below marketmost similar roles pay hereabove market
This role pays less than
66%
of similar roles. Most pay
$149,337–$214,000
— the blue band above.
At the midpoint, this role pays about
$152k
versus about
$182k
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
694 open roles
on FindRole.
Listed pay typically runs
$119,800–$234,700
across 651 roles with salary data.
Software Engineer II - Operating Systems (OS) Software/Hardware Optimization joins the WSSI Compute Fundamentals team to optimize GPU and AI workloads across the entire software stack. This role involves deep diving into AI and GPU code to analyze performance, power, and reliability fundamentals within the Windows operating system. The engineer will design, implement, and test OS improvements, collect telemetry logs to identify bottlenecks, and contribute to architecture design documents. Key technical requirements include proficiency in C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python, along with experience in Windows or Linux environments. Candidates should possess knowledge of DirectX, Vulkan, ONNX, and MLPerf. The work focuses on solving hardware and software integration challenges to improve the performance of AI models and graphics processing units on Windows-based PCs.
What does a Software Engineer earn?
Median $197400 from 2576 postings across 150 companies.
Analyze AI and GPU code and the operating system to evaluate performance, power, and reliability.
Collect telemetry and logs using internal and external tools to identify bugs and bottlenecks.
Design, implement, and test feature and operating-system improvements in the latest Windows OS.
Build secure, scalable, and compliant code using AI and review both human- and AI-generated code.
Integrate agentic AI and automated processes into daily tools and workflows.
Contribute to architecture discussions and design documents to ensure performance, privacy, and compliance.
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.
4+ years of technical engineering experience (preferred).
Demonstrated proficiency in C/C++ and scripting languages including PowerShell (preferred).
Familiarity with benchmark usage such as 3DMark, Procyon AI, MLPerf, and performance analysis (preferred).
Demonstrated knowledge of modern operating system and application analysis including Windows or Linux (preferred).
Experience with AI workloads, APIs, application development, AI/NPU hardware, or driver development (preferred).
Knowledge of graphics processing unit APIs such as DirectX or Vulkan and graphical application development (preferred).
C/C++
Swift
Objective-C
Linux
OS Architecture
Distributed Systems
Docker
Kubernetes
systemd
launchd
IPC
Virtualization
Containerization
Cloud Computing
Hardware Acceleration
GPUs
TPUs
ASICs
System Programming