dumping what i know since the existing threads are sparse. this is from my own offer (accepted, sf, q1 2026) and two datapoints from friends who went through the loop in the last 6 months.
my offer, sr SWE (L5 equivalent), sf: base: $210k annual bonus target: 15% (so ~$31.5k target) equity: $1.4M RSU grant, 4-year vest, 1-year cliff signing: $50k, paid first year
that equity number sounds large but OpenAI is still private and the vesting schedule matters. they have a secondary market tender process that happens periodically, but you can't count on it. the value of RSUs at a private company is what they tell you it is until there's a liquidity event.
friend 1, sr infra, late 2025 offer: same base range, equity grant closer to $1.1M. signing $30k.
friend 2, senior ML eng: $220k base, equity $1.6M. this person had multiple competing offers which helped.
few things to know: they do negotiate. base has some room (~$10-15k), equity has more room if you have a competing FAANG offer benefits are genuinely good: meal stipend, 401k with match, health coverage the RSU valuation is based on the last 409A, not last fundraise. the two numbers are different
if you're comparing to Google or Meta: on total cash (base + bonus) they're roughly competitive with L5. the equity story is higher ceiling / higher risk. factor your liquidity preference accordingly.