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OpenAI Interview Process

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Where do I apply for an OpenAI interview?

Apply through the OpenAI careers site, or use this LinkedIn strategy to reach an OpenAI recruiter or engineer directly.

Most OpenAI roles hire for a specific team, and the team decides a lot about the loop. Read the job post closely and apply to the teams where your past work fits best.

What topics should I study for?

OpenAI's coding rounds are closer to real work than to classic LeetCode. You'll usually build a small working piece of software, and then the interviewer adds requirements one at a time. You can run your code and tests in the editor, so they expect it to actually work. Hash maps, heaps, sorting, and binary search still show up, but inside a bigger problem.

What are some example OpenAI technical questions?

  • Build a small in-memory database, then add new commands to it.
  • Build a service that tracks credits for users, where credits can expire.
  • Write an iterator that can be paused, saved, and resumed later.
  • Encode a list of strings into one string, then decode it back.
  • Build the classes for a chat app, then add features like status messages and away replies.
  • Here's some buggy code. Find the problems, fix them, and clean it up before time runs out.
  • Design a system that delivers webhooks reliably.
  • Design a Slack-like messaging app you need to ship in two weeks.
  • Design a CI/CD system like GitHub Actions.
  • Design a payment system.

Expect the problem to grow while you work on it. One new grad's final round started as a simple chat interface and kept getting new requirements, like away messages and a counter that tracked a running joke. They said LeetCode tricks didn't help much there. Clean classes that were easy to change did.

What are some example OpenAI behavioral questions?

  • Why OpenAI?
  • Tell me about a time you disagreed with your manager.
  • How would you decide whether a model is ready to release?
  • Tell me about a time you had to convince a teammate who saw it differently.
  • What do you think about AI safety? How does it show up in your own work?
  • Tell me about a project that failed. What would you do differently?

Have real opinions about AI, because interviewers will ask for them. Candidates say the conversations go best when they stop sounding rehearsed and turn into a real back-and-forth. If you get an interviewer from a research or safety team, expect them to push on your answers. That's normal. Explain your reasoning instead of backing down right away.

How long is the entire OpenAI interview process?

Anywhere from two to eight weeks once you're talking to a recruiter. OpenAI says it tries to get back to you within about a week after each stage, and many candidates say it does. The long part is often before that. One new grad applied and didn't hear back for months, then went from first interview to offer in a few weeks. If you're waiting, don't stop applying elsewhere.

What is the OpenAI interview like for a full time software engineering role?

Recruiter call (about 30 minutes)

Your background, why OpenAI, and which teams you might fit. Ask here whether your loop uses live coding, a take-home, or both, what language you can use, and which rounds allow AI tools. The answer changes by team.

Technical assessment

This is one of two things, depending on the team:

  • Live coding and sometimes a system design screen (about 1 hour each). Coding is in CoderPad, where you can run your code.
  • A take-home project. You build something on your own time, then walk through it with an engineer who asks why you made each choice and has you extend it. Ask how many hours it's supposed to take and stick to that.

Some teams start with a timed online test instead. One new grad got a two-part problem where the second part was much harder than the first.

Final loop (4-6 hours over one or two days, virtual by default)

Typical composition:

  • 1-2 coding interviews. One is often a build-from-scratch problem. Another might hand you existing code with bugs to fix and clean up under time pressure.
  • 1 system design interview. Plan to pick a concrete example and walk through the whole design, then defend your choices when the interviewer pushes.
  • 1 project deep dive, where you explain something you've built in detail. Ask your recruiter if they want slides.
  • 1-2 behavioral interviews, often with a manager

Team match

Some candidates finish the loop before they're matched to a team. Ask your recruiter whether you're interviewing for one team or a broader pool.

What are the levels and salary for a software engineer at OpenAI?

Level Description Estimated Annual Compensation*
L2 Software Engineer (Entry Level) 249k
L3 Software Engineer 349k
L4 Senior Software Engineer 752k
L5 Staff Software Engineer 911k
Sourced from levels.fyi, October 2026 medians

*Note that compensation varies based on location. These estimates are likely based on the USA HCOL market.

Most of a mid-level or senior OpenAI package is equity in a private company. You can't sell it on the stock market, so you're counting on future tender offers to turn it into cash. Ask your recruiter how often employees have been able to sell and how much, so you can compare it fairly to an offer with public stock.

How should I prepare?

Practice building small, working programs in your best language, then adding features to them on a timer. Do at least one drill where you take code you didn't write, find the bugs, and clean it up. Practice a couple of system designs end to end out loud, and pick one project from your resume you can explain in detail. Then write down what you actually think about AI and safety, so you're not making it up in the room. Start with how to prepare for a technical interview if you're early in your prep.

Last updated on October 28, 2026
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OpenAI Interview Process | InterviewCrunch