OpenAI and Anthropic pay $360K median base, 50% above Big Tech's $213K, levels.fyi data shows
FinanceYF5 · x · 2026-10-23
levels.fyi data (Oct 2026) shows median base salaries in US software engineer job listings: $242K at high-growth Breakout List startups vs $213K at Big Tech, while OpenAI and Anthropic sit at $360K — roughly 50% above Big Tech.
Only Aaru ($400K) and Twenty ($368K) pay above the labs. Six of the bottom nine companies are defense, nuclear, or chip startups.
Amid hyper-competitive talent wars, cash is gaining weight: some companies follow Netflix's playbook of all-cash packages for top talent, converting equity value into cash. Leaving Big Tech means trading liquid RSUs for illiquid private equity, and higher base pay eases that leap.
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