OpenAI
Large (~3,500)
Wayve
Mid (~850)
Best For
OpenAI
Best for: Engineers who want to build frontier AI models at the company defining the industry, with elite compensation
Wayve
Best for: ML and robotics engineers excited by embodied AI who want to work at the frontier of autonomous driving with a high-caliber research team in London
Ratings
OpenAIWayve
4.5
4.4
Overall
3.6
3.9
Work-Life Balance
4.6
4.5
Culture & Values
4.5
4.4
Comp & Benefits
4.3
4.2
Senior Mgmt
4.3
4.2
Career Opps
👍 90% Recommend
👤 95% CEO Approval (Sam Altman)
👍 88% Recommend
👤 92% CEO Approval (Amar Shah)
Culture Values
OpenAI only
💎 Strong Comp & Equity
Wayve only
🌈 Diverse & Inclusive
Shared
⚙️ Engineering-Driven🚀 Ship Fast & Iterate🌱 Learning & Growth🎯 Direct Product Impact
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
Wayve
- Great culture — smart, friendly people with a supportive and inclusive familial bond
- Immense creative freedom and autonomy; founders are humble and open to being challenged
- Career progression framework is unclear — salaries and promotions feel arbitrary
- Very ambitious demands create vulnerability to burnout; processes built on the fly
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.
Wayve
One of Europe's top deep-tech companies with excellent Glassdoor ratings (4.4) and a cutting-edge AV research environment — but expect an intense pace and most roles are London-based.
Open Roles
OpenAI — 638 jobs
💻 Engineering
299
💼 Sales / GTM
56
🧠 ML / AI
31
📋 Product
31
📊 Data
28
📣 Marketing
24
⚙️ Operations
17
👤 HR / People
14
🎨 Design
10
⚖️ Legal
10
🎧 Support
5
💰 Finance
3
Wayve — 83 jobs
💻 Engineering
47
🧠 ML / AI
6
⚙️ Operations
6
📋 Product
5
📊 Data
3
⚖️ Legal
2
👤 HR / People
1
📣 Marketing
1
Summary
OpenAI scores 4.5/5.0 on Glassdoor with a 3.6 work-life balance rating. Wayve scores 4.4/5.0 overall with a 3.9 WLB. That’s a 0.1-point gap on overall satisfaction.
Both companies share these culture values: Engineering-Driven, Ship Fast & Iterate, Learning & Growth, Direct Product Impact. OpenAI also emphasizes Strong Comp & Equity. Wayve also emphasizes Diverse & Inclusive.
On the hiring front, OpenAI has 638 open roles and Wayve has 83 open roles.