How much does OpenAI pay?
As of Oct 15, 2026, 622 of the 783 open jobs OpenAI has on Alion state a salary. The median is $378k a year, and the middle half pays $285k to $445k. The best-paid open role is RE / RS - Foundations, Search at $850k. OpenAI pays about 80% above the market for the same roles, levels and countries.
OpenAI pay against the market
+80% OpenAI pays about 80% above the market for the same roles, levels and countries.
Each of 633 postings is compared with the median stated pay for its role, level and country across all employers on Alion; the middle ratio, drawn toward the market when few postings back it, gives the figure.
OpenAI pay by level
| Level | Jobs | Median | Typical range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senior | 176 | $310k | $260k – $385k |
| Lead | 95 | $318k | $285k – $385k |
| Staff+ | 59 | $342k | $280k – $445k |
| Middle | 27 | $385k | $371k – $445k |
| Head+ | 24 | $335k | $240k – $385k |
| Junior | 11 | $221k | $160k – $445k |
OpenAI pay by role
| Role | Jobs | Median | Typical range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Backend | 136 | $445k | $385k – $445k |
| AI/ML | 92 | $445k | $292k – $500k |
| Sales | 36 | $273k | $260k – $370k |
| Marketing | 35 | $290k | $245k – $318k |
| Product | 33 | $385k | $285k – $445k |
| Operations | 32 | $295k | $260k – $335k |
| Management | 24 | $285k | $240k – $328k |
| DevOps | 23 | $365k | $327k – $385k |
| Solutions | 22 | $300k | $294k – $310k |
| Data Science | 21 | $385k | $385k – $445k |
| Finance | 20 | $240k | $240k – $295k |
| Industrial Engineering | 19 | $327k | $285k – $385k |
OpenAI pay by city
| Location | Jobs | Median | Typical range |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | 559 | $385k | $285k – $445k |
| New York | 88 | $325k | $273k – $425k |
| Seattle | 83 | $385k | $295k – $445k |
| Washington | 31 | $285k | $240k – $315k |
| London | 14 | $385k | $385k – $445k |
| Mountain View | 13 | $423k | $385k – $445k |
| Ontario | 4 | $203k | $132k – $203k |
OpenAI pay by work format
| Work format | Jobs | Median | Typical range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hybrid | 448 | $335k | $280k – $445k |
| In office | 159 | $385k | $318k – $455k |
| Remote | 15 | $385k | $302k – $445k |
How pay at OpenAI is spread
622 of 784 vacancies state a salary (79%). The range below is built from those 622 stated figures only, never from an estimate.
Best-paid open roles at OpenAI
Questions about pay at OpenAI
What is the average salary at OpenAI?
The median salary stated in OpenAI job postings is $378k a year, across 622 open jobs with pay; the middle half pays $285k to $445k.
How much does OpenAI pay for Backend roles?
Backend roles at OpenAI state a median of $445k a year (136 postings with pay, middle half $385k – $445k).
How much does OpenAI pay for AI/ML roles?
AI/ML roles at OpenAI state a median of $445k a year (92 postings with pay, middle half $292k – $500k).
How much does OpenAI pay for Sales roles?
Sales roles at OpenAI state a median of $273k a year (36 postings with pay, middle half $260k – $370k).
How much does OpenAI pay in San Francisco?
Jobs at OpenAI in San Francisco state a median of $385k a year (559 postings with pay).
What is the highest-paying open job at OpenAI?
Right now it is RE / RS - Foundations, Search at OpenAI, with a stated $850k a year.
Does OpenAI pay above the market?
OpenAI pays about 80% above the market for the same roles, levels and countries. Each of 633 postings is compared with the median stated pay for its role, level and country across all employers on Alion; the middle ratio, drawn toward the market when few postings back it, gives the figure.
Does OpenAI publish salaries in its job postings?
79% of the open jobs OpenAI has on Alion state a salary: 622 of 783.
How to cite this page
Only pay an employer wrote in its own job advert is used, converted to US dollars a year; estimates are never mixed in. The figures are rebuilt twice a day from the vacancies open now.
These figures are published under a free licence. You may reuse them, including commercially, as long as you credit Alion and link back to this page.
OpenAI salaries: median $378k across 622 job postings with pay. Alion, Oct 15, 2026, https://alion.io/company/openai/salaries