Amazon Software Engineer Levels, And Their Salaries, How I Got The Job (2023)

Amazon has six different job levels and salary structures accordingly. All companies in the technology sector are based on a tiered salary structure. The higher a person's level, the higher the salary. Amazon also has different salary levels depending on the job title. So how much can a Software Development Engineer or SDE earn on Amazon? Let's look at Amazon's software engineer level descriptions.

Amazon has six levels for a software development engineer, and each SDE level has a salary award. Amazon's salary structure is divided into base salary, annual bonuses or payments, and restricted inventory units, or RSUs. In addition, Amazon also offers numerous benefits ranging from health insurance to shipping benefits.

Steps to Becoming a Software Developer on Amazon

• Step 1: Mandatory Requirements or Educational Qualifications

You must have the educational qualifications that Amazon looks for in a candidate. First, the candidate must have a master's or bachelor's degree in computer science or a related field.

Learn about the basic qualifications needed to apply for SDE II on Amazon:

• Bachelor's degree in computer science or related field
• Professional experience of at least one year.
• Domain of any of the languages ​​such as C, C++, Java and more. This now just depends on the specific project they are recruiting a candidate for.
• Knowledge of data structures, algorithms and object-oriented design.
• Sometimes knowledge of big data tools like Hadoop, AWS Lambda, etc. is also required.
• Knowledge of the software development lifecycle, testing, build processes and code reviews. All of these are essential for a candidate.
• Excellent communication skills, willing to take on any task and deal with complexities, problem solving skills advise SDE 1 engineers to improve their skills.
• All the latest tech skills come in handy too, like machine learning, databases, user interfaces, and more.

• Step 2: Work experience

A candidate with or without experience working at Amazon will be hired. It should be noted that requirements vary from one specific role to another. You could be nicer and work at Amazon. Also, campus recruiters are being heavily hired by Amazon. It is important that newer candidates have exceptional programming knowledge or skills that set them apart. Gaining work experience is recommended as you will be well prepared for the typical IT environment. Even if you don't, make sure you have an explainable skill set.

• Step 3: Employment opportunities for freshmen/students

Amazon caters to all the bright minds around the world, providing opportunities for students in roles such as Software Development Engineer (SDE), Support Engineers, etc. Amazon offers both student and full-time opportunities allowing them to work in a team, e.g. B. Amazon Workspace, finance, devices, etc. Need help finding student opportunities? You can find the direct link here: https://www.amazon.jobs/en/business_categories/student-programs

• Step 4: Sign up to various online portals.

In addition to Amazon's official online job portal, candidates can also apply for the BDS position through other websites such as Indeed.com, Jobapplications.net, Jobcase.com, LinkedIn. The direct link to the websites is shown below:

https://www.amazon.jobs/landing_pages/online-bewerbung

https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/amazon-software-development-engineer-jobs?position=1&pageNum=0

• Step 5: Look for a recommendation.

There is nothing more important than getting to the Amazon interview stage. So this is what you have to do:

1. Find a friend/colleague who works at Amazon
2. Find jobs that interest you and send the links to your friends.
3. Also send your CV along with the link to the job offers.
4. With the internal tool, your friend or colleague will recommend you and soon you will receive an email.
5. Human Resources will review your profile and schedule an interview.
6. The interview process is then broken down into an assessment, an on-campus interview and a team match, all explained by HR during the first call.

Assessment:The assessment takes place online and presents a programming challenge, so brush up on your programming skills.

Non-local interview:It's nothing, but they'll call you at the Amazon office for an interview.

Team pairing:HR will send your resume to several teams, and each manager interested in hiring you will again request a brief interview.

References help you skip long candidate waiting lists and simplify the process even further. So if you have friends who work at Amazon, get a referral right away.

Hierarchical Structure of a Software Engineer at Amazon

From college recruits to seasoned professionals, anyone can join Amazon if they have the right skills. Below is the hierarchy of software developers at Amazon. There are a total of 6 levels of software engineer at Amazon, and as an engineer moves up the ladder, the salary varies accordingly.

