OpenAI
Large (~3,500)
Sierra
Large (~500)
Best For
OpenAI
Best for: Engineers who want to build frontier AI models at the company defining the industry, with elite compensation
Sierra
Best for: Builders who want to work with proven Salesforce and Google leadership on enterprise AI agents
Ratings
OpenAISierra
4.5
4.0
Overall
3.6
3.5
Work-Life Balance
4.6
4.1
Culture & Values
4.5
4.0
Comp & Benefits
4.3
3.8
Senior Mgmt
4.3
3.8
Career Opps
👍 90% Recommend
👤 95% CEO Approval (Sam Altman)
👍 80% Recommend
👤 84% CEO Approval (Bret Taylor)
Culture Values
OpenAI only
🎯 Direct Product Impact
Sierra only
No unique values
Shared
⚙️ Engineering-Driven🚀 Ship Fast & Iterate🌱 Learning & Growth💎 Strong Comp & Equity
Pros & Cons
OpenAI
- Cutting-edge frontier AI research with world-class colleagues
- Elite compensation — top-tier TC and equity packages
- High-intensity environment — long hours and intense pace are the norm
- Internal politics and rapid org changes as the company scales
Sierra
- Elite founders with proven track records
- Strong equity at $10B valuation
- In-person-first culture
- Competitive intensity may not suit everyone
Bottom Line
OpenAI
High-intensity, mission-driven culture with world-class colleagues and top-tier comp — but expect long hours, rapid org changes, and internal politics as the company scales.
Sierra
Choose Sierra if you want elite founders (Bret Taylor, Clay Bavor) and strong equity at a $10B enterprise AI company — but it's in-person-first and the competitive intensity won't suit everyone.
Open Roles
OpenAI — 655 jobs
💻 Engineering
317
💼 Sales / GTM
57
📋 Product
30
📊 Data
28
🧠 ML / AI
28
📣 Marketing
24
⚙️ Operations
17
⚖️ Legal
13
🎨 Design
10
👤 HR / People
9
💰 Finance
7
🎧 Support
4
Sierra — 134 jobs
💻 Engineering
42
💼 Sales / GTM
27
📋 Product
15
👤 HR / People
7
🎨 Design
5
⚖️ Legal
5
📣 Marketing
5
⚙️ Operations
5
📊 Data
2
💰 Finance
1
Summary
OpenAI scores 4.5/5.0 on Glassdoor with a 3.6 work-life balance rating. Sierra scores 4.0/5.0 overall with a 3.5 WLB. That’s a 0.5-point gap on overall satisfaction.
Both companies share these culture values: Engineering-Driven, Ship Fast & Iterate, Learning & Growth, Strong Comp & Equity. OpenAI also emphasizes Direct Product Impact.
On the hiring front, OpenAI has 655 open roles and Sierra has 134 open roles.