Side-by-Side Comparison
EY
Open AI Roles
84
Salary Range
$91K - $374K
Top Roles
AI/ML Engineer, AI Architect, AI Software Engineer, AI Product Manager
Top Skills
AzurePythonAwsLangchainOpenai
% Remote
0.0%
Experience Mix
Entry 4%, Mid 48%, Senior 49%
Company Stage
Unknown
Microsoft
Open AI Roles
78
Salary Range
$64K - $331K
Top Roles
AI/ML Engineer, Research Scientist, AI Product Manager, AI Safety
Top Skills
AzurePythonPrompt EngineeringJavascriptPower Bi
% Remote
1.3%
Experience Mix
Mid 51%, Senior 49%
Company Stage
Unknown
Who Wins?
Best for Salary
Microsoft
Median ceiling ~$261K
Best for Remote
Microsoft
1.3% remote positions
Most Roles Available
EY
84 open AI positions
Quick Verdict
For compensation, Microsoft offers significantly higher pay, with median salary ceilings roughly 12% above EY. Both companies are actively hiring with a similar number of open AI roles (84 at EY vs 78 at Microsoft).
Which Should You Choose?
Choose EY if you prioritize:
- more open positions (84 active AI roles)
- working with Langchain, Aws, Docker
Choose Microsoft if you want:
- higher compensation with median salary ceilings above the competition
- broader role variety across 8 different AI job categories
- working with Prompt Engineering, Power Bi, Pytorch
Career Considerations
Beyond headline salary numbers, consider what each company offers for long-term career growth. Remote work flexibility also affects quality of life and total compensation when you factor in commute costs and geographic salary adjustments.
Frequently Asked Questions
Microsoft currently shows higher median salary ceilings for AI positions. EY ranges around $91K - $374K while Microsoft ranges around $64K - $331K. Keep in mind that posted salary ranges reflect base compensation and often exclude equity, signing bonuses, and annual performance bonuses that can add 10-30% to total compensation. Actual offers also depend on specific role, seniority level, location, and negotiation. Check individual job listings for the most current figures.
Microsoft offers more remote opportunities at 1.3% of their AI roles. EY is at 0.0% remote while Microsoft is at 1.3% remote. Remote availability can shift quickly as companies adjust return-to-office policies. Some roles listed as hybrid may allow mostly remote work in practice. If remote work is a priority, filter by the remote tag on individual company pages and pay attention to whether the listing specifies a geographic requirement.
EY focuses on AI/ML Engineer, AI Architect roles, while Microsoft emphasizes AI/ML Engineer, Research Scientist. Skill requirements also differ: EY prioritizes Azure, Python, Aws, while Microsoft looks for Azure, Python, Prompt Engineering. These differences often reflect each company's core AI products and business model. The tech stack you work with early in your career shapes your trajectory, so consider which skill set aligns with your long-term goals.
Career growth depends on company stage, team size, and role scope. EY (Unknown) has 84 open AI roles, while Microsoft (Unknown) has 78. Companies with more open roles often provide faster internal mobility and broader project exposure. Look at the experience mix breakdown above to gauge whether each company is primarily hiring senior talent or building entry-level pipelines, as this signals different mentorship and advancement cultures.
Data Source: Analysis based on 162 AI job postings collected and verified by AI Pulse. Data reflects active job listings as of October 2026. Salary figures represent posted compensation ranges and may not include equity, bonuses, or other benefits.
Get Weekly AI Career Intelligence
Salary data, skills demand, and market signals from 16,000+ AI job postings. Every Monday.
Free weekly email. Unsubscribe anytime.