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OpenAI new grad / entry level salary 2026: what are people actually getting?

consultant_cam · 5 replies

okay i've been trying to piece this together from scattered sources for weeks and can't find anything recent so posting here.

i'm a cs grad, graduating this spring, doing the openai new grad swe process right now. got to the final round. recruiter hasn't mentioned numbers yet and i'm nervous about whether i should negotiate (i know, i know, always negotiate, but it's scary when it's your first offer ever).

what i've gathered from reading everything i can find: new grad base seems to be in the $175-$190k range for SWE. some people reporting higher for strong candidates with competing offers equity grant around $400-600k 4-year vest for entry level signing probably $25-50k bonus target around 10-15%

for context: google new grad in sf was quoted at $175k base + $140k equity grant to me when i was in their loop. meta was $177k + RSU package. openai's equity grant sounds larger but again, private company.

specific questions i'm nervous about: will they rescind if i try to negotiate? does anyone know if there's a standard new-grad band or if it's negotiable? is the 1-year cliff actually strict or is there any flexibility?

if anyone went through the new grad loop in 2025-2026 and has real numbers please post. even a range helps.

5 replies

hardware_hugo

they will not rescind over a polite negotiation ask. rescissions for negotiating are basically myths. the worst that happens is they say no. at a company like openai with limited new grad hiring, just be professional and ask once. 'i'm very excited, is there any flexibility on the base?' is fine.

staff_steph

your estimates are in the right ballpark based on what i've heard. the equity range is harder to pin down for new grads specifically. one thing: if you have a FAANG competing offer, lead with that number. if you don't, framing it as 'i want to make this work' while asking for a specific number tends to land better than 'is there flexibility'.

visa_vik

also curious about h1b sponsorship for new grads specifically. did your recruiter say anything? i'm in a similar situation and it's the thing i'm most anxious about beyond comp.

newgrad_neil

i'm a citizen so can't help there sorry. there are other threads on this forum with h1b data for openai though, worth checking those.

jp_newgrad

good luck! the cliff is pretty standard industry practice, i'd be surprised if it's negotiable but the other numbers seem worth pushing on.