Microsoft

Redmond, WA · founded 1975

Microsoft is the steady, grown-up option among the big tech names: strong benefits, a genuine 50 percent 401(k) match, a real ESPP, and a reputation for saner work-life balance than Meta or Amazon. Under Satya Nadella the culture shifted from cutthroat stack-ranking to a more collaborative 'growth mindset,' and many employees say the day-to-day is humane, with good managers and flexibility. The trade-offs people cite are slower pace and more process in some orgs, comp that trails the very top payers unless you are in a hot AI or cloud team, and periodic targeted layoffs even in profitable years. The AI and Azure push has injected new energy and pressure. It suits people who want stability, breadth of internal opportunity, and predictable benefits over maximum intensity. Expect a large-company experience where your team and org shape almost everything.

see the full file on Microsoft

documented benefits (17)

Caregiver leave	offered
Flexible hours	yes
Office policy	Flexible hybrid: leaders and teams set their in-office cadence based on the work, role and location, with worksite expectations published in every job posting.
Mental health	yes
Employee discount portal	yes
Charitable donation match	yes
Donation match cap	$15,000
Median filed wage	$176,420
Gender pay gap, median	5.6%
Gender pay gap, mean	6.4%
Bonus gap, median	17.7%
Women in the top pay quartile	29.4%
Women in the workforce	33.6%
Life insurance	yes
Dental	yes
Vision	yes
Disability	yes

what Microsoft pays

Median of 1798 certified wages filed with the US Department of Labor: $176,420.

Half of Microsoft's certified filings fall between $158,900 and $195,550.

role	median	filings	range
software engineering	$175,000	1133 filings	$110,004 to $289,585
data engineering	$175,374	83 filings	$137,700 to $214,660
product management	$184,800	65 filings	$126,325 to $246,515
technical program management	$181,800	48 filings	$124,402 to $243,834
applied sciences	$176,035	44 filings	$142,560 to $269,230

Source: US Department of Labor, FY2025 Q4. Read 2026-07-27.

notable perks

Microsoft donates $25 to a qualified nonprofit for every hour an employee volunteers
Annual October Giving Campaign that spotlights thousands of charitable organizations for employees to support
Microsoft Leap: a U.S. Department of Labor-certified paid apprenticeship for people without a traditional tech background (bootcamp grads, self-taught, career changers)
Dedicated Neurodiversity Hiring Program that brings neurodivergent talent into full-time roles
We help you volunteer, take advantage of matching programs, and make a difference in the lives of billions around the globe.

the legal floor where they are

Set by law, not by Microsoft. It applies to every employer in Redmond, WA.

IVF cycles the state covers	THERE IS NO FEDERAL MANDATE. No US law requires an employer health plan to cover IVF or any infertility treatment, so coverage comes either from the insurance mandate in the state where the plan is written or from the employer's own choice. And the state mandates reach less far than they look: they bind fully insured plans bought from a state-regulated carrier, while a self-funded employer plan is governed federally under ERISA and is preempted from state insurance regulation. KFF's 2025 employer survey puts 67% of covered workers in a self-funded plan, and 80% of those at firms of 200 or more — so at the size of employer this site mostly covers, the state mandate usually does not apply, and any fertility benefit is a genuine company choice rather than a restatement of law. That is precisely why it belongs on a benefits page here. Perks has not yet read this employer's own state insurance mandate from an official source; the states that have been read carry their own entry. (No federal statute requires an employer health plan to cover infertility treatment or IVF. The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) preempts state insurance regulation as applied to self-funded employer plans, which is why a state mandate does not reach them.)
Adoption leave the law gives	12 workweeks of UNPAID job-protected leave in any 12-month period on the placement of a child for adoption or foster care, and only for employees who meet the FMLA eligibility test. There is no federal paid adoption leave. (Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, 29 U.S.C. 2612(a)(1)(B) and 2612(c); eligibility at 29 U.S.C. 2611(2) and (4). Quoted from the 2023 edition of the US Code.)
Pay when you are ill	No federal law requires any paid sick leave. The FLSA does not require payment for time not worked, and the FMLA gives 12 workweeks of UNPAID job-protected leave in any 12-month period for a serious health condition, and only for employees who meet the FMLA eligibility test. Any paid sick time comes from a state or city law, or from the employer's own choice. (Fair Labor Standards Act, per the Department of Labor's statement on payment for time not worked; Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, 29 U.S.C. 2612(a)(1)(D) and 2612(c). Quoted from the 2023 edition of the US Code on govinfo.gov.)

Every claim above is sourced and dated. See sources on the full page.

Work at Microsoft and something here is wrong or out of date? Tell us at hello@perks.global and we will check it.