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Microsoft System Engineer Jobs in Seattle, WA (NOW HIRING)

Principal Software Engineer

Redmond, WA · On-site

$151K - $202K/yr

Microsoft's mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more ... Solid C/C++ systems programming experience. * Deep understanding of: * Database storage engines

Senior Software Engineer

Redmond, WA · On-site

$160K - $261K/yr

... Microsoft to bring new capabilities to the platform. Success in this role requires depth in browser, runtime, or systems engineering; solid systems thinking; the ability to contribute to technical ...

Senior Software Engineer

Redmond, WA · On-site

$119K - $234K/yr

In Core OS, we are responsible for the Operating Systems (OS) that power Azure, Microsoft's Linux ... Ownership of the software engineering process from design, development, code review, validation ...

Senior Quantum Engineer

Redmond, WA · On-site

$117K - $160K/yr

This opportunity will allow you to grow as a systems engineer, hone expertise in quantum measurement, and gain experience working as part of fast-paced and interdisciplinary-teams. Microsoft ...

... systems engineering, or industrial controls OR equivalent experience. Security Clearance Requirements: Candidates must be able to meet Microsoft, customer and/or government security screening ...

Showing results 21-40

Microsoft System Engineer information

See Seattle, WA salary details

$60.9K

$144.8K

$190.1K

How much do microsoft system engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 2, 2026, the average yearly pay for microsoft system engineer in Seattle, WA is $144,774.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $111,500.00 and $178,700.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does a Microsoft System Engineer do?

A Microsoft System Engineer is responsible for designing, implementing, and maintaining Microsoft-based IT systems, such as Windows servers, Active Directory, Exchange, and cloud solutions like Microsoft Azure. They ensure that these systems run efficiently, securely, and reliably to support business operations. This role often involves troubleshooting technical issues, managing network infrastructure, deploying software updates, and providing technical support to end users. Microsoft System Engineers may also participate in planning and executing upgrades or migrations to new technologies.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Microsoft System Engineer?

To thrive as a Microsoft System Engineer, you need a solid understanding of Windows Server environments, Active Directory, networking, and typically a degree in computer science or a related field. Familiarity with Microsoft tools such as PowerShell, Azure, Office 365, and certifications like Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate are highly valued. Strong problem-solving abilities, communication skills, and a proactive attitude help engineers effectively support users and collaborate with teams. These skills are crucial for maintaining secure, reliable, and efficient IT infrastructures that support organizational goals.

How does a Microsoft System Engineer typically collaborate with other IT teams within an organization?

A Microsoft System Engineer often works closely with various IT teams such as network administrators, security analysts, and application support specialists. Collaboration usually involves coordinating system upgrades, troubleshooting cross-platform issues, and implementing new infrastructure solutions to ensure seamless operation of Microsoft environments. Regular meetings, shared documentation, and ticketing systems are common tools used to facilitate teamwork and communication. This collaborative approach not only helps resolve complex technical challenges more efficiently but also ensures system changes align with broader organizational goals.

What is the difference between Microsoft System Engineer vs Network Administrator?

AspectMicrosoft System EngineerNetwork Administrator
CertificationsMicrosoft Certified: Windows Server, MCSECompTIA Network+, Cisco CCNA
Work EnvironmentDesign, implement, and manage Windows-based systems and infrastructureMaintain and troubleshoot network hardware and connectivity
Employer & Industry UsageIT departments, enterprise environments, consulting firmsOrganizations with large networks, ISPs, corporate IT teams

The Microsoft System Engineer primarily focuses on designing and managing Windows server environments, while the Network Administrator concentrates on maintaining network infrastructure. Both roles require networking and system knowledge, but their daily tasks and certifications differ, making each essential for comprehensive IT support.

Infographic showing various Microsoft System Engineer job openings in Seattle, WA as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 83% Full Time, 12% Part Time, and 4% Contract. Highlights an 92% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 6% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $144,771 per year, or $69.6 per hour.

