This role pays more than
69%
of similar roles. Most pay
$149,500–$188,277
— the shaded band above.
At the midpoint, this role pays about
$177k
versus about
$169k
for comparable roles.
Based on 240 similar postings.
Employer
About Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is a global technology leader producing software, hardware, and cloud services including Windows, Office 365, Azure cloud platform, Xbox gaming, and Surface devices. Industry: Software & Cloud Computing
Microsoft currently has
598 open roles
on FindRole.
Listed pay typically runs
$119,800–$234,700
across 586 roles with salary data.
As a Senior Software Engineer in the CoreOS team, you will develop threat-resistant platform capabilities for Windows Server across on-premises, hybrid, and cloud-connected deployments. You will translate security requirements into shipping code by implementing secure-by-design features, closing systemic vulnerability classes, and strengthening trust boundaries from firmware through the kernel and virtualization layers. Your daily responsibilities include designing validation frameworks with automated testing and fuzzing, building observability pipelines via telemetry insights, and contributing to threat modeling for high-severity risks. You will work with C, C++, C#, Python, Rust, PowerShell, or Kusto to build secure components. The role focuses on the technical challenge of securing infrastructure against modern attacker techniques like credential theft and lateral movement while ensuring performance and reliability across critical systems.
What does a Software Engineer earn in Washington?
Median $202800 from 326 postings across 28 companies.
Translate security architecture and threat models into production-ready code for Windows Server.
Design and implement validation frameworks using automated testing and fuzzing to catch defects early.
Implement secure-by-design features including cryptographic standards, key management, and hardening baselines.
Build observability pipelines using telemetry and security metrics to measure control effectiveness in production.
Conduct threat modeling and security reviews to mitigate high-severity threats and systemic vulnerabilities.
Develop targeted test cases and regression coverage to ensure long-term stability of security fixes.
Respond to security incidents by coordinating with cross-functional teams to deliver containment and remediation.
Analyze real-world attack patterns to implement post-incident hardening improvements for the platform.
What we're looking for
Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or related technical field and 4+ years of engineering experience with coding in C, C++, C#, or Python.
6+ years of professional software engineering experience including designing automated tests and validation (preferred).
Experience or demonstrated interest in OS fundamentals and/or software and system security (preferred).
Demonstrated experience in confidential computing and using cryptography in a secure way (preferred).
Familiarity with platform security controls such as Secure Boot, TPM, VBS, code integrity, Credential Guard, WDAC, BitLocker, and Secured-core (preferred).
Understanding of threat modeling, modern attacker techniques, and detection through security telemetry and observability (preferred).