How Many People Work at OpenAI? Headcount and Employee Trends

OpenAI, the artificial intelligence research and deployment company best known for ChatGPT and the GPT series of large language models, reports a global headcount of roughly 2,659 employees. Recent hiring activity (886 additions against 121 departures) points to continued expansion and a positive net growth trend in staff. Engineering makes up the majority of roles, underscoring the organisation’s research-first culture, while business and operational teams have also scaled to support commercial offerings and partnership growth.

Engineering is OpenAI’s largest department at about 1,480 employees, representing close to 56 % of total headcount and highlighting the company’s focus on advancing core AI capabilities. Business Management (233) and Marketing & Product (225) follow, reflecting efforts to commercialise research and manage customer adoption. Human Resources (212) and Finance & Administration (128) illustrate the infrastructure supporting a growing organisation, while Sales & Support (107), Operations (91), IT (68), Legal (64), and an "Other" category (51) round out the roster. The spread shows a balanced investment in technical innovation and the functions required to scale responsibly.

OpenAI’s workforce is concentrated in the United States, with approximately 1,767 employees in San Francisco and 244 in New York. Additional hubs include Seattle (108) and Los Angeles (42), while London hosts 92 team members, supporting outreach to the European AI community. Smaller clusters are located in Austin, Washington DC, Dublin, and Singapore, and an "Other" category accounts for 300 employees who work remotely or in satellite offices. The distribution indicates a hybrid approach that combines a strong Bay Area presence with strategic regional teams to tap into diverse talent pools and market opportunities.