Given the complexity and importance of the work carried out at OpenAI, the reported compensation package appears reasonable. Software engineering in the field of artificial intelligence is highly specialized and demanding, often requiring significant expertise, which is reflected in the compensation. Moreover, these roles are in extremely high demand, and given the global shortage of talent in this specific area, companies like OpenAI need to provide highly competitive packages to attract and retain the best individuals. It's also worth noting that the reported figure is a median value, suggesting that this amount is not being offered universally but rather reflects the overall distribution of compensation packages.

Furthermore, OpenAI's mission to ensure artificial general intelligence (AGI) benefits all of humanity means that the stakes are high and the work done by these engineers is incredibly impactful. This level of responsibility and skill required justifies the high compensation. The future of AGI has implications that span across industries, from healthcare to transportation, making this one of the most cutting-edge fields to work in. Considering these factors, the compensation OpenAI is offering is not only a reflection of the value these engineers bring to the company, but also the immense potential impact their work could have on society.

Anonymous wrote:So they're paid 300K a year.

No! They’re paid $300K a year plus magical fairy dust that turns into cash evenly over 4 years if they please their mystical overload.

Anonymous wrote:but you have no life, they own you and you work al the time.

Not true at all. DS had an internship last year with a big tech firm. Not only was it a paid internship, but it also included free housing & transportation to the office. Free meals and snacks were also provided.

He definitely worked hard, and he was compensated nicely for it, but they also played hard. They went on several excursions that were fully paid for as well, like rafting, climbing, sporting events, boating, etc.

Anonymous wrote:How is that sour grapes?

Because they do have a good WLB and much better compensation and growth path than you can ever imagine.

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Anonymous wrote:but you have no life, they own you and you work al the time.

Sure, but you can retire after a decade of work

Sure beats a gs-15 salary where the govt not only owns you but will not be satisfied until it breaks you. You do your time (30+ yrs) for a meager pension.

The government pension is only good for lifers. If you retire early, the benefits are much less, even at higher-paying agencies.

GS-15 and pension is good because you don't have to work that hard, at least in my situation.  I work at most 30 minutes everyday.  The rest of the time I spend on either NetFlix or Amazon Prime. It is hard to beat a job without any stress.

Your life is pretty sad if you spend the majority of your time on Netflix and Amazon Prime. I work a lot more than you but no way would I trade places with you

Yeah, troll fail. Who even get's past the search screen? Modern circle of hell, right there.

Open AI has very few true employees. They rely mostly on contractors, who are paid much less.

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Anonymous wrote:but you have no life, they own you and you work al the time.

Sure, but you can retire after a decade of work

Sure beats a gs-15 salary where the govt not only owns you but will not be satisfied until it breaks you. You do your time (30+ yrs) for a meager pension.

The government pension is only good for lifers. If you retire early, the benefits are much less, even at higher-paying agencies.

GS-15 and pension is good because you don't have to work that hard, at least in my situation.  I work at most 30 minutes everyday.  The rest of the time I spend on either NetFlix or Amazon Prime. It is hard to beat a job without any stress.

Your life is pretty sad if you spend the majority of your time on Netflix and Amazon Prime. I work a lot more than you but no way would I trade places with you

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Anonymous wrote:but you have no life, they own you and you work al the time.

Sure, but you can retire after a decade of work

Sure beats a gs-15 salary where the govt not only owns you but will not be satisfied until it breaks you. You do your time (30+ yrs) for a meager pension.

The government pension is only good for lifers. If you retire early, the benefits are much less, even at higher-paying agencies.

GS-15 and pension is good because you don't have to work that hard, at least in my situation.  I work at most 30 minutes everyday.  The rest of the time I spend on either NetFlix or Amazon Prime. It is hard to beat a job without any stress.

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Anonymous wrote:but you have no life, they own you and you work al the time.

Sure, but you can retire after a decade of work

Sure beats a gs-15 salary where the govt not only owns you but will not be satisfied until it breaks you. You do your time (30+ yrs) for a meager pension.

The government pension is only good for lifers. If you retire early, the benefits are much less, even at higher-paying agencies.

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Anonymous wrote:but you have no life, they own you and you work al the time.

Sure, but you can retire after a decade of work

Only if you don’t have kids

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Anonymous wrote:but you have no life, they own you and you work al the time.

Sure, but you can retire after a decade of work

Sure beats a gs-15 salary where the govt not only owns you but will not be satisfied until it breaks you. You do your time (30+ yrs) for a meager pension.

This is a good starting salary for millennials to catch up to nasty boomers

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Anonymous wrote:That makes sense. Their employees are the best of the best, usually with over a decade of experience in a field which blew up less than ten years ago.

Still chump change compared to what the quants at Jane Street and Co. make

Quants at Jane Street make about the same amounts not vastly more although $900k would be mostly for SWE in their 20s.

The OpenAI salaries are for the world-class AI experts in their late twenties and usually thirties

Then, Jane Street pays more in general and to younger and less educated (BS) employees.

It's not a requirement to have a PhD or even a Master's degree to work at OpenAI. Heck, look at the leadership team.

Greg Brockman (President and Chairman): Dropped out of Harvard undergrad after 1 year
Sam Altman (CEO): Dropped out of Stanford undergrad after 1 year
Brad Lightcap (COO): Graduated from Duke undergrad

None of them have advanced degrees and they're steering the ship. It's probably no coincidence that they attended cream-of-the-crop undergrad programs though.

If you want to be on their research team chances are you’ll need at least a masters. But agree it’s interesting that the people running the show either only have an undergrad degree or dropped out. Obviously they’re highly qualified either way, or they wouldn’t be able to have any respect from their employees.

Anonymous wrote:but you have no life, they own you and you work al the time.

Sure, but you can retire after a decade of work

How is that sour grapes?