• Amazon Software Engineer Level 4 (L4) - SDE Entry Level I– SDE 1 or Junior Engineer was recently listed on Amazon. Therefore, the experience of an SDE 1 is less than one year. They are usually college recruits and inexperienced. His responsibilities include working with senior engineers. They are also involved in developing the design and architecture of the products belonging to the respective team for which SDE 1 works. It is necessary to maintain excellent product quality and provide strong technical guidance to the technical team.
• Amazon Software Engineer Level 5 (L5): SDE II– College recruit, after gaining a handful of experience, is promoted to SDE II after 2-3 years of experience. So an SDE II is an engineer who has been with Amazon for some time. SDE II level engineers have experience with large codebases as well as architecture experience. As an SDE II Engineer at Amazon, you will work on the implementation of a product's key features and also be involved in its introduction. SDE II engineers use a wide range of technologies such as AWS ElasticSearch, Lambda, etc.
• Amazon Software Engineer Level 6 (L6): SDE III –A Level 6 engineer should have experience with agile methodology, user interfaces and building scalable services. Also, knowledge of AWS services like Lambda, Dynamo, etc. it would be an advantage. and Javascript frameworks like Angular, React, etc.
• Amazon Stufe 7 (L7) Software Engineer: Principal SDE– "Principal" on Amazon refers to a position higher than "Senior". Principal SDE on Amazon stands for Experienced Programmer. It is one of the highest paid and also very competitive job profiles on Amazon.
• Amazon Software Engineer (Senior Principal Software Engineer) - L8– Level 8 Amazon employees are directors. It's a highly competitive tier, and Amazon doesn't necessarily hire randomly at that tier.
• Different SDE (L10)– The Level 10 SDE at Amazon can be a CTO (Technical Director), Vice President (VP) or Distinguished Engineers who have sole responsibility for software development such as Kindle or AWS (Amazon Workspace). This could also include engineers who previously worked at Microsoft and are now part of Amazon. It should be noted that after level 7 only a few people are at level 8 or level 10.

Initially, most engineers will work at lower levels. It takes consistency, perseverance and hard work to reach these higher levels.

What does a software engineer at Amazon do?

Amazon is known for its fast-paced culture. It's not like any other product company that makes you wonder what task I should do next. It is critical that software developers and Amazon prioritize, communicate, and execute on project plans and roadmaps. Engineers must also work with the technical team to define technical requirements and perform agile implementations. There is a need to deliver operational service excellence as well as top-notch customer service. Amazon trains its software engineers to think ahead about problems a customer might face and also work on their solutions.

Amazon Software Development Engineers Salary Structure

Below is the salary structure for software development engineers at Amazon. Amazon's salary structure looks something like this:

• Year 1: Base Salary (BS) + Annual Pay + RSU (5 percent)
• Year 2: Base Salary (BS) + Annual Pay + RSU (15 percent)
• Year 3: Base Salary (BS) + RSU (40 percent)
• Year 4: Base Salary (BS) + RSU (40 percent)

As we can see, there are three main components to Amazon's salary structure:

1. base salary
2. annual payment
3. ASUs or Restricted Stock Units

Due to the structured salary structure, each Amazon employee is paid a base salary of $159,000 when the employee is at Level 4 or higher. RSUs are nothing more than actions that Amazon offers its employees. For the first two years all Amazon employees receive bonuses, after that there is no bonus instead of RSU. It should be noted that an employee does not receive these shares immediately, but only at the end of the grace period.

Bonuses or annual payments offered are signing bonuses given to employees for the first year and the following year. They are offered along with the paycheck, so for the first two years it's just an additional salary.

The above refers to the complete BDS salary structure. Information was quoted using the blueprints.FYI

Salary structure comparison between other big tech companies and Amazon

When we compare the pay structure of other big tech companies to Amazon's, here's what we find.

As you can see on Google, it doesn't have an entry level, but is immediately defined as SWEL3, while SDE I is for Amazon level 4. The salary structure is lower than Google's but higher than Microsoft's.

Benefits of working at Amazon

Amazon is kind of a big tech company that offers its employees not only monetary compensation but other beneficial benefits as well. In addition to a good salary, employees receive many other benefits such as dental insurance, medical insurance, travel expenses and much more. Additionally, Amazon offers its employees an added benefit by having a dog-friendly workplace. Yes! And truth; You are not stubborn with the pet. You can take it to your workplace for a day or two. Amazon also offers its employees a 401(k), retirement, and investment plan. Contributions to the 401(k) are deducted from the employee's check and invested in funds of your choice.

But wait, there's more. Below are the benefits that Amazon offers its employees. Let's take a look and get an idea about it.

• insurance and vacation– Amazon offers dental, vision, life, health, and pet insurance to its employees.
• paternity and maternity leave– Ten weeks of maternity leave and four weeks of paid leave before giving birth, six weeks of paternity leave. Applies only to employees who have been with the company for at least one year.
• paid holidays– Amazon Paid Vacations are broken down as follows:
  • 0-1 years: 16 days of paid vacation
  • 1 year: 21 days of paid vacation
  • ≥ 6 years: 26 days of paid vacation.
• health savings accountvalue of $1,000 per year.
• life insuranceup to $500,000, which is double the employees' base salary.
• transport advantages
  • corporate transport service
  • transport voucher
• Regionales Transitsystem Regional– Regional traffic compensation
• Other assignments:
  • relocation bonus: Amazon is offering a $10,000 bonus along with immigration assistance.
  • Employee discount:For all Amazon employees, it offers a 10% discount on all purchases up to $1,000.
  • adoption assistance
  • Phone bill refund

Beyond monetary benefits, Amazon is all about fostering a positive work culture. Thus, it leaves no stone unturned in offering its employees the benefits and meeting their needs. All of which goes to show how cheap it would be to work with Amazon.

