OpenAI engineers earn 3.6x more at Staff than new grad: $245K to $875K
FinanceYF5 · x · 2026-10-23
Levels.fyi data (US SWE offers, last 24 months) shows the median total-comp jump from new grad to Staff at top tech companies — and why leaving the industry is so hard.
- OpenAI: $245K → $875K (3.6x, the biggest jump)
- Meta: $187K → $652K; Netflix: $214K → $730K; Ramp: $244K → $800K; Stripe: $210K → $673K
- Anthropic has no new-grad level: mid-level to Staff runs $438K → $1.31M
- Airbnb, Apple, Google at 3.0–3.1x; Microsoft needs 6 promotions for 2.3x; Capital One just 2.2x
The chart also breaks down pay per promotion, e.g. OpenAI L3→L4 is a 2.22x jump. Accustomed to this curve, switching industries carries a huge cost.
Related event: OpenAI Pay Triples From Junior to Staff, Salary Data Shows(2 posts)→
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