Is Microsoft a good company to work for as a Software Engineer I/II?

Software Engineer I/II professionals working at Microsoft have rated their employer with 4.0 out of 5 stars in 1,074 Glassdoor reviews. This is an average score with the overall rating of Microsoft employees being 4.0 out of 5 stars. Search open Software Engineer I/II Jobs at Microsoft now and start preparing for your job interview by browsing frequently asked Software Engineer I/II interview questions at Microsoft .

Does Microsoft pay Software Engineer I/II employees well?

Software Engineer I/II professionals rate their compensation and benefits at Microsoft with 3.6 out of 5 stars based on 1,074 anonymously submitted employee reviews. This is 8% worse than the company average rating for salary and benefits. Find out more about Software Engineer I/II salaries at Microsoft.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Microsoft?

Software Engineer (6645) , Senior Software Engineer (1750) , Program Manager (1399) , Software Engineer II (1042) , Software Development Engineer (888) , Senior Program Manager (861) , Product Manager (725) , Intern (690) , Technical Support Engineer (687) , Software Developer (669) , Software Development Engineer (SDE) (631) , Consultant (547) , Software Engineer(Internship) (535) , Director (531) , Project Manager (480)

What are the pros of working at Microsoft according to real employee reviews?

"They provide great benefits and you get a lot of exposure if interested in full time corporate role" ((in 6275 reviews)); "Work/Life balance is good and entirely up to you make it what you want it to be" ((in 5354 reviews)); "Some really great people working in the Inside sales teams and the building is fantastic." ((in 4361 reviews)); "Office had a lot of talented folks when I left in 2023 and a great culture." ((in 4019 reviews)); "A lot of the work is driven by individual performance within a team environment and the pay is good." ((in 2100 reviews))

What are the cons of working at Microsoft according to real employee reviews?

"Bad managers abound and there is not much remedy for that except for leaving the job." ((in 1454 reviews)); "life balance in hardware due to frequent unplanned work travel and evening calls; bloated meetings; some poor management" ((in 1194 reviews)); "Frequent layoffs and zero job security regardless of your performance" ((in 767 reviews)); "Long hours you have to wait till the last customer leave it’s energy consuming some of the customers are unrespectful" ((in 488 reviews)); "Senior Leadership on their own mission for career advancement and have little time or concern for the core workforce." ((in 448 reviews))

Microsoft Software Engineer I/II reviews

4.0

84% would recommend to a friend

(1,074 total reviews)

Satya Nadella

77% approve of CEO

75% positive business outlook

Company ratings over time

Ratings trend for the last 6 months (1,074 reviews)

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

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Parent or family caregiver

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Software Engineer I/II employees have rated Microsoft with 4.0 out of 5 stars, based on 1,074 company reviews on Glassdoor. This indicates that most Software Engineer I/II professionals have a good working experience there. Microsoft is rated in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) by Software Engineer I/II professionals compared to other employers within the Information Technology industry (3.9 stars).

Reviews by job title

1K reviews

4.0

May 13, 2026

Good work-life balance but slow and low-paying

Software engineer ii

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Good work life balance, nice environment

Cons

Slow process, low pay compared to other small companies in the country

5.0

May 7, 2026

Smart colleagues and good benefits, but role changes lack support

Software engineer ii

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Work with smart, driven people Great benefits Fairly competitive pay

Cons

Many coworkers would code for fun outside of work or work outside of normal business hours, and it made me feel like I'd never be able to keep up because I wanted a life outside of work. Management changed my role responsibilities to security, which I wasn't interested in, and they did not provide sufficient support to help me get up to speed.

5.0

Apr 28, 2026

Great work-life balance with lower pay than big tech

Software engineer ii

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

- Great work life balance - Wonderful management - Collaborative team

Cons

- Pay might be less than other big tech companies

Viewing 22 - 24 of 1,074 Reviews

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Microsoft Software Engineer I/II reviews

Company ratings over time

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Reviews by job title

Good work-life balance but slow and low-paying

Smart colleagues and good benefits, but role changes lack support

Great work-life balance with lower pay than big tech

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