Principal Software Engineer, Online Ads Systems

Microsoft

Redmond, WA • On-site

$188K - $304K/yr

Full-time

Re-posted 4 days ago


Microsoft rating

8.5

Company rating: 8.5 out of 10

Based on 132 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

81st of 247 rated software companies


Job description

Overview
Online Advertising is one of the fastest growing businesses on the Internet today, with about $70 billion of a $600 billion advertising market already online. Search engines, web publishers, major ad networks, and ad exchanges are now serving billions of ad impressions per day and generating terabytes of user events data every day. The rapid growth of online advertising has created enormous opportunities as well as technical challenges that demand computationally intelligence and scalable algorithms. Eventually Computational Advertising has emerged as a new interdisciplinary field that involves information retrieval, data mining, machine learning, statistical modeling, optimization, linear algebra, and micro-economics, to solve challenging problems that arise in online advertising. Ads Frontdoor is at the core of this effort, working on large distributed systems with low latency and high throughput. Today, we design, develop, and operate a global ads marketplace that has a double-digit annual growth rate. This is a self-motivated and results driven environment that will unleash your potential.
As a Principal Software Engineer and member of this team, you would help us build highly scalable, highly performant services which host state-of-the-art machine learning models. Your work will touch many components of our stack. Microsoft's mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. As employees we come together with a growth mindset, innovate to empower others, and collaborate to realize our shared goals. Each day we build on our values of respect, integrity, and accountability to create a culture of inclusion where everyone can thrive at work and beyond.
Starting January 26, 2026, Microsoft AI (MAI) employees who live within a 50- mile commute of a designated Microsoft office in the U.S. or 25-mile commute of a non-U.S., country-specific location are expected to work from the office at least four days per week. This expectation is subject to local law and may vary by jurisdiction.
Responsibilities
  • Work with BingAds stakeholders to determine requirements for new features to drive up Ads business.
  • Create system design for feature requirements.
  • Assure system meets security and compliance requirements and expectations. Creates a clear and articulated plan for testing and assuring quality of solutions.
  • Implement the features with high efficiency, extensibility, diagnosability, reliability, and maintainability with few defects.
  • Reviews code of product to assure it meets the team's and Microsoft's quality standards, is reliable and accurate, and is appropriate for the scale of the product feature.
  • Maintain operations of live service as issues arise on a rotational, on-call basis.
  • Identifies solutions and mitigations to simple and complex issues and escalates as necessary.
  • Acts as a Designated Responsible Individual (DRI) working on call to monitor system/product feature/service for degradation, downtime, or interruptions.
  • Responds within Service Level Agreement (SLA) timeframe.
  • Escalates issues to appropriate owners.
  • Builds knowledge, shares new ideas, and shares pinpoints of engineering tool gaps to improve software developer tools to support other programs, tools, and applications to create, debug, and maintain code for product features.
  • Contributes to the development of automation within production and deployment of a product feature.
  • Profile and analyze distributed system performance and capacity bottlenecks.
  • Propose and implement solutions to improve system latency and capacity to meet BingAds online serving requirements.

Qualifications
Required Qualifications:
  • Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or related technical field AND 6+ years technical engineering experience with coding in languages including, but not limited to, C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python
    • OR equivalent experience.

Preferred Qualification:
  • 5+ years of experience in distributed system engineering and multi-threading programming.
  • 5+ years of experience in machine learning and online system design, implementation and qualification.
  • 5+ years of experience in profiling and analyzing distributed system performance and capacity bottlenecks.
  • 5+ years of experience in Azure.
  • Experienced in distributed system engineering and high-performance programming.

#MicrosoftAI
Software Engineering IC5 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $142,800 - $274,800 per year. There is a different range applicable to specific work locations, within the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, and the base pay range for this role in those locations is USD $188,000 - $304,200 per year.
Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here:
https://careers.microsoft.com/us/en/us-corporate-pay
This position will be open for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.
Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran or military status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance with religious accommodations and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations.

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About Microsoft

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

Our infrastructure is comprised of a large global portfolio of more than 100 datacenters and 1 million servers. Our foundation is built upon and managed by a team of subject matter experts working to support services for more than 1 billion customers and 20 million businesses in over 90 countries worldwide. With environmental sustainability and optimization at the forefront of our datacenter design and operations, we continue to grow and evolve as we meet the ever-changing business demands that hold Microsoft as a world-class cloud provider.

Industry

Computer and computer peripheral equipment and software wholesalers

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

Redmond, WA, US

Year founded

1975

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