Skip to contentSkip to footer
      employer cover photo
      employer logo
      employer logo

      Microsoft

      Engaged Employer

      Microsoft Software Development Engineer (SDE) reviews

      4.3

      85% would recommend to a friend

      (520 total reviews)
      avatar

      Satya Nadella

      90% approve of CEO

      82% positive business outlook

      Ratings by demographic groups

      Software Development Engineer (SDE) employees have rated Microsoft with 4.3 out of 5 stars, based on 520 company reviews on Glassdoor. This indicates that most Software Development Engineer (SDE) professionals have an excellent working experience there. Microsoft is rated in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) by Software Development Engineer (SDE) professionals compared to other employers within the Informationstechnologie industry (3.9 stars).

      Reviews by job title

      520 reviews
      3.0
      Oct 27, 2025

      Strong brand, excellent benefits — but career momentum and bureaucracy can slow you down at Microsoft

      Software development engineer (sde)
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      Many employees highlight the robust compensation and benefits package — health care, retirement matching, stock-programs and other perks. Working at Microsoft means being part of a globally recognized company, often with access to very large scale systems, rich resources, and a technology environment that many find motivating. The company generally rates well in terms of hiring brand and reputation: on Glassdoor the company averages ~4.0 out of 5 stars in employee reviews. Many teams offer a fair work-life balance (at least in certain roles/locations), flexibility (remote/hybrid options) and the chance to collaborate with talented colleagues. Clear possibilities to learn and grow technically (especially if you actively move between teams) as you work on large systems and interesting problems.

      Cons

      The downside of being a large organisation: many employees report bureaucracy, slow decision-making, many approvals required, and complexity in moving or changing teams. Career progression can be inconsistent: employees say that your growth often depends heavily on your team, manager, and visibility of your project rather than guaranteed upward mobility. Workload and expectation vary widely — some roles report long hours or high stress depending on team, customer demands, or project cycle. Because of the scale and established tech stack, some employees feel there is less freedom to pick technologies, innovate in certain directions or make rapid change. Some reviews highlight that in non-central locations (outside HQ) or certain teams, visibility, promotion or support may be lower.

      Viewing 34 - 36 of 520 Reviews
      Related searches: Microsoft Software Development Engineer (SDE) jobs | Microsoft Software Development Engineer (SDE) salaries | Microsoft benefits | Microsoft Software Development Engineer (SDE) interviews | Microsoft conversations
      Microsoft reviewsMicrosoft Software Development Engineer (SDE) reviews

      Glassdoor has 68,419 Microsoft reviews submitted anonymously by Microsoft employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Microsoft is right for you.