Google’s salary data leaked; Racial, gender pay discrimination exposed

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Insider
9 Sep 2023 16:24

The Insider's report says that the gender pay-gap in sales was surprisingly tilted toward women rather than men.

A technician passes by the logo of US internet search giant Google during the opening day of a new office in Berlin, Germany, on January 22, 2019. (AFP)

Google's black male employees make $20,000 less than their white colleagues, leaked Google Pay data revealed, according to The Insider, raising concerns about the ongoing racial discrimination in the workplace.

Salaries of 12,000 American employees were recorded in an internal spreadsheet, registering salaries paid out in 2022. The document, which was reviewed by the site, was voluntarily submitted by company staff.

The leaked Google salary data unveils a clear trend: Employees who had been with the company for a longer duration and occupied more senior positions generally enjoyed higher salaries.

For example, the top-tier base salary was observed in the case of a level 7 software engineer, who earned an impressive $718,000 as their base salary, coupled with a comprehensive compensation package approaching $800,000. Notably, certain senior software engineers reported total compensation exceeding the million-dollar mark, primarily due to substantial bonuses and equity components.

The majority of software engineers earned base salaries spanning from $100,000 to $375,000.

These findings raise questions about the tech giant's commitment to fully implementing the equity component of its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policy, as they reveal discernible disparities in compensation based on both race and gender.

Pay discrepancies between races, genders

The leaked document does indeed underscore discrepancies in pay associated with both race and gender. However, it also sheds light on some noteworthy exceptions to prevailing corporate norms. One striking example is that women working within Google's sales team tend to earn higher average salaries compared to their male counterparts.

However, it’s worth noting that Google’s average “minimum base salary” is relatively low in some of the most expensive areas to live in the United States, such as New York City and Silicon Valley. In New York City, the reported average “minimum base salary” is $48,000, which may be insufficient to cover living expenses in the city in 2023.

As reported by the news site, Google employs a structured level system to assess the salary tiers and job roles of its staff. In general, a higher level equates to increased compensation and more significant job responsibilities. This level scale spans from 0, primarily for interns, to 10, with exceptional individuals like Jeff Dean and Sanjay Ghemawat achieving the prestigious "senior fellow" position at level 11.

Google's average "minimum base salary" appears relatively modest in some of the United States' most expensive regions, including New York City and Silicon Valley. For instance, the reported average "minimum base salary" in NYC stands at $48,000, potentially falling short of covering the cost of living in the city in 2023.

Google customizes salaries

However, like many tech companies, the company customizes salaries to align with the varying living expenses in different locations. Typically, salaries are more substantial in high-cost areas like the Bay Area and New York, whereas they may be comparatively lower in regions like Colorado and Georgia. Nevertheless, it's important to note that there can be exceptions to this general pattern.

The firm’s latest diversity report, published in 2022, reveals that its US employees consist of 33.9 percent women, almost half that of men at 66.1 percent.

While the leaked data lacks precise salary figures for roles in sales and business positions, it clearly demonstrates Google's strong recognition of the importance of professionals in these fields – whose jobs generate the most revenue for the company. Consequently, the company provides competitive base salaries to ensure that employees in these roles receive appropriate compensation.