As of October 27, 2026, Level lists 627 live roles that mention Azure and rate Works on AI or higher, and 264 of them are rated Builds AI. Microsoft just offered buyouts to about 60,000 employees. This guide shows which employers they are and what the roles pay. The count is a keyword match, so some multi-cloud postings are included.
What happened
On October 26, 2026, CNBC reported that around 60,000 Microsoft employees are eligible for a new voluntary buyout program across four countries. NBC News described the offer as a way to contain costs and help fund Microsoft's AI spending.
NBC News also reported that the program is time-limited and voluntary, and that eligibility is set at Microsoft's internal "Level 70" and below. The eligible countries are the United States, Canada, India and the United Kingdom. That grade is Microsoft's own and has nothing to do with the Level ratings used on this site.
SFGate also covered the story. Taking a buyout is voluntary, so the number of people who will leave is not yet known.
Do Microsoft skills transfer to other AI employers?
Azure is the cloud platform many companies run their AI work on, so the skill is not tied to one employer. As of October 27, 2026, Level shows 627 live roles that mention Azure and are rated Works on AI or Builds AI.
Databricks has 74 of them and PwC has 62, so those two employers alone hold 136 of the 627. State Street has 19, Wolters Kluwer 18, and Orange 17.
If you want the full picture of how layoffs and hiring move together this year, read our 2026 layoffs and AI hiring numbers.
How much of this work is hands-on AI?
As of October 27, 2026, 264 of the 627 Azure roles are rated Builds AI (Level 4), which is 42%. Another 363 are rated Works on AI (Level 3). The ratings are explained on the levels page, and you can browse all Works on AI roles.
Builds AI means the job is to create AI systems, such as model pipelines or agents. Works on AI means AI is a core part of the daily work. Listed titles include Senior AI Engineer, Solutions Architect, Senior Data Scientist, and Forward Deployed Engineer.
Read each posting for the Azure services it names, because requirements differ between a platform role and a data science role. The 264 Builds AI roles are listed under Level 4.
Can you work remotely and what does it pay?
As of October 27, 2026, 195 of the Azure roles rated Works on AI or higher allow remote work. Across all Azure roles at any level, 588 allow remote work. If location matters after a buyout, start with remote AI jobs.
Pay is posted on fewer roles than location or level, which is common in job ads. As of October 27, 2026, 179 of the 627 roles show a USD salary range. The midpoint of those ranges has a median above $213,000. Ranges depend on seniority and location, and many of these postings are senior, so read the figure as a guide for experienced candidates.
Practical steps help here. Filter by Works on AI first, since those roles ask for AI skills but not research training. Then sort by remote and by salary shown, and compare titles across several employers before you apply.
Databricks is the largest single source of these roles, so its company page is a useful place to compare titles and levels.
