below marketmost similar roles pay hereabove market
This role pays less than
51%
of similar roles. Most pay
$144,350–$214,000
— the blue band above.
At the midpoint, this role pays about
$152k
versus about
$179k
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
661 open roles
on FindRole.
Listed pay typically runs
$119,800–$234,700
across 633 roles with salary data.
The Software Engineer II - AI Infrastructure joins the Cloud + AI team to build secure, scalable, and high-performance AI experiences across multimodal verticals like real-time audio interaction, image generation, and AI safety systems. You will work across the full technology stack, designing and building scalable architectures for inference backends and API interfaces while debugging and optimizing existing components. The role requires applying distributed systems principles to deliver end-to-end solutions for products used by millions. Key technical requirements include proficiency in languages such as C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, Python, or Rust. You will utilize tools like Kubernetes, Docker, Azure Devops, gRPC, FastAPI, Autogen, Semantic Kernel, and LangChain to solve complex problems involving ML/AI fundamentals and scalable architecture.
What does a Software Engineer earn in California?
Median $214500 from 1178 postings across 77 companies.
Design and build scalable, reliable architectures for AI inference backends and API interfaces.
Apply distributed systems principles to create robust, high-performance AI solutions.
Debug and resolve issues across the full technology stack to ensure fast turnaround for critical fixes.
Architect and execute new features with measurable goals and rapid iteration.
Develop end-to-end solutions spanning from infrastructure components to high-level APIs.
Identify non-obvious technical approaches to unlock new possibilities for AI platforms.
Maintain the reliability, safety, and efficiency of AI systems serving millions of customers.
What we're looking for
Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or related technical field and 2+ years of technical engineering experience with coding in languages like C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python.
Equivalent experience to the degree and years of experience requirement.
Master's Degree in Computer Science or related technical field and 3+ years of technical engineering experience with coding in languages like C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python (preferred).
Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or related technical field and 5+ years of technical engineering experience with coding in languages like C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python (preferred).
Core technical competencies in distributed systems, scalable architecture, API design, ML/AI fundamentals, and delivering AI-based solutions.
Familiarity with Kubernetes, Azure Devops, Docker, AI/ML frameworks, Python, C++, C#, Rust, gRPC, FastAPI, Autogen, Semantic Kernel, or LangChain.
Optional experience with OpenAI API or Azure OpenAI.
Strong communication, collaboration, problem-solving, strategic thinking, and adaptability skills.
Distributed Systems
Machine Learning Operations
Azure
Kubernetes
CI/CD
Infrastructure as Code
Python
C++
C#
Java
JavaScript
C
Containers
Site Reliability Engineering
Observability
Capacity Planning
Workflow Engines
Orchestration Systems