Full-Stack Software Engineer compensation in United States at OpenAI ranges from $283K per year for L2 to $1.29M per year for L6. The median yearly compensation in United States package totals $710K. View the base salary, stock, and bonus breakdowns for OpenAI's total compensation packages. Last updated: 11/10/2025
Level Name | Total | Base | Stock () | Bonus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
L2(Entry Level) | $283K | $170K | $113K | $0 |
L3 | $452K | $230K | $222K | $0 |
L4 | $595K | $251K | $344K | $0 |
L5 | $866K | $310K | $556K | $903 |
(6/24/2023) Check out our latest blog post on how OpenAI's PPU structure works.
Company Location | Date | Level Name Tag | Years of Experience Total / At Company | Total Compensation Base | Stock (yr) | Bonus |
|---|---|---|---|
| No salaries found | |||
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25%
YR 1
25%
YR 2
25%
YR 3
25%
YR 4
At OpenAI, PPUs are subject to a 4-year vesting schedule:
25% vests in the 1st-YR (25.00% annually)
25% vests in the 2nd-YR (25.00% annually)
25% vests in the 3rd-YR (25.00% annually)
25% vests in the 4th-YR (25.00% annually)
PPU stands for Profit Participation Units. The foundation for PPUs are PIUs, which are a form of equity compensation, with heavily customizable terms, that are popular among startups backed by private equity investors.
25%
YR 1
25%
YR 2
25%
YR 3
25%
YR 4
At OpenAI, PPUs are subject to a 4-year vesting schedule:
25% vests in the 1st-YR (25.00% annually)
25% vests in the 2nd-YR (2.08% monthly)
25% vests in the 3rd-YR (2.08% monthly)
25% vests in the 4th-YR (2.08% monthly)
PPU stands for Profit Participation Units. The foundation for PPUs are PIUs, which are a form of equity compensation, with heavily customizable terms, that are popular among startups backed by private equity investors.