OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has been reinstated after an intense standoff that began with him being fired the board last Friday. The firing led to a backlash from hundreds of employees who threatened to quit unless Altman was rehired. According to Bloomberg, the employees who threatened to resign are making up to $800,000 per year, highlighting the high salaries in the tech industry for those with rare skills such as artificial intelligence expertise.
OpenAI engineers specializing in artificial intelligence could make 8% to 12.5% more than other engineers, according to compensation data platform Levels.fyi reported Bloomberg. Job postings reviewed Bloomberg show that most engineering roles at OpenAI pay between $200,000 and $370,000, with some highly specialized roles offering closer to $450,000. Because of the high demand for talent in the AI field, AI researchers can make over a million dollars in annual salary.
These high-earning employees played a crucial role in Altman’s reinstatement at OpenAI after the drama that unfolded last week. Although the company’s valuation may be in question, it is clear that Altman’s leadership inspired significant loyalty among the staff, given that more than 700 employees signed a petition threatening to quit if he was not reinstated. This has been resolved, with OpenAI posting on X, formerly Twitter, about “reaching an agreement in principle” for Altman to return as CEO.