Hello everyone! I’m curious about compensation packages for recent college graduates joining OpenAI. I’ve noticed several students from prestigious schools like MIT, Stanford, and Carnegie Mellon who landed full-time positions there right after finishing their bachelor’s degrees. Their salary ranges seem quite attractive, but I can’t find concrete numbers anywhere.
I’m also wondering about the application process for different role types. Are research positions exclusively reserved for candidates with PhD degrees, or do they consider undergraduate applicants as well? From what I understand, the company has been growing rapidly and hiring talent at various experience levels. Any insights from current or former employees would be really helpful for planning my career path.
From what I’ve seen at industry meetups, new grads at OpenAI typically make $180k-$220k for software engineering roles. That number can jump higher depending on equity - stock options really bump up the total package based on company valuation. For research positions, I’ve seen some standout undergrads get hired as research engineers, which is more hands-on implementation than pure research (that usually needs advanced degrees). Most undergrads wanting research actually start as software engineers first, then transition later. The application process is brutal - having solid open source projects or published work definitely helps your odds.
totally agree! I heard similar figures from people I know. one pal got a $200k offer too, but it’s super tough to get in—99% rejection rate even from top unis! they must be lookin for the best talent out there.
Talked to recruiters at tech conferences - OpenAI’s equity is way more generous than other AI companies. New grads typically get $100k-$150k in equity annually (based on current funding rounds), though it moves with company performance. Standard 4-year vest with 1-year cliff. They also throw serious signing bonuses at people - heard $50k-$75k to cover that first year before equity kicks in. For timing, they hire in waves around product launches and funding rounds. Watch their announcements if you want to time your application right.
I’ve talked to a few former colleagues who jumped to OpenAI, and compensation’s definitely competitive but depends heavily on your role. ML engineers typically pull in higher base salaries than regular software engineers - usually starting around $200k with equity that can double your total comp over four years. The interview process tests both technical chops and mission fit. They really favor candidates who’ve contributed to ML research or open source during undergrad. One cool thing - they’ll sometimes create research engineer hybrid roles for standout undergrads. It’s a nice middle ground between pure engineering and research without needing a PhD.
the work-life balance is pretty rough from what ive heard. yeah, the moneys good but u’ll be putting in long hours - especially during product launches. my cousins friend works there and says it feels like startup pace even tho they’re huge now. if you can handle the intensity, its prob worth it just for the experience.