got an offer last month. sharing the numbers because there's not enough recent data floating around.
Role: SWE II (L63) Location: Redmond, WA (in-office 3 days) YOE: 5 years
Offer breakdown: Base: $178k Annual bonus: 15% target (~$26.7k) Stock: $240k over 4 years (25% each year, no cliff)
Total comp year 1 ~$264k.
Negotiated base up $8k from initial, stock was unmoved. Recruiter said stock refresh conversations happen at 1-year mark based on performance rating.
For comparison I had a competing offer from a Series C at $230k TC. Different risk profile obviously. Microsoft's RSU vesting schedule is better than most big tech (no cliff, starts immediately) which is worth something.
Azure team, if that matters. Product teams apparently comp slightly differently, especially if the product is more consumer-facing.
4 replies
contractor_kai
the no-cliff 25/25/25/25 vesting is genuinely underrated. most big tech has a 1-year cliff then monthly. if you leave at 10 months at Google you walk with nothing. at Microsoft you've already got a year of RSUs. factors differently if you think there's any chance you don't stay 4 years.
corp_refugee
L63 at $178 base feels a bit light for Redmond in 2026 vs. what i was seeing pre-layoffs. do you know if this was for a lower-demand team? i've heard infra and AI teams comp differently than productivity suite.
numbers_only
fair point. not AI team. this was core Azure infra. i've seen AI/copilot adjacent teams offering $10-20k more in base at the same level. if you have ML background they seem to pay for it.
market_realist
the 15% bonus target is worth flagging. that's target, not floor. microsoft has a performance calibration system (clarity) and if you land in the bottom bucket you can see bonus cut significantly in year 1. just worth knowing before comparing to straight base numbers.