Software Engineering at Microsoft
Pay by year, the work locations, and the prevailing-wage level breakdown.
What does Microsoft pay a Software Engineering on an H-1B?
$170k Microsoft has filed 12,702 H-1B labor condition applications for the role of Software Engineering with the U.S. Department of Labor between FY2024 and FY2026 at a median base salary of $170k. Most of those filings fall between $152k and $191k. Base salary is the wage stated on the filing, not total compensation.
H-1B LCA filings
12,702
Median base salary
$170k
Middle 50%
$152k to $191k
Filings and pay by year
Software Engineering at Microsoft, by fiscal year
Show the numbers behind this chart
| Fiscal year | Filings | Median base salary |
|---|---|---|
| FY2026 (partial) | 3,205 | $178k |
| FY2025 | 5,751 | $171k |
| FY2024 | 3,746 | $162k |
A fiscal year marked partial is still in progress, so its total is lower than a complete year and the two are not comparable.
Where this work is
Work locations named on the filings, most common first
| Location | Filings | Median base salary |
|---|---|---|
| Redmond, WA | 8,896 | $171k |
| Mountain View, CA | 905 | $195k |
| Atlanta, GA | 489 | $135k |
| New York, NY | 156 | $177k |
| Austin, TX | 145 | $142k |
| Irving, TX | 91 | $142k |
| San Jose, CA | 89 | $179k |
| Charlotte, NC | 79 | $139k |
| Santa Clara, CA | 75 | $206k |
| San Francisco, CA | 71 | $185k |
| Bellevue, WA | 64 | $172k |
| Cambridge, MA | 63 | $154k |
Prevailing-wage level
The experience level DOL assigns the role, I (entry) to IV (expert)
| Level | Filings | Median base salary |
|---|---|---|
| Level I | 1,148 | $133k |
| Level II | 5,329 | $158k |
| Level III | 4,271 | $185k |
| Level IV | 1,305 | $220k |