Does OpenAI pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, OpenAI employees rate their compensation and benefits as 4.5 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at OpenAI. This rating has decreased by 7% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at OpenAI?

72% of OpenAI employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated OpenAI 3.2 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.7 for culture and values and 4.1 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at OpenAI?

Software Engineer (10) , Member Of Technical Staff (9) , Research Scientist (5) , AI Engineer (4) , Data Scientist (4) , Research Engineer (4) , Machine Learning Engineer (3) , Senior Software Engineer (3) , AI Intern (2) , AI Researcher (2) , AI Trainer (2) , GTM (2) , Programmer (2) , Recruiter (2) , Remote AI Trainer (2)

What are the pros of working at OpenAI according to real employee reviews?

"Really smart people" ((in 9 reviews)); "Competitive, good pay, cutting edge" ((in 8 reviews)); "edge work, smart colleagues, great pay, and a mission" ((in 7 reviews)); "Can be flexible, good team, good culture" ((in 6 reviews)); "Exciting field (sort of cutting edge) and very good compensation." ((in 6 reviews))

What are the cons of working at OpenAI according to real employee reviews?

"Bad work life balance, stress" ((in 8 reviews)); "Heavy workload and tight deadlines" ((in 3 reviews))

What are employees saying about OpenAI layoffs in 2026?

Explore Glassdoor’s employee reviews to understand what current and former employees are saying about OpenAI layoffs and their outlook for job security at OpenAI in 2026.

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OpenAI

OpenAI reviews

4.1

72% would recommend to a friend

(100 total reviews)

Sam Altman

70% approve of CEO

72% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

4.5

Compensation and benefits

4.1

Career opportunities

3.7

Culture & values

3.7

Diversity & inclusion

3.7

Senior management

3.2

Work/Life balance

OpenAI has an employee rating of 4.1 out of 5 stars, based on 100 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an excellent working experience there. The OpenAI employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Management & Consulting industry (3.7 stars).

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

100 reviews

5.0

Apr 7, 2026

Favorite place ever, very intense at times

Member of technical staff

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Mission driven, fast iteration cycles, with incredibly smart colleagues

Cons

Fast cyle speed can cause high intensity

4.0

Mar 23, 2026

SDE

Software development engineer (sde)

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Good Comp and benefits, good working env

Cons

Bad work life balance, stress

5.0

Mar 19, 2026

deploying, scaling, and ensuring the reliability of large-scale AI models, including ChatGPT and the OpenAI API.

Stargate talent program

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Salary, benefits and time off

Cons

Work load and pressure and timelines

Viewing 10 - 12 of 100 Reviews

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Jobs at OpenAI

Facilities Operations Manager

Recruiter, Go To Market

Workplace Event Coordinator

Director, Certifications

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OpenAI

OpenAI reviews

Ratings by category

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Reviews by job title

Favorite place ever, very intense at times

SDE

deploying, scaling, and ensuring the reliability of large-scale AI models, including ChatGPT and the OpenAI API.

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