We’ve been discussing today the allegation that Bill Gates was less than accurate in his contention to Washington Post columnist David Broder a year ago that Microsoft starts H-1B visa hires at about $100,000. Here is a company spokesperson’s reply to my request for comment:
The need to attract and retain talent is vital. The positions we seek to fill are for those with the highest levels of skill available and for which there are no U.S. candidates. Competition for that talent is global and intense. As we highlighted in a letter to Congress last year, “The H-1B program has strong wage requirements and other protections for U.S. workers. Moreover, Microsoft compensates its H-1B workers at the same high levels as U.S. workers, and at levels substantially above the government set ‘prevailing wages’ for each occupation (although some critics have confused the ‘prevailing wage’ level for what Microsoft actually pays its employees), for example:
— Software Development Engineers averaged over $109,000 in total direct compensation in 2005.
— Program Managers averaged over $110,000 in total direct compensation in 2005.
Something tells me that there is significance in the phrase “total direct compensation.” Recall that Broder’s description of what Gates told him was that “salaries for these jobs at Microsoft start at about $100,000 a year.”
I’m not thinking those are the same thing, but it’s been a long day and it’s getting longer.
As for the bit about “no U.S. candidates,” it is simply a lie.
