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.
