Fireworks AI
Small (~100)
Scale AI
Large (~1,200)
Best For
Fireworks AI
Best for: Engineers who want to work with ex-Meta AI infrastructure engineers on LLM inference
Scale AI
Best for: Ambitious builders who want critical AI infrastructure work serving top-tier clients
Ratings
Fireworks AIScale AI
4.2
3.5
Overall
3.3
2.7
Work-Life Balance
4.3
2.9
Culture & Values
4.2
3.5
Comp & Benefits
4.2
2.8
Senior Mgmt
4.0
3.6
Career Opps
👍 56% Recommend
👤 60% CEO Approval (Alexandr Wang)
Culture Values
Fireworks AI only
🧩 Wears Many Hats🎧 Deep Work / Low Meetings
Scale AI only
🎯 Direct Product Impact
Shared
⚙️ Engineering-Driven🚀 Ship Fast & Iterate🌱 Learning & Growth
Pros & Cons
Fireworks AI
- World-class team of ex-Meta AI infrastructure engineers — technically very strong peers
- Working on LLM inference optimization which is one of the hottest areas in AI infrastructure
- Early-stage startup intensity with long hours expected and high performance bar
- Small team and rapidly evolving product means less structure, process, and career laddering
Scale AI
- Building critical AI data infrastructure used by OpenAI, Meta, Microsoft, and the US government
- Strong compensation for engineers — competitive base + equity
- Work-life balance rated 2.7/5 — long hours common during client deadlines
- Culture and values scored 2.9/5 — inconsistent management quality
Bottom Line
Fireworks AI
Choose Fireworks AI if you want to work with ex-Meta AI infrastructure engineers on cutting-edge LLM inference — but expect early-stage startup intensity and limited structure.
Scale AI
Choose Scale AI if you want to build data infrastructure for OpenAI and the US government — but expect long hours and inconsistent management.
Open Roles
Fireworks AI — 28 jobs
💻 Engineering
9
💼 Sales / GTM
4
⚙️ Operations
2
👤 HR / People
1
⚖️ Legal
1
📣 Marketing
1
🧠 ML / AI
1
📋 Product
1
Scale AI — 170 jobs
💻 Engineering
61
🧠 ML / AI
25
📋 Product
14
💼 Sales / GTM
14
⚙️ Operations
8
⚖️ Legal
7
📣 Marketing
5
📊 Data
3
👤 HR / People
2
🎨 Design
1
💰 Finance
1
🎧 Support
1
Summary
Fireworks AI scores 4.2/5.0 on Glassdoor with a 3.3 work-life balance rating. Scale AI scores 3.5/5.0 overall with a 2.7 WLB. That’s a 0.7-point gap on overall satisfaction.
Both companies share these culture values: Engineering-Driven, Ship Fast & Iterate, Learning & Growth. Fireworks AI also emphasizes Wears Many Hats, Deep Work / Low Meetings. Scale AI also emphasizes Direct Product Impact.
On the hiring front, Fireworks AI has 28 open roles and Scale AI has 170 open roles.