Google/Microsoft Software Engineer Salary

<p>So what does a Computer Science major (with only a BSc.) graduating (undergrad) from an Ivy League school make if he/she decides to work as a software engineer for Google? What about Microsoft?</p>

<p>I heard the going rate is about 85 grand/year from a guy who's starting this summer</p>

<p>Justin871, if that's true, then that's simple incredible, when you figure that in 2005, the average new MIT EECS graduate was only making 66k to start, as can be seen on page 14 of the following doc. </p>

<p><a href="http://web.mit.edu/career/www/infostats/graduation05.pdf%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://web.mit.edu/career/www/infostats/graduation05.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>I think we can all agree that MIT has a better computer science program than ANY of the Ivies, yet unless MIT salaries have jumped by 20k in just the last year (which is highly unlikely), or Microsoft/Google are just paying far above average (which I know is not true), then I'm afraid I have to say that I find the 85k figure to be highly suspect.</p>

<p>I was given that figure by a computer science major who just graduated from Yale, but after checking out the MIT document, I guess it's not accurate</p>

<p>I thought carnegie melon had the best computer science program in the country.</p>

<p>I don't believe undergraduate CS programs have been ranked. To my understanding there is a 3 or 4 way tie for the "best" graduate CS programs:
Carnegie Mellon
MIT
UC Berkely
Stanford</p>

<p>
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I was given that figure by a computer science major who just graduated from Yale, but after checking out the MIT document, I guess it's not accurate

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</p>

<p>It might be accurate if the number you were given was a total compensation figure - i.e., salary + signing bonus + end-year bonus + stock options + everything else. The MIT figures are just salary. </p>

<p>But that means that we have to be careful about what we are talking about. The truth is, end-year bonuses are not guaranteed, and options may turn out to be valueless. </p>

<p>It is also true that there are some students who get substantially higher than the average. For example, in 1983, the top Stanford economics student got a starting salary in the 7 figures. Of course, that guy was none other than Stanford quarterback John Elway, who got the (at the time) biggest rookie contract in NFL history, and then went on to have a Hall-of-Fame career. There are always going to be some guys who make far more than the average. But that doesn't mean that they are making the going rate. The going rate for Stanford econ students in 1983 was clearly not in the millions.</p>

<p>I go to Rose-Hulman and I know grads from here who've gone to both Microsoft and Expedia. You can expect 75 - 80k realistically (that's just base salary). However, keep in mind, that those companies are in Seattle, and it isn't cheap there.</p>

<p>They also got a few grand for a signing bonus. Stock options are just discounts on purchasing stock (MS was ~20% off market price). No other guaranteed bonus.</p>

<p>well heres the offers I have personally seen</p>

<p>google - 80k
microsoft- 75k
amazon- 80k</p>

<p>these are just salaries not going into stock or benefit , suprisingly amazon gives the most money in terms of $$ !</p>

<p>
[quote]
From someone who knows... </p>

<hr>

<p>I go to Rose-Hulman and I know grads from here who've gone to both Microsoft and Expedia. You can expect 75 - 80k realistically (that's just base salary). However, keep in mind, that those companies are in Seattle, and it isn't cheap there.</p>

<p>They also got a few grand for a signing bonus. Stock options are just discounts on purchasing stock (MS was ~20% off market price). No other guaranteed bonus.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>
[quote]
well heres the offers I have personally seen</p>

<p>google - 80k
microsoft- 75k
amazon- 80k</p>

<p>these are just salaries not going into stock or benefit , suprisingly amazon gives the most money in terms of $$ !

[/quote]
</p>

<p>That's very interesting, because people from MIT who have gotten offers from those companies aren't getting that much.</p>

<p>I personally know two persons that work at microsoft whose starting salary is in the high 70K. (These two guys are from Uni of Wash, Seattle)
There is also one person who work at amazon whose salary is around 75K initially. (UW guy)
Another friend of mine was also offered software eng position at google and her starting salary was 90K. (Also UW alum)</p>

<p>Note that this was back in 2005. So I don't know how much they're making right now. But I heard the salary trend of microsoft peaks more exponentially than those of amazon or google. Oh and they are all bachelor student except the guy who works at Amazon (he got a master)</p>

<p>I agree with pearly , and having a masters usually adds aroun 5/10k to your paycheck.</p>

<p>@sakky- dont really know where you are getting your numbers at but all these companies usually offer the same salary accross schools , and I am pretty sure they will be making around 75k+.</p>

<p>anyone got information on internship salary levels for Google?</p>

<p>My roommate makes 80k+10k stock options from Adobe. I can't see that these three companies would go lower if they want to attract the top talent.</p>

<p>I am a CS and Mathematics major and I must admit 60-80K/year is overrated for starting undergraduates at top companies. I know these people work hard, but other engineers work just as hard and make 20k or so less. I going for a Ph.D in CS and I will probably earn 80K or more per year. </p>

<p>I watched a google video where one female software engineer claims she does 1/3 of her day emailing other employees and clients, another 1/3 of day having meetings, and 1/3 of a day writing code. And she claims she can start work whenever, usually at 10 AM. This sounds very boring and not hard at all for making 80k or so per year.</p>

<p>google logo : work smarter not harder </p>

<p>:D</p>

<p>real_mav, next week, i might have an internship salary level for ya.</p>

<p>i graduated from florida tech, and at least 12 of my friends there have interned at Microsoft. they got something in the 50's. as for full-time offers, i believe they got 73k.</p>

<p>
[quote]
I personally know two persons that work at microsoft whose starting salary is in the high 70K. (These two guys are from Uni of Wash, Seattle)
There is also one person who work at amazon whose salary is around 75K initially. (UW guy)
Another friend of mine was also offered software eng position at google and her starting salary was 90K. (Also UW alum)

[/quote]
</p>

<p>
[quote]
I agree with pearly , and having a masters usually adds aroun 5/10k to your paycheck.</p>

<p>@sakky- dont really know where you are getting your numbers at but all these companies usually offer the same salary accross schools , and I am pretty sure they will be making around 75k+.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>I'm going to check on my numbers, as I haven't talked to those software people that I know at MS, Amazon, and Google for awhile now. </p>

<p>But let me argue the point indirectly. One of my good friends is an MBA graduate (from MIT) who is working at Amazon. And his salary offer was only 100k. And he has 5 years of pre-MBA working experience. It's very very hard for me to believe that Amazon would offer him only 25k more than they would offer a guy right out of undergrad with only a bachelor's. If you guys really insist that that's what really happened, I suppose I'll have to take your word for it. But if that's the case, then somebody is clearly getting screwed.</p>

<p>@ Sakky - What you are saying may hold true for base salary , what you are failing to factor in is Stock. Usually most of these companies give you a decent amount of money through stock , while the salary difference between your friend and current undergrad might be only 20k , his stock and overall cost to the company will differ by a lot.</p>

<p>Your salaries depend on the location of the job. For example, I got an offer from Lockheed in Orlando, FL, for 50k a year and another one from Lockheed in the northeast for 63k with a bachelors. The cost of living is different at these two locations so your salary reflects that.</p>