Diploma

Now that we know the different salary levels and the benefits that this great technology offers, it is quite obvious that Amazon is the right place. Amazon not only gave its employees the workplace to grow in, but also fostered a positive work culture. From the recruit to the seasoned employee, the benefits are countless. As a freshman, you can expect a total compensation of 150,000, but it increases with experience.

Overall, it's a great place to work where employers value their employees and vice versa. From health and maternity leave benefits to a favorable employee discount, employers can take advantage of it all here. Amazon values ​​its employees and trains each employee to work with the best technology. These are not just limited to software engineers. Each employee has the opportunity to take ownership of the project and show a genuine commitment to its excellence.

common questions

1. Is it worth working as a Software Engineering Developer (SDE) at Amazon?

Yes, Amazon is indeed the best place to work. With a decent base package, employees also get bonuses as well as Restricted Stock Units, or RSUs. You have to work hard, but it's worth it. Plus, the benefits that Amazon offers, in addition to the financial rewards, make it an ideal place to work.

2. How many hours does a Software Engineering Developer (SDE) have to work at Amazon?

Normal times are a minimum of 7 hours, but it is entirely up to you and your deadlines. If you are a hard worker and want to keep changing hours, there are scenarios where the staff leaves at 11 or so. There is no strict schedule, you can leave whenever you want. It is necessary that the results of the work are delivered on time, so the working hours are extended two or three times a week, as usual.

3. Is it hard to get a BDS job on Amazon?

It's not difficult, but it's not easy either. It's always difficult to get a job at a big tech company, but if you're strategic and use your resources efficiently, it's not impossible. In addition, at the end of the day, what counts are your skills, which differentiate you from other candidates. Try to get recommendations from employees who work at Amazon. It's the easiest way to skip the long lines of applicants and stay ahead of the pack.

4. How does the Amazon interview work?

The Amazon application process consists of 3-4 rounds. You'll get an overview of this during your phone call to the human resources department. An online assessment followed by an on-site interview plus a team mailing session is what the Amazon interview process is all about.

5. Are SDEs Paying Well on Amazon?

Yes, the salary structure above shows that all employees receive numerous benefits. An entry-level software engineer has a base salary of $124,226 plus bonus and RSU. After two years, the bonus no longer applies; instead, employees are rewarded in the form of RSUs or restricted inventory units.

6. Who pays more Google or Amazon?

It's difficult to predict Google's salary structure because the salary levels of these two big tech companies are very different. Based on data from level.FYI, SWE II has a base salary of $131,022. For a detailed breakdown of Google's salary structure, visit level.FYI.

7. What is the overall experience of working at Amazon as an SDE?

Based on reviews from several software developers working at Amazon, the overall experience as an SDE was pleasant. SDE can work on different technologies, expand their skills and handle situations independently. In addition, the salary package is good, with additional benefits, which I have no regrets about.

8. Does Amazon have a funeral policy?

Yes, Amazon offers its employees a funeral vacation policy. The respective employee is granted 3 vacation days to attend the funeral/funeral preparations.

9. Does Amazon pay its employees when they leave?

No, Amazon does not pay its employees for accumulated unused sheets. The policy also applies if the employee leaves the company on good terms and/or upon termination. While Amazon has a "Pay to Leave" policy which states that full-time employees who have been with Amazon for at least one year can resign in exchange for $5,000. Also, you cannot rejoin Amazon after you leave.

10. What is the highest paying job on Amazon?

Initially, all engineers join Amazon as SDE I or SDE II and the salary structure is as described above. But as experience increases, so does the salary structure. Below are some of the best paying jobs on Amazon:

• Senior Engineering Manager, Lead Software Engineer
• Senior Software Development Manager,
• senior software development manager and so on.

11. How can I get started at Amazon as a freshman or recent graduate?

You see, Amazon doesn't necessarily hire recent graduates with no experience. To join Amazon you will undoubtedly need an explainable set of skills listed above. Not only does this provide the recruiter with information about your skills, it also streamlines the team-building process.

It is essential that as a freshman you know algorithms, data structures, any of the programming languages ​​like C# or Java etc. A call for an interview does not end the process. There are a total of 3-4 rounds to get hired on Amazon. You need to have excellent programming skills to join Amazon as an SDE.

Amazon Software Engineer Levels And Their Salaries