OpenAI FDE Salary
Forward Deployed Engineer compensation at OpenAI, from disclosed postings and cited public data.
Forward Deployed Engineers at OpenAI earn a median base near $232K, based on 2 disclosed OpenAI FDE postings tracked on FDE Pulse. OpenAI's own posted pay bands put the median base near $266K. Figures below are base salary only and carry their source and date; equity and bonus, common at AI labs and startups, push total compensation higher.
OpenAI FDE Salary (Disclosed Postings)
Base-salary medians from 2 of 2 OpenAI Forward Deployed Engineer postings tracked on FDE Pulse that disclosed pay. Base only; excludes equity and bonus.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Median base | $232K |
| Disclosed range | $162K – $302K |
| Postings with pay | 2 of 2 |
| Level | Postings | Median Base |
|---|---|---|
| Mid-level | 2 | $232K |
OpenAI FDE Salary (Posted Pay Bands)
These are OpenAI's own legally-posted base-salary bands, harvested from its job board and cited in the final column. Base salary only; most of these roles also offer equity. Confidence: HIGH.
| Level | Base | Total Comp | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forward Deployed Engineer (Washington, DC) | $146K – $280K | – | OpenAI careers (posted pay band) (2026-06) |
| Forward Deployed Software Engineer (New York City) | $153K – $325K | – | OpenAI careers (posted pay band) (2026-06) |
| Forward Deployed Engineer (San Francisco) | $162K – $280K | – | OpenAI careers (posted pay band) (2026-06) |
| Forward Deployed Software Engineer (San Francisco) | $185K – $325K | – | OpenAI careers (posted pay band) (2026-06) |
| Technical Deployment Lead (San Francisco) | $198K – $335K | – | OpenAI careers (posted pay band) (2026-06) |
| Platform Engineer (San Francisco) | $230K – $385K | – | OpenAI careers (posted pay band) (2026-06) |
| Applied AI Engineer (San Francisco) | $230K – $385K | – | OpenAI careers (posted pay band) (2026-06) |
| Forward Deployed Security Engineer (Washington, DC) | $293K – $385K | – | OpenAI careers (posted pay band) (2026-06) |
Bands are base salary only and exclude equity and bonus; most of these roles also offer equity. Figures are the employer's own legally-posted pay ranges.
Harvested from OpenAI's own job board: 15 US Forward Deployed / Applied AI Engineer posting(s) carrying a pay-transparency base band. Each row links to the live posting.
Open OpenAI FDE Roles
- Physical Design Engineer, Forward Deployed Engineering San Francisco, CA, US · $162K–$302K
- Design Verification, Forward Deployed Engineering San Francisco, CA, US · $162K–$302K
Frequently Asked Questions
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