OpenAI
San Francisco, CA · founded 2015
OpenAI builds large language models and generative AI systems including ChatGPT, GPT-4, and DALL-E; the company became the world's most valuable private company in 2026 after raising $110+ billion. Work here centers on cutting-edge AI research with top-tier compensation, but the culture is intense with frequent reorganizations and high expectations for in-office collaboration (3 days/week hybrid). A known caveat: roughly half of OpenAI's AI safety research team departed in 2024, citing the company's shift away from prioritizing safety over capabilities—an ongoing point of internal tension.
see the full file on OpenAIdocumented benefits (15)
| Birthing-parent leave | 24 weeks |
|---|---|
| Partner leave | 20 weeks |
| How leave is framed | birthing_partner |
| Fertility support | yes |
| Relocation | yes |
| Mental health | yes |
| Life insurance | yes |
| Days in office | 3 |
| Office policy | Hybrid work model of 3 days in the office per week, with relocation assistance offered to new employees. |
| PTO | offered |
| Food | multiple_meals |
| Learning budget | offered |
| Conference travel | yes |
| Median filed wage | $325,000 |
| Retirement plan | yes |
what OpenAI pays
Median of 25 certified wages filed with the US Department of Labor: $325,000.
Half of OpenAI's certified filings fall between $255,000 and $380,000.
| role | median | filings | range |
|---|---|---|---|
| member of technical staff (software engineer) | $325,000 | 3 filings | $210,000 to $490,000 |
| member of data science staff | $325,000 | 3 filings | $255,000 to $405,000 |
| member of technical staff (research & ai systems) | $380,000 | 3 filings | $380,000 to $405,000 |
| member of technical staff (hardware engineering) | $380,000 | 2 filings | $250,000 to $380,000 |
| member of go to market staff (customer success) | $240,000 | 2 filings | |
| member of program staff | $319,500 | 2 filings | $285,000 to $319,500 |
Source: US Department of Labor, FY2025 Q4. Read 2026-07-29.
notable perks
- Six professional coaching sessions a year, extended to your dependents too
- Work from home for up to 4 weeks after returning from parental leave
- Global business travel insurance that also covers any dependents traveling with you
the legal floor where they are
Set by law, not by OpenAI. It applies to every employer in CA.
| IVF cycles the state covers | California requires IVF from 1 January 2026, and only from large employers. SB 729 (2024) rewrote Health and Safety Code § 1374.55 so that a large group health care service plan contract 'issued, amended, or renewed on or after January 1, 2026, shall provide coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of infertility and fertility services, including a maximum of three completed oocyte retrievals with unlimited embryo transfers', following ASRM guidelines and using single embryo transfer where medically appropriate. Large group means 100 or more employees. Small group plans need only be OFFERED the coverage rather than provide it, religious employers are excluded, Medi-Cal managed care is exempt, and CalPERS plans are delayed to 1 July 2027. The original 1 July 2025 date was pushed back a budget trailer bill, AB 116 (2025). THE LIMIT THAT DECIDES WHETHER THIS REACHES YOU: a state insurance mandate binds only fully insured plans. A self-funded employer plan is governed federally under ERISA and is preempted, and KFF's 2025 employer survey puts 67% of covered workers — 80% at firms of 200 or more — in a self-funded plan. At most large California employers this law therefore does not apply, and the fertility benefit on the page is the company's own choice. (Senate Bill 729 (2024), which repealed and added Section 1374.55 of the Health and Safety Code and amended Section 10119.6 of the Insurance Code; the operative date was moved from 1 July 2025 to 1 January 2026 by Assembly Bill 116 (2025).) |
|---|---|
| Adoption leave the law gives | 12 workweeks of UNPAID job-protected leave in any 12-month period on the placement of a child for adoption or foster care, and only for employees who meet the FMLA eligibility test. There is no federal paid adoption leave. (Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, 29 U.S.C. 2612(a)(1)(B) and 2612(c); eligibility at 29 U.S.C. 2611(2) and (4). Quoted from the 2023 edition of the US Code.) |
| Pay when you are ill | No federal law requires any paid sick leave. The FLSA does not require payment for time not worked, and the FMLA gives 12 workweeks of UNPAID job-protected leave in any 12-month period for a serious health condition, and only for employees who meet the FMLA eligibility test. Any paid sick time comes from a state or city law, or from the employer's own choice. (Fair Labor Standards Act, per the Department of Labor's statement on payment for time not worked; Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, 29 U.S.C. 2612(a)(1)(D) and 2612(c). Quoted from the 2023 edition of the US Code on govinfo.gov.) |
Every claim above is sourced and dated. See sources on the full page.
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