwide.
- Microsoft is one of the most in-demand jobs in the technology industry, so jobs are competitive.
- Here’s what you need to know about the different jobs at Microsoft, the skills you need and the best salaries.
Since its founding in 1975, Microsoft has grown into one of the largest companies in the world, and its software has changed the way the world uses computers and other devices.
Currently, Microsoft employs approximately 228,000 people, globally.
A publicly traded company since its inception in 1986, the multinational business has long been a darling of investors and has been a highly sought-after workplace for people in the tech world.
However, getting a job at Microsoft is much easier said than done.
Is it hard to get into Microsoft?
Anyone hoping for a job at Microsoft should expect to compete against a flood of other highly qualified applicants at any given time. There are usually multiple rounds of interviews—up to five in some cases, depending on the position—and different positions require different types of experience.
For technical roles, Microsoft’s hiring process includes things like testing your problem-solving and coding skills.
All jobs at Microsoft require at least a college degree, usually in an applicable field such as data science or mathematics, or demonstrable experience in a directly related position elsewhere. Some positions require several years of relevant experience, and others require more advanced degrees.
Experience at other large technology companies can be a huge bonus. A former Microsoft product manager who shared his resume with Business Insider said he believed his experience at Facebook, plus his entrepreneurial experience, gave him a competitive edge.
In short, it’s hard to get a job at Microsoft, but a rejection on your first application is no reason not to try again. Many people are hired by the software giant just after applying a few times, with their persistence and dedication seen as a positive sign by the company.
Microsoft is headquartered in Redmond, Washington and has a sprawling campus. David Ryder/Getty Images
What types of jobs can you get at Microsoft?
Microsoft is a massive organization, being a software manufacturer, and has a number of divisions that often have job postings, such as the Azure cloud computing software, the Microsoft 365 productivity suite, or the legacy Windows operating system. The list of jobs one can get at Microsoft is long and varied.
But Microsoft also owns a number of companies, and it may be worth expanding your job search to job sites like GitHub, Skype or LinkedIn.
At Microsoft or its companies, you can work in anything from data analytics to hardware engineering to digital sales to legal and corporate affairs. There are software designers, marketers, supply chain specialists, and many other different roles that are needed to keep the company running.
On the software side, in particular, Microsoft often has openings for developers, software engineers, product managers, and more.
How to get a job at Microsoft?
If you have the necessary education and experience and have done your research on the role and perfected your CV, you can start by applying online at the Microsoft Careers site.
Microsoft offers internships for those early career job seekers with no experience, and of course it’s always a good idea to connect with anyone you know who works there before applying. Note that Microsoft often implements a hiring freeze, so don’t try to join during one.
Like any massive company, sometimes Microsoft needs to restructure, and Microsoft layoffs can be massive, with thousands of employees laid off at a time. The post-pandemic period has been particularly brutal at Microsoft, with multiple rounds of job cuts throughout 2023 and 2024 in divisions like Azure, Xbox and Activision Blizzard.
Know that even if you do a great job in your role with Microsoft, your job may be terminated in the future. The tech industry is in a period of flux, so it’s always wise to have a Plan B.
What is the highest paying job at Microsoft?
Microsoft’s CEO makes almost $50 million in total each year when you factor in cash, stock, and other compensation, making being the boss the highest-paid job at Microsoft.
Other very well-compensated jobs—compared to regular salaries, not the CEO package—are Corporate Vice President, who has a salary of about $650,000 plus stock compensation.
But even non-executive roles at Microsoft are widely recognized for their high salaries. For example, the Principal Software Engineer role typically pays around $215,000 plus stock, and the Senior Data Scientist role pays just under $200,000 per year.
Federal data from 2020 showed some of Microsoft’s highest-paying jobs, including up to $240,000 for a research role, $220,000 for a program manager and $204,000 for a hardware engineering role.
