The H-1B visa controversy continues to rage and Microsoft is right at the center of the storm. While the company now thinks through its strategy of getting new talent on board from overseas, its existing foreign employees have to get their H-1B visas renewed. The process has now revealed the basic salaries that these employees get.
In a year marked by significant layoffs, Microsoft’s 2025 salary data, derived from visa filings, reveals the company’s strategic focus on attracting and retaining top-tier talent, especially in the AI sector – one that is booming lately. Hence, we decided to state all the compensation figures that this data has revealed. Note that this represents base salaries and does not include bonuses or stock awards.
While this data may not provide the most accurate picture, it does provide a good idea of the company’s pay structure across various roles.
Microsoft 2025 salaries revealed by H-1B visa data
The data, reported by Bloomberg following the massive 9,000-employee layoff, shows Microsoft’s commitment to maintaining competitive pay despite downsizing.
The details provided by the visa data show a broad range of salaries depending on the role, location, and seniority. For example, a Software Engineer can earn a base salary of up to $284,000. Similarly, a Product Manager in Redmond can earn $250,000.
Salaries for Data Scientists are also robust, with a Data Scientist in Redmond earning between $121,200 and $160,000, while a Data Scientist in Mountain View, California, can command up to $274,500.
Here is a breakdown of some of the base salaries revealed in the visa data:
Software Engineering:
– Software Engineer, Redmond, WA: up to $284,000
– Software Engineer, Mountain View, CA: $187,000 – $210,000
– Software Engineer, New York, NY: $162,000 – $185,000
– Senior Software Engineer, Redmond, WA: $162,500 – $240,000
– Principal Software Engineer, Redmond, WA: $214,000 – $275,000
Data Science:
– Data Scientist II, Redmond, WA: $121,200 – $160,000
– Data Scientist, Mountain View, CA: $274,500
Product Management:
– Product Manager II, Redmond, WA: $122,800 – $167,000
– Principal Product Manager, Redmond, WA: $250,000
Other roles:
– Manager, Software Engineering, Redmond, WA: $182,000 – $205,000
– Market Research Analyst, Redmond, WA: $135,000
– Content Architect, Redmond, WA: $114,000
– Manager, Software Development, Redmond, WA: $195,000 – $205,000
– Senior Content Designer, San Francisco, CA: $168,000
– Business Program Manager, Redmond, WA: $120,000 – $144,000
– Account Executive, Bellevue, WA: $155,000
A glimpse into salaries at LinkedIn – Microsoft subsidiary – shows equally competitive pay. A Staff Software Engineer in Machine Learning at LinkedIn can earn up to $336,000 in Sunnyvale, California.
