OpenAI pays engineers a higher median base salary — OpenAI at $308K vs Scale AI at $305K (a $2K gap), based on public job postings.
| Company | Median base (eng) | Range |
|---|---|---|
| OpenAI | $308K | $250K–$400K |
| Scale AI | $305K | $230K–$405K |
See the full breakdown by role and seniority on each company's salary page: OpenAI · Scale AI.
Figures are base salary only, from public engineering job postings (2025–2026) — equity and bonus are separate and often a large share of total comp at these companies. Methodology: median of disclosed USD annual salary bands.
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For the latest engineering compensation benchmarks, levels.fyi and The Pragmatic Engineer are the most cited sources.
Related: Software Engineer Salary Guide: SF, NYC, and Remote (2026) · Data Engineer Salary Guide: SF, NYC, Remote (2026)Tell us about your open roles and we'll start sourcing within 48 hours.
