OpenAI London staff averaged £2.3M in 2025, but most of it is locked in stock
OpenAI paid its UK employees an average of £2.3 million last year, but company filings show the majority of that compensation is in stock.
Salaries · Source: LADbible
What happened
OpenAI UK Limited filed its 2025 accounts showing an average compensation of £2.3 million for its 110 London employees. The total payout included £87 million in base salaries and £168 million in company shares. This means the average worker received about £794,300 in cash and £1.5 million in stock. For context, it would take 58 years for a worker earning the UK median salary of £39,039 to match this single-year average.
The massive numbers stem from a major talent war in the artificial intelligence sector last year. Companies like Meta were reportedly offering multi-year packages worth hundreds of millions to secure top talent. At OpenAI, the highest pay went to the 34 research and development staff members who build core models like Astra.
The company is also expanding its robotics team with high base salaries. Recent job listings for machine learning engineers, actuator design engineers, and lab technicians showed base pay ranging from $177,000 to $500,000 before equity. However, reports note a large gap between the highest and lowest earners at the company.
By the numbers
- 110 — Number of OpenAI UK employees in 2025
- £2.3 million — Average total compensation per OpenAI UK employee
- £1.5 million — Average share-based compensation per employee
- $177,000 to $500,000 — Base salary range for recent OpenAI robotics job listings
- £1.4 million — Average pay at Jane Street's UK entity last year
Why it matters
For job seekers, these numbers show that top artificial intelligence labs are willing to outbid traditional finance firms for technical talent. OpenAI's average compensation surpassed top quantitative trading firms in London, such as Jane Street and Hudson River Trading. Beyond the money, some candidates are drawn to AI labs for the chance to publish research, whereas quant firms typically keep their findings secret.
The second-order effect is the risk tied to equity-heavy pay packages. Unlike quantitative trading firms that pay mostly in cash, OpenAI employees rely on stock for the bulk of their earnings. This stock remains locked until an initial public offering, which was recently pushed to next year, or a secondary share sale. The actual payout could change significantly based on future market conditions.
Who this hits
AI Researchers and Machine Learning Engineers
This group commands the highest compensation in the current market. Companies are offering massive equity packages to secure engineers who can build core models and manage huge amounts of distributed training data.
Hardware and Robotics Engineers
OpenAI is aggressively hiring for physical engineering roles, including actuator design and lab technicians. These roles now command base salaries up to $500,000 as the company expands beyond software into physical robotic systems.
Finance and Quant Professionals
Tech workers choosing between artificial intelligence and finance face a shift in the compensation landscape. AI labs now offer higher total numbers and the ability to publish work, but quant firms still provide more immediate cash liquidity without lock-up periods.
What to do this week
- Evaluate the ratio of base salary to equity when comparing job offers, especially if you need immediate cash for visa expenses, relocation, or daily living.
- Ask recruiters directly about stock lock-up periods and the timeline for secondary share sales if a company is not yet public.
- Highlight any experience with distributed data systems, machine learning infrastructure, or hardware integration on your resume, as these specific skills are commanding premium base salaries.
- Consider your career priorities regarding public recognition. If publishing research is important to you, AI labs currently offer more opportunities for public credit than secretive quantitative trading firms.
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My take
Big numbers make great headlines, but as an immigrant worker, you cannot pay your rent with locked stock. It is clear that AI labs are paying top dollar to win the talent war against finance firms. Always look past the total compensation figure and understand exactly when and how you can access your money.