17 Pros and Cons of Working for AMD

AMD produces technology so widely enjoyed today that you have probably used their products and not even realized it.

But how is it to work for them?

Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.

AMD develops semiconductors, computer processors, Artificial Intelligence AI, GPUs, Graphic cards, consumer electronics, video games, and computer hardware.

Based in Santa Clara, California, the multinational company employs engineers, programmers, and administrative, marketing, and sales positions.

AMD also offers internships for students.

Should you pursue a career at AMD?

Let’s explore the pros and cons of working for AMD.

Pros of Working for AMD

AMD offers many pros that make employees happy to work there.

From great benefits to a casual environment with flexible work hours, this established company provides excellent pay, well-being programs, and outstanding internship opportunities in a creative work environment.

The following are the pros of working for AMD:

1. Great benefits

AMD offers excellent benefits from many days off on top of vacations and holidays.

Employees receive 12 paid holidays and 3 to 5 weeks of paid leave.

Employee benefits include medical, dental, and vision health and life insurance plans, including tax savings accounts.

The company also offers a 401(k) and an employee stock purchase program.

Additionally, the company benefits package provides paid bereavement leave, supports maternity and paternity leave, and provides family planning benefits with adoption and surrogacy plans.

2. Casual Environment with Flexible Work Hours

Relax! The work environment leans toward a relaxed mode.

Save money with no need to buy expensive business suits.

Like many tech companies, AMD’s dress code is casual except for specific situations, such as video conference calls or other professional meetings.

Depending on your position, many employees enjoy work-from-home flexibility.

They are also free to self-pace their work time if it aligns with deadlines.

3. Established Company

AMD has proven itself a well-established company and learned to bend and flow with changes.

The company began in 1969 and has managed to continue thriving through transitions.

By the 1980s, AMD had developed a very successful Ryzen processor and was included in the book The Best Companies to Work for in America.

In 1985, AMD made the Fortune 500 list.

From there, the company branched globally and made adjustments whenever needed to keep moving forward.

4. Great Pay

Of course, salary is often the first consideration when looking to get a job or launch a career, and AMD does not disappoint.

The company offers competitive financial benefits.

For instance, as of 2022, those in technical positions receive an average of $167,000 annually in the U.S.

This 6-figure income is double the national average for comparable jobs elsewhere.

Other sales or business-related positions also pay high.

In addition to your paycheck, there are rewards for performance, RSU Awards, annual bonuses, and retirement and savings programs.

5. Stock Market Benefits

Own a share of the company you work for with AMD’s stock market benefits for workers.

The company provides an Employee Stock Purchase Program ESPP that contributes up to 15% of salary.

The ESPP is for regular CVP-level or below employees after one month of service.

Employees can take advantage of an 85% purchase price during offering periods.

6. Time to Recharge

AMD offers much more than free coffee to perk people up in the morning for work.

Employees who feel tired or overwhelmed and need a break get paid to take a few days off.

Don’t worry.

With this employee-focused tech company, take time off when you need it most.

The tech company provides paid recharge days for employees to use as needed.

7. Well-being Programs

AMD offers a well-being program with employee assistance for the whole person, physical and emotional needs.

The company compensates for short-term counseling for mental concerns.

Depending on your office location, they provide on-site workout facilities for physical well-being.

AMD also provides help with pet care and financial and legal consultations.

8. Employee Discounts

Expect special offers from time to time as well as ongoing discounts.

All AMD employees receive a discount to purchase the company’s products.

Employees receive an Employee Rebate Program that gives employees a 30% discount on processor and graphics cards and 25% on AMD-based systems.

The company also refunds discounts on purchases of AMD retail-box CPU products after purchase from a retail store.

9. Creative Work Environment

Many AMD employees enjoy the creative work environment.

Rather than following a monotonous routine doing whatever your supervisor dictates day in and day out, this technology company taps into the ideas of its employees.

AMD sets the tone to welcome innovative and creative ideas from the employees.

Workers are encouraged to express their creative ideas.

10. Great Internship Opportunities

AMD offers top-notch internship opportunities for students.

Those accepted to the program over the years typically say that it was a great experience.

The company provides plenty of learning opportunities throughout the internship process.

They also provide resources and mentors with the equipment and tools to learn computer-industry trade skills.

Cons of Working for AMD

Of course, no company is a constant utopia of ongoing happiness and perks.

Every company has its downsides.

The following are the cons of working for AMD:

1. Difficult to Get Hired

The first hurdle in working for any company is getting hired.

Since AMD offers competitively high salaries and has a long-standing reputation in technologies, they also maintain a high standard for job applicants.

This high standard pays off once you get hired.

However, making it through the interview process or even landing an interview in the first place is highly challenging.

2. Must Be a Self Starter

AMD looks to hire those who have ambition, creativity, and proven motivation.

Long-time employees have one thing in common.

They are self-starters.

If you don’t want to put a lot of energy into your work or need constant direction from a supervisor, you will find a position at AMD tough to handle.

3. Potential for Poor Management

Depending on your department, middle management may follow a different vision than the company’s founder.

Or they may need to manage better.

Many AMD employees rave about how wonderful the company is to work for and how the company heads are brilliant.

However, some departments seem more stressed, demanding, or vague in direction.

The initial CEO and some who followed may have the passion and vision to keep employees focused on producing quality products.

However, this upper management skill doesn’t always filter down.

Some workers find themselves part of a team with poor management.

4. Pay Scale

Overall, pay at AMD falls in the top 35% of similar-sized companies.

However, they are in the bottom 45% of companies in the Bay area.

They also tend to pay new hires a higher salary to draw in the cream of the crop.

Meanwhile, the well-experienced, long-term employees stay at lower rates.

The concept of paying new hires more also makes upward mobility difficult.

This payment scale has caused some employees to leave.

Also, when you factor in the long hours, the compensation often comes out less for your time.

5. Fast Pace

The work environment tends to run extremely fast-paced.

This high-demand atmosphere leaves some employees feeling the stress of constantly performing with little to no downtime.

Business needs change rapidly, and product development needs to keep up.

Some workers thrive and find a thrill in fast-paced, rapid-fire, changing environments.

The fast pace will be a con if you like to take things a little calmer or don’t do well with change.

6. Deadline Focused

The fast-paced work environment goes hand-in-hand with deadlines and long work hours that extend into personal time.

Because of the rapidly changing technology and highly competitive market, AMD enforces deadlines.

So much so that workers say they often bring home work at night.

Some employees even complain that they must bring a laptop on vacation to ensure they consistently meet all deadlines.

7. Job Stability

While AMD has been around since the 1960s, the nature of the computer and technology business constantly runs on ever-changing and sometimes shaky ground.

Since the beginning, the company has reinvented or changed its structure to stay competitive.

While they have managed to change with the ebb and flow and thrive, doing so required several layoffs.

As technology changes and moves into AI and beyond, no job is necessarily secure in the computer and programming field.

Expect mergers, layoffs, or spin-offs that leave your position in question.