OpenAI’s average compensation hits Rs 13.5 crore highlighting the cost of acquiring top AI talent

OpenAI has reportedly broken the record of the highest average employee compensation as a startup, as per The Wall Street Journal report. It highlighted that the 4000 employees, on average, get company stock worth $1.5 million (~13.5 crore) each as part of their 2025 pay package. These figures showcase how companies are battling to hire AI talent, and how much they are being paid. 

The report revealed the data compiled by Equilar, highlighting that the numbers are 34 times higher than what employees at other major tech companies earned. This showcases OpenAI’s way of retaining its top researchers and engineers, as competitors are poaching top talent at higher salaries.

For comparison, OpenAI is paying its employees significantly higher than Google did at a similar stage. It is reported that OpenAI’s stock-based pay in 2025 is over seven times higher than what Google offered in 2003, which was just a year before its IPO. However, it may not be beneficial for companies as they are spending so much on compensation that they are losing money from their regular business operations, and giving stock-based payout is also decreasing the ownership percentage.

Well, this is not the only case with OpenAI, as Meta has also hired several AI researchers and senior executives with pay packages worth hundreds of millions. The investor documents revealed that OpenAI is expected to pay stock-based compensation up to $3 billion per year through 2030.

Previously, OpenAI required employees to work for at least six months before they could benefit from stock or equity grants. Now, it has made it easier for employees to receive their stock-based compensation