# OpenAI salaries

> What OpenAI posts on its job listings and offers in US visa filings, by role, with the number of listings behind each figure.

Data as of 2026-11-06 · https://alderhq.app/companies/openai/salaries

- Median, other: $263,000
- Open roles with pay: 653 of 818
- Median H-1B wage (USD): $260,000

## Posted pay on OpenAI job listings

**Median of posted ranges, annual**

| Role | Level | Where | Listings | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| other | All levels | SF Bay Area | 234 | $228,000 | $263,000 | $313,250 |
| Software Engineer | All levels | SF Bay Area | 146 | $286,000 | $337,500 | $366,000 |
| Software Engineer | Unspecified | SF Bay Area | 133 | $287,000 | $337,500 | $366,000 |
| other | Unspecified | SF Bay Area | 98 | $228,000 | $263,000 | $292,875 |
| other | Staff | SF Bay Area | 67 | $242,250 | $284,500 | $315,750 |
| DevOps Engineer | All levels | SF Bay Area | 51 | $259,250 | $339,000 | $360,000 |
| other | Manager | SF Bay Area | 39 | $211,250 | $233,000 | $271,000 |
| Machine Learning Engineer | All levels | SF Bay Area | 37 | $318,500 | $396,000 | $440,000 |
| DevOps Engineer | Unspecified | SF Bay Area | 36 | $301,375 | $351,000 | $360,000 |
| Machine Learning Engineer | Unspecified | SF Bay Area | 33 | $307,500 | $396,000 | $440,000 |
| Backend Engineer | All levels | SF Bay Area | 22 | $328,500 | $355,500 | $365,750 |
| other | Director+ | SF Bay Area | 22 | $204,750 | $306,250 | $366,000 |

## Offered wages in US visa filings

**US DOL certified cases, annualised USD (offered wage)**

| Role | Program | Fiscal year | Cases | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software Engineer | H-1B (LCA) | FY26 | 122 | $250,000 | $264,000 | $325,000 |
| other | H-1B (LCA) | FY26 | 28 | $232,500 | $255,000 | $296,250 |
| Data Scientist | H-1B (LCA) | FY26 | 21 | $255,000 | $325,000 | $340,000 |
| Machine Learning Engineer | H-1B (LCA) | FY26 | 14 | $220,000 | $250,000 | $362,500 |
| Data Engineer | H-1B (LCA) | FY26 | 7 | $195,000 | $250,000 | $295,000 |
| Security Engineer | H-1B (LCA) | FY26 | 7 | $290,000 | $330,000 | $336,000 |
| Product Designer | H-1B (LCA) | FY26 | 5 | $245,000 | $250,000 | $310,000 |
| DevOps Engineer | H-1B (LCA) | FY26 | 3 | $180,000 | $190,000 | $220,000 |

Source: US DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data, LCA FY2026_Q3 + LCA FY2025_Q4 + PERM FY2026_Q3 + PERM FY2025_Q4. Offered wages are the lower bound stated on certified filings.

## Method

- Posted pay is the midpoint of ranges on OpenAI's live listings, annualised. It is not what people are paid.
- Figures appear only where at least 3 listings or cases back them.
## More on OpenAI

- [Overview and open roles](https://alderhq.app/companies/openai)
- [Hiring trend](https://alderhq.app/companies/openai/hiring)
- [Visa sponsorship](https://alderhq.app/companies/openai/visa)
## Other companies hiring Software Engineers

- [Anduril](https://alderhq.app/companies/anduril)
- [SpaceX](https://alderhq.app/companies/spacex)
- [Bjakcareer](https://alderhq.app/companies/bjakcareer)
- [Renesas Electronics](https://alderhq.app/companies/renesas-electronics)
- [Analogdevices/Wd1/External](https://alderhq.app/companies/analogdevices-wd1-external)
- [Endeavor IT Solution](https://alderhq.app/companies/endeavor-it-solution)
- [All Software Engineer jobs](https://alderhq.app/jobs/software-engineer)

## Questions

### How much does OpenAI pay a other?

OpenAI job listings for other roles in SF Bay Area state a median of $263,000 a year (234 listings, middle half $228,000 to $313,250).

### Does OpenAI post salary ranges?

653 of 818 open roles state a pay range. Counted on 2026-11-08.

### What does OpenAI pay on H-1B visas?

Certified H-1B filings in FY26 offer a median of $264,000 for Software Engineer (122 cases).

## Cite

Alder. "OpenAI salaries: posted pay by role". Data as of 2026-11-06. https://alderhq.app/companies/openai/salaries