OpenAI
Large (~3,500)
Stripe
Large (~8,000)
Best For
OpenAI
Best for: Engineers who want to build frontier AI models at the company defining the industry, with elite compensation
Stripe
Best for: Engineers who value code quality, writing culture, and fintech at the highest level
Ratings
OpenAIStripe
4.5
4.0
Overall
3.6
3.6
Work-Life Balance
4.6
4.1
Culture & Values
4.5
4.5
Comp & Benefits
4.3
3.7
Senior Mgmt
4.3
3.8
Career Opps
👍 90% Recommend
👤 95% CEO Approval (Sam Altman)
👍 80% Recommend
👤 82% CEO Approval (Patrick Collison)
Culture Values
OpenAI only
🚀 Ship Fast & Iterate
Stripe only
🪟 Transparent
Shared
⚙️ Engineering-Driven🌱 Learning & Growth🎯 Direct Product Impact💎 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
Stripe
- Engineering culture is elite — code quality and writing culture are best-in-class
- Top compensation in fintech — competitive base, equity, and benefits
- Perfectionism can slow shipping — high bar sometimes means slower velocity
- The 2022-23 layoffs affected morale — company has been rebuilding confidence
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.
Stripe
Choose Stripe if you want elite engineering culture with top comp — but perfectionism can slow shipping velocity.
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
Stripe — 490 jobs
💻 Engineering
118
💼 Sales / GTM
98
📋 Product
44
⚙️ Operations
39
📣 Marketing
34
💰 Finance
22
📊 Data
16
🎨 Design
15
⚖️ Legal
12
🧠 ML / AI
9
👤 HR / People
7
🎧 Support
4
Summary
OpenAI scores 4.5/5.0 on Glassdoor with a 3.6 work-life balance rating. Stripe scores 4.0/5.0 overall with a 3.6 WLB. That’s a 0.5-point gap on overall satisfaction.
Both companies share these culture values: Engineering-Driven, Learning & Growth, Direct Product Impact, Strong Comp & Equity. OpenAI also emphasizes Ship Fast & Iterate. Stripe also emphasizes Transparent.
On the hiring front, OpenAI has 655 open roles and Stripe has 490 open roles.