Leaked Data: Huge Pay Gap In Favor Of AI Engineers At Microsoft

Leaked Microsoft Corp. pay data shows a substantial disparity in favor of AI engineers, underlining the company’s significant investment in AI.

What Happened: Several Microsoft employees voluntarily disclosed their salary and promotion details through an unofficial spreadsheet. This document, which includes over 500 entries, offers a glimpse into the tech giant’s compensation structure.

The data analysis indicated that the average total compensation for software engineers in Microsoft’s newly formed AI organization was $377,611, a figure that’s at least $120,000 higher than the averages in other Microsoft divisions.

This team was established in March to enhance Microsoft’s consumer-AI strategy, under the leadership of DeepMind co-founder Mustafa Suleyman.

Despite a company-wide salary freeze and a decrease in bonus and stock award budget last year, Microsoft resumed performance-based pay raises this year.

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The pay gap between Microsoft’s AI division and the rest of the company is clear, emphasizing the company’s significant commitment to AI.

While the data is based on self-reporting by Microsoft employees and may not provide a comprehensive view, it does underscore the pay disparity within the company.

Why It Matters: The pay gap underscores Microsoft’s strategic focus on AI. The company’s significant investment in AI is a part of its long-term strategy to stay competitive in the rapidly evolving tech industry.

The formation of a new AI division and the hiring of high-profile AI experts like DeepMind co-founder Mustafa Suleyman further highlights this focus.

The pay disparity is a clear indication of the value Microsoft places on AI expertise, reflecting the growing importance of AI in the tech industry.

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This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.